Reliability Distribution Analyses characterize how failures are distributed over the life of equipment. Analyzing the distribution of failures involves examining a particular failure mode over one or more pieces of equipment. A Reliability Distribution Analysis allows you to describe the Time to Failure (TTF) as a statistical distribution, which is usually characterized by a specific pattern.

Generating a Reliability Distribution Analysis can help determine answers to the following questions about equipment failures:

• Do most equipment failures occur early in the life of the equipment?
• Do most equipment failures occur late in the life of the equipment?
• Are failures distributed randomly or evenly throughout the life of the equipment?

In a Reliability Distribution Analysis, you are trying to determine the probability of failure at a certain point in time. A Distribution Analysis can help you determine the pattern of failures, and the results can be compared to industry data.