Track 3 Session 9

2:20 to 3:20 p.m. Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Robust Design: An Experiment-Based Approach to Design for Reliability

Robust design uses the parameter design approach of Genichi Taguchi to optimize the design of products and processes with the objective of “building in” insensitivity to noise. Noise is any kind of uncontrolled variation in the operation environment of the product or process that could affect performance. If we recognize how variation in the environment (e.g. energy source, raw materials, heat and humidity, dirt and dust) and internal deterioration degrade reliability, then robust design offers an innovative way to "build reliability in" rather than depend on maintenance to assure reliability. In the introduction, this presentation identifies and reviews the better known methods to design for reliability in order to put robust design in context. Another objective of this presentation is to provide engineers with a background in robust design and to describe how it is adapted to design for reliability. A final objective is to provide several examples of successful applications from the literature.

Key Words: Robust Reliability Design, Taguchi Parameter Design, Orthogonal Arrays, Design for Reliability, Design And Analysis of Experiments

Robert G. Batson

University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, Alabama