Reliability prediction of a mechanical component through accelerated life testing.

The reliability prediction (i.e. life prediction) of components and subsystems is a crucial issue for the efficiency of production systems. This paper presents a reliability assessment method, applied to a mechanical component (i.e. gear unit) of an automated manufacturing system. Study is based on accelerated life test approach (ALT). In the study authors used General log-linear model (GLL) combined with a Weibull distribution for time to failures. Researchers did different experimental tests in the laboratory of the Department of Industrial Engineer – University of Bologna, to estimate model parameters. Expected life of component was then evaluated using the proposed ALT model. Finally, results are compared with actual time-to-failure data coming from field. Time-to-failure was collected during about 10 years, on about 20 production lines using the same gear unit. The accordance between real data and life prediction is satisfying. Results confirm Accelerated Life Testing (ALT) is an efficient and effective assessment method for lifetime prediction based on short time tests.