Developing a rigorous bottom-up modular static failure modelling methdology

Abstract

The certification process of safety critical products for European and other international standards often demand environmental stress, endurance and Electro Magnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing. Theoretical, or ‘static testing’, is often also required. In general static testing will reveal modifications that must be made to improve the product safety, or identify theoretical weaknesses in the design. This paper proposes a new theoretical methodology for creating failure mode models of systems. It has a common notation for mechanical, electronic and software domains and is modular and hierarchical. The method provides advantages in rigour and efficiency when compared to current methodologies.