Q.

To determine the fatigue limit of specially treated steel bars, the Prot method (Collins, 1981) fpr
performing fatigue test is utilized. The test involved the application of a steadily increasing stress
level with applied cycles until the spicemen under test fails. The number of cycles to failure is
observed to follow a Weibull distribution with = 250 (measurement are in 10 5 cycles) and = 2.
1. What is the reliability of a bar at 106 cycles? What is the corresponding hazard rate?
2. What is the expected life (in cycles) for a bar of this type?

Q. A manufacturing engineer observes the wear-out rate of a milling machine tool insert and fits a
Weibull hazard model to the tool wear data. The parameters of the model are = 2.25 and = 300.
Determine the reliability of the tool insert after ten hours, the expected life of the insert, and the
standard deviation of the life.

Q. Excessive vibration due to high-speed cutting on a CNC (computer numerical control) machine
may lead to the failure of the cutting tool. The failure time of the tool follows an extreme value
distribution. The failure rate increase about 15 percent per hour. Assuming that the constant b =
0.01, calculate the reliability of the tool at t = 10 hours.

Q. A component has a normal distribution of failure times with = 40,000 cycles and = 2,000
cycles. Find the reliability and hazard function at 38,000 cycles.

Q. A mechanical system requires a constant supply of electric current, which is provided by a main
battery having life length T with an exponential distribution of mean 120 hours. The main battery is
supported by two identical backup batteries with mean lives of T and T. When the main unit fails,
the first backup battery provides the necessary current to the system. The second backup battery
provides the current when the first backup unit fails. In other words, the batteries provide the current
independently but sequentially.
Determine the reliability and the hazard rate of the mechanical system at t = 280 hours. What is the
mean life of the system?