Reliability data collection in the UK: the NCSR scheme

Some of the general aspects of reliability data collection are discussed and illustrated with an example of a recent Safety and Reliability Systems (SRS) project concerned with high economic risk in the field of advanced manufacturing technology. Any data collection scheme must aim to provide the information required to enable the correct decisions to be taken in order to reach specified objectives. These objectives should be well defined and documented at the outset. In the current context they are improvements in the reliability of complex technical systems to improve economy of operation and/or safety. It may be for existing plant or for proposed systems in the design stage. The case study chosen contained examples of plant equipment in fuel reprocessing and active handling lines, for example robots, computer controlled cutting tools and automatic guided vehicles. New classification methods and the integration of several different computer applications packages were needed. (author)