MSc Reliability Engineering and Asset Management / Course details

•    Maintenance awareness and design. M&R background; parameters that can be usefully used in design: MTTR, MTBF, MWT.
•    Why do systems fail? Learning from Failures.  A design perspective and case study based introduction.
•    Design models and evaluation techniques (AHP/ Pugh’s Method / QFD). 
•    Decision analysis in maintenance and computerised maintenance management systems (CMMSs).
•    Learning from failure: feedback of information to design - case study.
•    The principles of concurrent engineering. Role of marketing, design and manufacturing in concurrent engineering.
•    The process of converting customer requirements to engineering characteristics; the concept of quality function deployment (QFD) and house of quality.
•    Design for X; where X is maintainability, reliability, manufacturability and assembly. Design for manufacturing and design for assembly and concepts and detail. 
•    FMEA and FTA and RBD in the context of DfR and concurrent engineering.
•    Design of maintenance strategy using multiple criteria and resource allocation.

The objective of this module is to present ways in which reliability and maintainability can be taken into account effectively during design.  It presents the totality of design activity for the whole product and process life cycle, the control and integration of different technical groups, and shows how and when the process can be influenced to improve maintainability and reliability (M&R). 

Perspectives of design and design constraints will be discussed in order to identify the most appropriate ways in which design can be improved with respect to M&R.

It addresses how design of routines can be improved as an outcome of failures and hence the learning from failures concept.

•    Maintenance awareness and design. M&R background; parameters that can be usefully used in design: MTTR, MTBF, MWT.
•    Why do systems fail? Learning from Failures.  A design perspective and case study based introduction.
•    Design models and evaluation techniques (AHP/ Pugh’s Method / QFD). 
•    Decision analysis in maintenance and computerised maintenance management systems (CMMSs).
•    Learning from failure: feedback of information to design - case study.
•    The principles of concurrent engineering. Role of marketing, design and manufacturing in concurrent engineering.
•    The process of converting customer requirements to engineering characteristics; the concept of quality function deployment (QFD) and house of quality.
•    Design for X; where X is maintainability, reliability, manufacturability and assembly. Design for manufacturing and design for assembly and concepts and detail. 
•    FMEA and FTA and RBD in the context of DfR and concurrent engineering.
•    Design of maintenance strategy using multiple criteria and resource allocation.

The course is delivered as 5-full days of teaching on campus and subsequent discussion through the online Blackboard system.

•    Define and discuss the main characteristics of maintenance practice
•    Explain / describe the basics of reliability
•    Identify techniques for proactive maintenance
•    Explain / describe the concept of redundancy.
•    Appreciate cultural difference and the effect of design on maintenance
•    Appreciate different Case Studies related to failures in both maintenance and design functions, and discuss lessons learnt
•    Identify reasons related to Why Maintenance Systems Fail.
•    Discuss priorities for proactive maintenance.
•    Explain / describe how to convert the voice of the customer to engineering solutions for a better design.
•    Explain / describe the concept of engineering maintainability.
•    Explain / describe the need to have a CMMS.
•    Appreciate the current status of off-the-shelf design of CMMS’s.
•    Explain / describe how to convert data to decisions through an appropriate design.

•    Appreciate concurrent engineering as team-based design approach.
•    Ability to appreciate and apply tools and techniques of concurrent engineering.
•    How Maintenance is affected by Design.
•    Explain / describe the basics of design evaluation.
•    Appreciate the effect of design evaluation.
•    Explain / describe how to evaluate design using prioritisation techniques based on multiple criteria. 
•    Apply the concept of design evaluation in practical cases.
•    Appreciate the effect of design on maintenance.
•    Explain / describe how to design for reliability and easy maintenance
•    Apply the concept of design for maintainability in practical cases.
•    Apply the concept of House of Quality in practical cases.

•    Use of multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) approaches
•    Use of the Decision Making Grid (DMG) model.
•    Use FTA and RBD models in the context of DfR.

•    Work in small groups (where applicable).    
•    Explain / describe the application of FMEA in the context of DfR.
•    Appreciate the effect of design on RPN and demonstrate its application.
•    Use available data at work place (where applicable).

Provided in person or via the Blackboard system.

1.    Labib, A. (2014). Learning from failures: decision analysis of major disasters. Elsevier.
2.    Hatamura, Y. (Ed.). (2009). Learning from design failures. Springer.
3.    Elsayed, “Reliability Engineering”, Addison Wesley, 1996.
4.    Thompon, G. Improving maintainability and reliability through design.  216pp, Professional Engineering Publications, (I.Mech.E.), London UK        ISBN    1 86058 135 8.
5.    Pugh, S.  Total design.  Addison-Wesley  1991.
6.    Jones, C.J  Design Methods  John Wiley 1970
7.    Cross, N.  Engineering design methods.  John Wiley 1994
8.    Pahl G and Beitz I   Engineering Design a Systematic Approach. Springer 1996 
9.    Labib, A.W., A Decision Analysis Model for Maintenance Policy Selection Using a CMMS, Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering (JQME); MCB Press; ISSN: 1355-2511; Vol 10, No 3, pp 191-202, 2004.
10.    Davidson, G., and A.W. Labib, "Learning from failures: design improvements using a multiple criteria decision making process", Journal of Aerospace Engineering, Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part G, Vol 217/4, pp 207-216, 2003.