Reliability Object Model Tree (ROM-Tree): A system design-for-reliability method

Designing complex systems that satisfy reliability requirements is a challenge because of complex assembly structures and logical connections, numerous components and associated failure modes, limited reliability data or prediction models, and multi-disciplinary considerations. To overcome these difficulties and to design reliable systems in a systematic way, we have developed a system design-for-reliability (SDfR) method, called Reliability Object Model Tree (ROM-Tree). The developed ROM-Tree consists of: (1) a new reliability analysis structure, (2) reliability metrics, and (3) reliability activities. ROM-Tree is demonstrated through a case study in electronic system designs. Results show that the ROM-Tree method is useful in supporting SDfR in a unified way.