The Reliability and Confidence Sample Size Calculator will provide you with a sample size for design verification testing based on one expected life of a product. This calculator works by selecting a reliability target value and a confidence value an engineer wishes to obtain in the reliability calculation. Quality-One uses this calculator to intelligently manage the performance risk of a new product or process design in the design verification or validation process.
Design Verification Plan and Report (DVP&R) requires a sufficient sample size to justify performance inferences about a design. Sample sizes of 1 are typically used due to the high cost of prototypes and long lead times for testing. With a sample size of 1, it will be very difficult to determine where the distribution is located or the type of distribution indicated. There is always risk involved when selecting a sample size for testing. Recognizing the reliability and confidence is a key step in mitigating the performance risk in Design Verification and Validation.
The calculator is based on discreet distribution known as the Binomial Distribution.