Reliability methods in computer aided early design stages for automotive systems

摘要

Reliability investigation after the stage of detail design or even later when the provision of production facilities already starts is state of the art in mechanical engineering. At this point the properties of single components of a technical system, i.e. the physical characteristics, the dimensions and the material of the parts are already determined. Due to this, only few changes are possible without a revision of other components or an effect on the costs. The later the changes are realized, the higher are the additional costs. Therefore, our research is focussed on the shift of the reliability analysis towards earlier stages of the entire product development. Modifications are easy to implement and cost almost nothing, like the way a line is modified on paper. This paper presents a new approach to integrate the early design stages of the development process, like conceptual and embodiment design with an escorted reliability analysis.