Who are we?

The UAH Reliability and Failure Analysis Lab (RFAL) is a multidisciplinary organization providing customers with access to the latest developments in the field of reliability. Our students have hands on experience with the tools that support our research efforts. We develop experienced candidates for the worldwide engineering workforce. 

Our research customer base includes both government and commercial clients.  We are active participants in the current effort within the DoD to minimize operational costs of their weapon systems through effective implementation of RCM and CBM.  Our specialties include examining material properties of components that have reliability and safety implications due to the life extension of their current systems. 

Much of our commercial customers' focus has been on verifying that their delivered products meet or exceed the stated standards for reliability and maintainability.  The impact of our analysis has a positive impact on their designs resulting in cost effective design changes and optimization of vendor selection.

Accreditation

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Our lab holds a current ISO 9001 Quality Management System certificate from the Aviation Suppliers Association Control Board (ASACB).  You can download a copy of our certificate here:

 

ISO 9001 Cert.

 

Lab Research Focus

Our lab is focused on providing our customers with a full range of capabilities grounded in the Reliability Engineering discipline. We offer “cradle to grave” capabilities that span the life cycle of a product from design for reliability to after market testing.

 

Services we offer

  • Analysis of HUMS Data through Probabilistic Methods
  • Complex Modeling and Simulation
  • Component Level Reliability Testing
  • Condition Based Maintenance (CBM)
  • Design of Experiments
  • Effective Conditioned-Based Maintenance (CBM) from HUMS Data
  • Environmental Simulation Testing
  • Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
  • Failure Mode, Effects, and Critically Analysis (FMECA)
  • Integrated Microgrid Compatibility Testing
  • Materials Research and Analysis
  • Physics of Failure
  • Probability Risk Assessment (PRA)
  • Product Validation
  • Prognostics of Dynamic Components using Sensor Data
  • Reliability Assessment
  • Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM)
  • Reliability Modeling
  • Reliability Testing – Design to grave
  • Risk Assessment
  • Testing to determine design and destruct limits

Contact us for additional Service Requests

 

Equipment Overview

  • Accelerometer Calibration Station
  • Altitude Chamber
  • Ashing Furnace
  • Autoclave
  • Axial/Tension/Compression Fatigue Testing System
  • Carbonizing Furnace
  • Cyclic Corrosion Test Chamber
  • Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)
  • Drop Tester
  • Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis (DMTA)
  • Dynamic Vibration System
  • Environmental Chambers
  • Halt Chamber
  • Industrial Oven
  • Mass Spectrometer
  • Microwave Digestion Lab station
  • Modal Exciter
  • Thermal Constants Analyzer
  • Thermal Shock
  • Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA)
  • Vacuum Oven

RFAL Quality

Quality Policy

RFAL is a test laboratory that relies on funding from testing contracts in order to help fund its organization. It recognizes that to maintain that source of funding it must consistently provide high quality testing services that meet or exceed interested parties’ expectations in order to achieve / maintain customer satisfaction. To demonstrate our commitment to customer focus, RFAL has implemented a Quality Management System (QMS) to continue our being compliant with our ISO 9001:2105 Certification. RFAL is committed to the continual improvement of this QMS in order to ensure that it remains effective in a dynamic business environment.

All testing services provided by RFAL, including testing, test planning, and test supervision, shall comply with requirements that are contractually agreed upon by the customer and RFAL. All employees performing these services shall be competent and qualified to perform their assigned tasks. All testing services shall be completed within the schedule that RFAL and the customer contractually agree upon.

It is the responsibility of all RFAL employees to familiarize themselves with the documents within the quality management system in order to ensure that the policies and procedures within are incorporated into their work. RFAL employees are also encouraged to engage the QMS by observing and reporting to management potential areas of improvement in the QMS.

Quality Objectives

RFAL strives to meet all requirements 100% of the time and has implemented a Quality Management System employing continuous improvement to achieve that desired goal. However, from a Risk Based Approach we understand that we must plan for and mitigate the risks involved in business. Based on this, we have established the below measurable objectives consistent with our Quality Policy:

  • Customer Responses – Expectations 98% of the time.
  • Delivery of Contract Data Requirements List items (CDRL) on-time 98% of the time.
  • Customer satisfaction at 95% satisfaction

RFAL STRATEGIC DIRECTION

Vision

Expanding the body of knowledge in the reliability engineering discipline by assisting customers with the full range of reliability services.

Mission

RFAL is committed to providing world-class reliability services to provide our customers with the appropriate tools to design and manufacture the highest quality product. 

Values / Goals

  • Team collaboration to achieve a common goal
  • Deliver services to support customers at a fair price
  • Exceed the customers expectation with every deliverable
  • Train a workforce that will support our customers abilities
  • Operate with integrity
  • Provide fact based decisions and data to support the services provided
  • Always do the right thing