Understanding Weibull Analysis
Weibull analysis turns comparable life data into a distribution that can describe early failures, random-like behavior, or increasing wear-out risk.
Two parameters, distinct meanings
Characteristic life η is the age at which about 63.2% have failed. Shape β controls curve form: below one suggests decreasing hazard, near one resembles a constant rate, and above one indicates increasing hazard.
Prepare the data before fitting
Record time origin, failure mode, operating conditions, and right-censored survivors. Do not blend unrelated modes or design revisions merely to increase sample size. A fit should be reviewed with failure analysis, not used to replace it.
Read reliability and percentiles together
Reliability at mission time estimates survival probability; B10 life is the 10% failure percentile. Hazard rate describes conditional failure intensity at a given age. They answer different operational questions from the same distribution.
Communicate uncertainty
Small samples and heavy censoring can yield wide confidence intervals. Present the data window, fitting method, confidence bounds, and applicability limits with any life prediction.
Related tools
Use Weibull reliability, B10 life, hazard rate, and the parameter reference.