Modelling accelerated life test data by using a Bayesian approach

Because of the high reliability of many modern products, accelerated life tests are becoming widely used to obtain timely information about their time-to-failure distributions. We propose a general class of accelerated life testing models which are motivated by the actual failure process of units from a limited failure population with a positive probability of not failing during the technological lifetime. We demonstrate a Bayesian approach to this problem, using a new class of models with non-monotone hazard rates, the hazard model with potential scope for use far beyond accelerated life testing. Our methods are illustrated with the modelling and analysis of a data set on lifetimes of printed circuit boards under humidity accelerated life testing. Copyright 2003 Royal Statistical Society.