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MADE Module Guides > Reliability Allocation

Reliability Allocation User Guide — Introduction and Workflows

Version: 3.9.1

1 Nomenclature

Term Definition
ARINC Aeronautical Radio Incorporated
MCE Maintenance Cost Estimate
MTTF Mean time to failure
RA Reliability Allocation

2 Introduction

This guide is aimed at providing the user with a brief overview regarding the features and functionality of the Reliability Allocation (RA) editor and associated analyses.

Reliability Allocation involves setting reliability targets for a system or group of subsystems in order to attain a specific reliability goal. This analysis is used as a benchmark to assess reliability values further down the system lifecycle.

3 MADE Reliability Analysis Workflow

There are four related workflows documented in this guide, covering the Reliability Allocation editor and three specific allocation-metric sub-analyses it supports: MTBUM, MTBCF, and MTBF.

Figure 1: Reliability Allocation Workflow (WF12: Conduct Reliability Allocation)

Pre-requisites:

  • A. RAM Module: access to Reliability, Availability & Maintainability (RAM) module enables Reliability Allocation.
  • B. MADE Project: consists of FBD model items further defined with mission profiles.

Flowchart steps:

  1. Access Reliability Allocation Editor
  2. Create Reliability Allocation Analysis (fed by: Analysis Name, Analysis Description, Mission Profile, Target Item, Allocation Type, Weighting Type)
  3. Set Target Reliability
  4. Existing Reliability Data Values? → Yes: step 5 (Lock Reliability Data Value(s)) → back to step 3 / No: continue
  5. Lock Reliability Data Value(s)
  6. Define Weighting? → Yes: step 7 (Adjust Weightings) → step 8 / No: step 8
  7. Adjust Weightings
  8. Run Reliability Allocation Analysis
  9. Review Analysis Results
  10. Results Acceptable? → No: loop back to step 2 (create another analysis) or Overview/Management page / Yes: continue
  11. Apply to System Model? → Yes: step 12 (Apply Result(s) to System Model) / No: continue to step 13
  12. Apply Result(s) to System Model
  13. Apply to MCE? → Yes: step 14 (Apply Result(s) to MCE) / No: continue to step 15
  14. Apply Result(s) to MCE
  15. All Reliability Allocated? → No: loop back / Yes: continue
  16. Reliability Allocation Conducted → outputs: Mean Time To Failure, Reliability Allocation Report

Detailed Descriptions:

  1. Access Reliability Allocation (RA) Editor under 'Analyses' in the main menu bar.
  2. Select the 'Plus' icon to create a new Reliability Allocation Analysis and define the analysis details accordingly.
  3. Set the Target Reliability using the available options or entering a custom value, as required.
  4. If Weighted Allocation Type and there are existing reliability data values, these may be locked in prior to the reliability allocation.
  5. Lock in any existing reliability data values that have been verified, reliability allocation will then allocate around those locked values.
  6. Dependent on selected Weighting Type further weighting may be required to be defined.
  7. Adjust weightings of model items, based on the selected Weighting Type.
  8. Click 'Calculate' to run the Reliability Allocation analysis and produce results.
  9. Review results of the analysis to determine if they are acceptable.
  10. If results are not acceptable, create another analysis or return to the Overview / Management page to edit the existing one.
  11. Determine if any of the acceptable results are to be applied to model items within the project.
  12. Select via the check boxes the results to be applied to the model items and then click 'Apply to System Model' to initiate the process.
  13. Determine if any of the acceptable results are to be applied to an existing MCE.
  14. Select via the check boxes results to be applied to an existing MCE and then click 'Apply to MCE' to initiate the process.
  15. Continue through the iterative process until all necessary reliability data values have been generated, reviewed and allocated.
  16. Reliability Allocation conducted, outputting target/allocated reliability metrics and a reliability allocation report.

Outputs:

  • Mean Time To Failure (MTTF): average time a model item will be in operations before failing.
  • Reliability Allocation Report: contains all details and results of the report, including target reliability, duration of operations and maximum allowable failure rates.

Figure 2: RA Analysis – MTBUM Workflow (WF54: Mean Time Between Unplanned Maintenance)

Pre-requisites:

  • A. RAM Module: access to Reliability, Availability & Maintainability (RAM) module enables Reliability Allocation.
  • B. MADE Project: consists of FBD model items further defined with MTTF values.

Flowchart steps:

  1. Access Reliability Allocation
  2. Create New MTBUM Analysis (fed by: Analysis Name, Description, Target Item, Allocation Type)
  3. Enter Analysis Parameters (fed by: Requirement, Design Margin)
  4. Weighted Analysis? → Yes: step 5 / No: skip to step 8
  5. Select component from Analysis Inputs Table
  6. Assign weighting values (fed by: MTBF, MTBUM Prediction)
  7. All components weighted? → No: loop back to step 5 / Yes: step 8
  8. Run analysis
  9. Review Analysis Results
  10. Apply to System Model or MCE? → Yes: step 11 / No: end
  11. Select applicable model items & Apply → Analysis Complete

Detailed Descriptions:

