Predicting failure modes to improve reliability

For equipment experiencing a constant failure rate, providing failure-free production for a given time results in greater customer satisfaction than providing a system with a high mean time between failures. A powerful tool in providing failure-free production for a given time is the capability to predict failure modes. In fact, major efforts to increase the mean time between failures while equipment is in a constant-failure-rate mode can result in increased customer frustration. The main task in improving customer satisfaction is identifying the real customer requirements and then providing for those requirements.<>