Reliability Growth
Reliability growth is the improvement of equipment or system reliability through testing, failure discovery, analysis, design correction, and verification.
What this term means in maintenance
Reliability growth is the improvement of equipment or system reliability through testing, failure discovery, analysis, design correction, and verification.
How reliability grows
A reliability-growth process may include:
- Operate or test the system
- Record failures
- Analyze causes
- Implement permanent changes
- Verify improvement
- Repeat
Practical example
A new production machine experiences repeated sensor and guarding failures during early operation. Engineering changes reduce event frequency over successive months.
Data used
Failure frequency, operating exposure, repeat failures, root causes, and modification history support the review.
Reliability growth versus repair
Repair restores function.
Reliability growth changes the system so future failure probability reduces.
Common mistake
Counting normal repairs as reliability improvement without demonstrating a sustained reduction in failure.
Related concepts
Related maintenance terms
Keep exploring connected CMMS, reliability, and maintenance planning terms.
Failure Reporting, Analysis and Corrective Action System
FRACAS is a closed-loop process for recording failures, analyzing causes, assigning corrective actions, and verifying that reliability improves.
Corrective Action
Corrective action is an action taken to remove or control the cause of an existing problem or nonconformity and prevent recurrence.
Equipment Reliability
Equipment reliability is the probability that an asset will perform its required function without failure for a defined time under stated operating conditions.
Glossary FAQs
- What is reliability growth?
Improvement in reliability through failure discovery, analysis, design correction, and verification.
- How is it different from normal repair?
Repair restores function; reliability growth reduces future failure probability.
- What evidence shows growth?
Sustained reduction in failure frequency under comparable operating exposure.