| time interval, from first use until user requirements are no longer met, due to economics of operation and maintenance, or obsolescence
Note 1 to entry: In this context, “first use” excludes testing activities prior to hand-over of the item to the end-user.
interval, from the defined first use until a defined end state is reached, due to performance, obsolescence or economical factors
Note 1 to entry: The first use has to be defined. In this context, “first use” excludes testing activities prior to hand-over of the item to the end-user. The “first use” can commence after an initial period of early mortality.
Note 2 to entry: The end state has to be defined and can include safety margins that prevent the onset of failure or percentages of accumulated failures.
Note 3 to entry: The interval shall be expressed in units appropriate to the item concerned, e.g. calendar time, operating cycles, distance run, etc.
Note 4 to entry: In some cases, the useful life of an item is more than that required by an organization in which case it has residual value and could be repurposed.
Note 5 to entry: For items where the useful life ends when the item fails, the life of the item can be specified as the time when a stated percentage of the items have failed. This is often stated as a L.10 or B.10 value for 10 % accumulated failures.
Note 6 to entry: For consumer products and other products produced in large volumes, where only a small percentage of the products fail the L.10 or B.10 value can be used as an approximation. See IEC 61649 for further details on L.10 or B.10. |