  1. Access Reliability Allocation (RA) Editor under 'Analyses' in the main menu bar.
  2. Select the 'Plus' icon to create a new Mean Time Between Unplanned Maintenance (MTBUM) Allocation Analysis and define the analysis details accordingly.
  3. Set the Target Requirement and Design Margin by entering values in the text fields.
  4. If Weighted Allocation Type, there are additional values which can be modified.
  5. Select the component from the table to enable modifiable fields.
  6. Assign the appropriate MTBF and MTBUM Prediction value against the selected component.
  7. Repeat Steps 6 & 7 until all component weightings are complete.
  8. Select Calculate to run the analysis.
  9. Review the analysis results.
  10. Do you wish to apply the results to either System Model or an existing MCE analysis?
  11. Select model items from the Analysis Results table to apply the results to the system model or an existing MCE. Select the "Apply to System Model" or "Apply to MCE" button to apply the calculated results to either System Model or MCE respectively.

Outputs:

  • Mean Time To Failure: average time a model item will be in operations before failing.

Figure 3: RA Analysis – MTBCF Workflow (WF55: Mean Time Between Critical Failure)

Pre-requisites: same as MTBUM workflow (RAM Module; MADE Project with FBD model items defined with MTTF values).

Flowchart steps:

  1. Access Reliability Allocation
  2. Create New MTBCF Analysis (fed by: Analysis Name, Description, Target Item, Allocation Type)
  3. Enter Analysis Parameters (fed by: Requirement, Design Margin)
  4. Select component from Analysis Inputs Table
  5. Assign weighting values (fed by: MTBF, Mission Critical?)
  6. Weighted Analysis? → Yes: step 7 / No: skip to step 8
  7. Assign Criticality Factor (fed by: Criticality Factor)
  8. All components weighted? → No: loop back to step 4 / Yes: step 9
  9. Run analysis
  10. Review Analysis Results
  11. Apply to System Model or MCE? → Yes: step 12 / No: end
  12. Select applicable model items & Apply → Analysis Complete

Detailed Descriptions:

  1. Access Reliability Allocation (RA) Editor under 'Analyses' in the main menu bar.
  2. Select the 'Plus' icon to create a new Mean Time Between Critical Failure (MTBCF) Allocation Analysis and define the analysis details accordingly.
  3. Set the Target Requirement and Design Margin by entering values in the text fields.
  4. Select the component from the table to enable modifiable fields.
  5. Assign the appropriate MTBF value and Mission Critical status against the selected component.
  6. If Weighted Allocation Type, there are additional factors to be applied.
  7. Assign Criticality Factor to selected component.
  8. Repeat Steps 4 to 7 until all component weightings are complete.
  9. Select Calculate to run the analysis.
  10. Review the analysis results.
  11. Do you wish to apply the results to either System Model or an existing MCE analysis?
  12. Select model items from the Analysis Results table to apply the results to the system model or an existing MCE. Select the "Apply to System Model" or "Apply to MCE" button to apply the calculated results to either System Model or MCE respectively.

Outputs:

  • Mean Time To Failure: average time a model item will be in operations before failing.
  • Mission Critical: indication on component of Mission Critical or not.

Figure 4: RA Analysis – MTBF Workflow (WF56: Mean Time Between Failure)

Pre-requisites: same as MTBUM/MTBCF workflows.

Flowchart steps:

  1. Access Reliability Allocation
  2. Create New MTBF Analysis (fed by: Analysis Name, Description, Target Item, Allocation Type)
  3. Enter Analysis Parameters (fed by: Requirement, Design Margin)
  4. Weighted Analysis? → Yes: step 5 / No: skip to step 8
  5. Select component from Analysis Inputs Table
  6. Assign weighting values (fed by: MTBF Prediction)
  7. All components weighted? → No: loop back to step 5 / Yes: step 8
  8. Run analysis
  9. Review Analysis Results
  10. Apply to System Model or MCE? → Yes: step 11 / No: end
  11. Select applicable model items & Apply → Analysis Complete

Detailed Descriptions:

  1. Access Reliability Allocation (RA) Editor under 'Analyses' in the main menu bar.
  2. Select the 'Plus' icon to create a new Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) Allocation Analysis and define the analysis details accordingly.
  3. Set the Target Requirement and Design Margin by entering values in the text fields.
  4. If Weighted Allocation Type, there are additional values which can be modified.
  5. Select the component from the table to enable modifiable fields.
  6. Assign the appropriate MTBF Prediction value against the selected component.
  7. Repeat Steps 6 & 7 until all component weightings are complete.
  8. Select Calculate to run the analysis.
  9. Review the analysis results.
  10. Do you wish to apply the results to either System Model or an existing MCE analysis?
  11. Select model items from the Analysis Results table to apply the results to the system model or an existing MCE. Select the "Apply to System Model" or "Apply to MCE" button to apply the calculated results to either System Model or MCE respectively.

Outputs:

  • Mean Time To Failure: average time a model item will be in operations before failing.

Source: Local MADE 3.9.1 installation: com.phm.made.help.plugin/documents/help/pdf/Reliability Allocation Guide.pdf · retrieved 2026-07-09