Application of Quantitative Accelerated Life Data and Models for Reliability Predictions based on Usage Stress Profiles

摘要

Accelerated testing is primarily used for shortening test duration. However, the data and the methodologies can be used for a variety of further analyses. In fact, whenever failures are related to stress, these methodologies can provide the means of analysis and prediction for a variety of applications. In this paper three case studies are presented, where the data collected from accelerated tests are used for predicting product life based on field conditions and usage. The first case study demonstrates the use of Quantitative Accelerated Life Test (QALT) data and models on estimating system reliability with load sharing components. The second case study utilizes QALT data and models to estimate warranty returns based on customer usage information (i.e., percentage of customers utilizing the product at specific stress levels). The last case study considers the scenario where the field stress is time-dependent (e.g., stress cycling).