Evaluation and optimization of manufacturing systems reliability

The tradeoffs between reliability and performance of a manufacturing system are often subtle. The performance of a system often increases at the expense of increased system complexity. The system complexity is frequently measured by the number of components required. With the increased complexity, the system reliability might decrease unless some compensating measures are taken. The system reliability can be maintained if component reliability increases or if component redundancies are built into the system. Another way to improve reliability is through the introduction of new materials or components.