Analysis of experimental uncertainties on life determination using accelerated life testing

Abstract

Reliability and accelerated life testing have been increasingly used by companies due to their importance in product development. Accelerated life testing involves activating products under defined conditions and evaluating the probability of their survival after a defined life time, usually called mission, which is closely related to product's warranty. Usually, the stress loads are set at nominal values during accelerated testing procedures. Therefore, accelerated test procedures do not account for either the actual experimental uncertainties related to experimental test conditions or their influences on test results. In this work, actual accelerated life testing data and Monte Carlo simulation methods are used to illustrate the impact of experimental uncertainties on the predicted life of relays under normal conditions and on its management during product design. Results show that the uncertain influences on accelerated life testing can be significant, showing therefore their relevance both on product design and on the definition of warranty periods.