Folks, The reason I have been going down the reliability trail and ending up with most all the answere I expected, is that we have a customer wanting easy MTBF answere. As you all, especially Sir Werner, have so delicately indicated: There ain't no easy way though most all data has been capatured by one or more people regarding reliability. Unfortunately, our customer has heard of a software package called Relex. I know, I know, you can't predict something this easily. The customer got wind of the package and can't understand why we don't know about it or aren't using it. It is: <http://www.lambdacorp.com/assets/images/red.gif> Rapid R, M and LCC Analysis: Generate an FMEA, R&M prediction and LCC estimate in a matter of hours. So easily, in fact, that these analyses can be prepared as a part of your proposal process. Easy report sorting provides the ability to quickly identify any project's likely R, M or LCC drivers. <http://www.lambdacorp.com/assets/images/red.gif> Easy FMEA Preparation: A preliminary failure modes and effects analysis, sorted by risk priority number, can be produced for review by a cross-functional team in less than 1/2 day. <http://www.lambdacorp.com/assets/images/red.gif> Link the Future to the Past: Relex provides the ability to store and easily reuse your product's R&M characteristics, their known failure modes, causes and even "lessons learned". When you generate a new FMEA or prediction with Relex, it automatically includes this actionable data in your analysis. <http://www.lambdacorp.com/assets/images/red.gif> Simple LCC Analysis: Life cycle cost analyses that are so simple to prepare that the LCC of your equipment can actually become a meaningful design consideration. You can quickly compare the life cycle cost of multiple design choices to determine which is best from a total cost standpoint. <http://www.lambdacorp.com/assets/images/red.gif> Re-use Past Analyses: Reuse completed FMEAs and predictions from past projects, or even subassemblies of past projects, through an intuitive "drag and drop" functionality. This enables you to assemble FMEAs, R&M predictions and LCC analyses from your company's (or your supplier's) standard subassemblies all with the click (and drag) of a mouse! <http://www.lambdacorp.com/assets/images/red.gif> Design, Manufacturing & Supplier Control Plans: Reports that identify the design verification and validation activities, manufacturing quality control or supplier controls required to ensure machine reliability can be automatically generated from the FMEA. <http://www.lambdacorp.com/assets/images/red.gif> Data Import: Automatically create new analyses by simply importing a bill of material (BOM). Relex will automatically match the imported BOM data to your custom libraries of parts and their failure rates, failure modes, and their causes. I must give a presentation, via phone line, to some folks in the far side of Asia tonight. No worries. I can put everything as delicately as Sir Werner, or punt. What yardline and what line should I provide without: 1) Having to go there personally and present my lovable self and blame it all on you. 2) Finding a way not to offend when we all know this ain't going to work. I look forward to diplomatically correct answers so as not to offend, which I often do. MoonMan --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8d To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search previous postings at: www.ipc.org > On-Line Resources & Databases > E-mail Archives Please visit IPC web site (http://www.ipc.org/html/forum.htm) for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.5315 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------