Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
Objectives This subject has three broad objectives; firstly, to introduce the concepts of the statistical control of manufacturing processes necessary to achieve appropriate quality control; secondly, to review the methods and tools for recording and analysing data from processes subject to statistical fluctuation and the effect of such processes on mechanical systems; thirdly, to examine analytical and statistical functions in reliability engineering. Sufficient basic statistics is presented to allow concepts in these three areas to be developed.
Synopsis Discrete random variables, probability distributions, methods of estimation, decision theory. Control charts applied to manufacturing. Regression, prediction, and correlation analysis. Stochastic processes, convolution, Fourier analysis, digital spectral analysis, with applications to mechanical engineering problems. Experimental techniques including accuracy of measurements and analysis of finite length records. Failure probability density functions, reliability functions, estimation of residual life of machinery.
Assessment Examination (formal written): 80% + Assignment: 20%