Maintenance & Reliability worked example
Failure Rate with number of failures of 6 failures: a worked example
This worked example runs the failure rate numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: number of failures of 6 failures instead of the typical 12 failures. Calculate failure rate, lambda, from the number of failures divided by total operating hours.
The inputs for this scenario
- Number of failures: 6 failures (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 12)
- Total operating hours: 7,200 hr (held at the documented default)
- Reporting factor: 1 x (held at the documented default)
Working through the calculation
- The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Failure rate = number of failures รท total operating hours.
- Failure Rate works out to 0 failures / hr at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
- Base Failures per Hour works out to 0 failures / hr at these inputs.
- Reporting Factor works out to 1 x at these inputs.
- Operating Hours works out to 7,200 value at these inputs.
How this compares with the baseline
- Against the tool's baseline example, where number of failures sits at 12 failures and the headline result is 0 failures / hr, this scenario comes in 50% below the baseline at 0 failures / hr.
- Use it for reliability analysis, spares provisioning, and comparing component or machine dependability over a defined operating window. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.
Results at a glance
- Failure Rate: 0 failures / hr (headline result)
- Base Failures per Hour: 0 failures / hr
- Reporting Factor: 1 x
- Operating Hours: 7,200 value
Run it with your numbers
- To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Failure Rate calculator, set number of failures to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.
Last reviewed 2026-05-12.