What is BS IEC 60605-4 - Statistical procedures for exponential distribution for equipment reliability testing about?
BS IEC 60605 is an international standard that discusses equipment reliability testing. BS IEC 60605-4 is the fourth part of a multi-part series that outlines the statistical methods for evaluating point estimates, confidence intervals, prediction intervals, and tolerance intervals for the failure rate of items, whose time to failure follows an exponential distribution.
This implies that the failure rate is constant over time. It should be noted that although reference is made above to failure rate, the numerical methods to be described equally applies to other event rates provided the times to the occurrence of the event follow an exponential distribution.
Thus, with this qualification, the numerical methods apply, for example, to constant failure intensities and constant repair rates. For convenience, however, and to avoid unnecessary repetition, references will be made in what follows only to failures and failure rates.
The use of the procedures in BS IEC 60605-4 should be supported by tests to confirm the validity of the assumption of constant failure rate or failure intensity.
BS IEC 60605-4 also applies whenever a random sample of items is subjected to a test of times to failure to estimate measures of reliability performance.
Who is BS IEC 60605-4