Validation by Modelling and Physical Testing

This chapter discusses the analysis, modelling, and test work, which could be used to identify and overcome engineering risks before new products or services are launched. The aim is to maximise the reliability of new products at their points of launch. The validation activity, whatever form it takes, is intended to identify problems where the product does not conform to its requirements, understand their causes, and then test solutions to them. The methods of development and validation are broken down into three distinct groups of activity: engineering calculation; computer‐based modelling and simulation; and physical testing. Trialling of a new technology or product in physical form is the ultimate test of the idea and provides the closest match with the real‐world operation. Deliberately designing a product to meet a specific numerical target is just not possible; reliability performance is more of an outcome of the development process than a property of the product.