On system reliability with single strength and multi‐component stress model

Purpose – The main objective of this paper is to consider the problem of strength of a manufactured item against an array of stresses, when each component follows exponential failure law. Design/methodology/approach – The study considers a system consisting of n components in a series with lifetimes that follow exponential failure law and applies a competing failure model to examine the strength reliability of the system. Findings – In process of developing a new product, the engineer is given the goal for the system and must then develop a design that will achieve the desired reliability of the system, while performing all of the system's intended functions at a minimum cost. The paper involves a balancing act of determining how to distribute reliability to the components in the system, so that the system will meet all the other associated performance specifications. Originality/value – The application of the proposed technique will not only help the reliability engineers/managers/system engineers to understand the design methodology of the system, but also lead to the problem of addressing the risks involved in perceived quality and reliability levels by eliminating or at least reducing the risk‐impact at the design phase.