Most, if not all, companies design to industry standards. Problems arise, however, when the process stops there. In the hands of the customer products are being used and abused in countless ways – many outside the specifications or intent for which the product or system was developed. Likewise relying on limited experience to make design alterations doesn’t go deep enough to account for actual usage scenarios. While one can assume normal operating conditions of virtually any product, there are certainly occasions when equipment experiences an event outside of the range for which it was designed.
For example:
- The drivetrain assembly of a fast-moving truck collides with a protruding boulder when taken off-road.
- A residential-grade lawn tractor is used to bush hog a field.
- A backhoe attempts a load far exceeding that for which it was designed.
In addition to industry standards, companies must account for a wide range of unknown conditions and usage variables.
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