08 Mar 2007
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A Head-Up-Display
Product and Process Improvement
Requirement
A Head Up display is a means of allowing an aircraft pilot to read various dials and indicators without having to look down, by projecting them into their line of sight. The manufacturer of the unit wanted to gain an idea of the in-service reliability they could expect from their design.
Solution
- Produce Assurance Group applied its Virtual Reliability Model. (VRM) This is a tool developed by Product Assurance Group for:
- Estimating the reliability of complex products based on reliability indicators, e.g. Qualification, Acceptance Tests, Screening
- Predicting the impact of product enhancements on future reliability
- Performing cost-benefit analysis Data from many sources, including test results and failure data, was put into the Virtual Reliability Model
This tool was then able to derive an estimate of the Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) for the various Head Up Display components. From these results, the weakest components could be identified and improved.
Benefits
Product Assurance Group were able to predict the in service life of the equipment based on the MTBF of the various components. This was based on real measured data rather than guesswork. As more data became available, the results were able to be further refined.
