Best practices methods for robust design for reliability with parametric cost estimates

ANSI/GEIA-STD-0009-2008, (STD-0009) "Reliability Program Standard for Systems Design, Development, and Manufacturing," was completed in November 2008 at the behest of the Defense Science Board Developmental Test (DT) and Evaluation Task Force and adopted in August 2009 for use by the Department of Defense (DoD). The demand for highly-reliable systems/products prompted the development of a new standard that specifies a scientific approach to reliability design, assessment, and verification, coupled with integrated management and systems engineering. This standard defines “what to do” in order to design and build reliability in, then maintain high reliability when the system/product is in the hands of the user. This paper provides an examination of Objective 2, STD-0009, design and redesign for reliability. It discusses the concepts, process, activities, and tools to affect a robust design for reliability and illustrate their use by actual implementation in a real-world case example by General Dynamics Land Systems. In addition to presenting the efficiencies of a robust design for reliability, this paper will include presentation of a parametric cost model that can reasonably estimate the time and cost for robust designs.