Taibah University

College of Engineering
Industrial Engineering Department

IE-442-Engineering Reliability and

Maintainability

Chapter 3: Constant Failure Rate models

 Constant Failure rate models

In Chapter 2, we introduced the reliability function R(t), the CDF F(t),

the PDF f(t), and the Failure rate function λ(t).

All these functions were related to the failure rate function (or
hazard rate function λ(t)).

But what is the form of λ(t)?

 Constant Failure rate models

λ(t) is either constant or time-dependent

 A failure distribution that has a constant failure rate is called an

exponential distribution.
 The exponential distribution is one of the most important reliability
distribution
 Constant Failure rate models

λ(t) is either constant or time-dependent

 Constant failure rates are observed when failures happen completely

randomly during the useful life (Memorylessness).

 Memorylessness: The time to failure of a system is not dependent

on how long the system has been operating.
Constant Failure rate models

λ(t) is either constant or time-dependent

Constant Failure rate models

λ(t) is either constant or time-dependent

Constant Failure rate models
Constant Failure rate models
Constant Failure rate models

Memorylessness: The time to failure of a system is not dependent on

how long the system has been operating.

In another word, the probability of a component to survive past t should

not depend on how long the system has already been operating:
Constant Failure rate models

Failure Modes
In General: Assuming a system can fail in n components, independent
ways. If Ri(t) is the reliability function for the i-th failure mode and λ i(t) the
failure rate function for the i-th failure mode, then

For a system that may experience n independent failure

modes,

R(t) is the reliability that none of the failure modes will

occur before time t, and

λ(t), the system failure rate is the sum of the individual

failure rates of each failure mode
 Constant Failure rate models

Failure Modes with CFR models

If a system consists of n independent, serially related components each
having a constant failure rate λi
 Constant Failure rate models

Two-Parameters Exponential
Occurs when we know for certainty that a system will never fail before
some specified time t0, the guaranteed lifetime

Median Time to Failure

Design Life
 Constant Failure rate models

Poisson Process
 If a component having a CFR λ is immediately repaired or replaced
upon failing, the number of failures observed over a time period t has a
Poisson distribution. The probability of observing n failures in time t is
given by the poisson probability mass function pn(t)

 If this component can be replaced S times (S spare components are

immediately available)
Questions?