Fundamentals of Life Estimation

podcast episode with speaker Fred Schenkelberg

We often face questions, such as: How long will this last? , Will this design survive for at least 5 years? , and When should we recommend servicing or replacement? Being able to provide life estimates is a common skill we need to master.

Life testing is not the only method available to us. We can provide a guess (based on engineering judgement), to modeling and simulation, to field data analysis. And, there are more suitable methods depending on the particular situation.

Let's explore the range of options available to estimate life for an item, plus the pros and cons of each method. You need to be aware of your options and thus be able to provide the best estimates when asked.

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