Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)

Higher MTBF indicates greater equipment reliability, while lower MTBF suggests less reliability.

Various factors such as maintenance practices, equipment age, environmental conditions, and operational demands affect MTBF. Identify which factors are most influential in your specific industry and equipment type.

In industries with high safety requirements (e.g., aerospace, healthcare), higher MTBF values are typically desired to minimize the risk of failures.

In manufacturing industries, where downtime is costly, higher MTBF values can lead to increased operational efficiency.

For less critical equipment, a lower MTBF may be acceptable if maintenance costs are kept in check.

• Collect detailed information on failures and the corresponding operating times.
• MTBF can be calculated for a single asset or a group of assets.
• MTBF should only consider unplanned failures and downtime. Exclude any scheduled maintenance activities or planned downtime from your calculations.
• Maintain consistency in how you record time. Use standardized timestamps and ensure that everyone involved in data collection follows the same conventions. Record time in a consistent manner (e.g., minutes, hours) for all incidents.
• Calculate MTBF regularly to monitor changes in reliability over time. Frequent assessments can help you identify trends and areas for improvement.
• Use MTBF data to schedule proactive maintenance activities. If you anticipate that an asset is nearing its expected MTBF, plan preventive maintenance to reduce the chance of failure.
• Prioritize assets based on their MTBF values. Assets with lower MTBF may require more attention and resources, while those with higher MTBF values may need less attention and preventive maintenance.