exida has been gathering field failure data for over a decade.  At this point we have a total of over 60 billion unit operating hours of field data for process industry devices.  This data has been used to create a 2H database for components.  exida is using this component database in the FMEDA process to predict Route 2H compliant failure rates for derivative devices used within the defined environmental profiles. 

Route 2H is an alternative to the 1H method which uses minimum hardware fault tolerance tables based on safe failure fraction concepts.  Route 2H has simplified minimum hardware fault tolerance requirements that are identical to the IEC 61511 proven in use requirements.  exida will apply the 2H approach on any device where we have over 1,000,000,000 unit operating hours in field failure data for all components within a device. 

The advantage of the Route 2H approach is not only far stronger confidence in the failure rate data and use of the alternative minimum redundancy requirements.  The 1H approach has made sense for logic solvers and other complex devices but has not worked for simple devices (electrical and mechanical).     

For more information, details, and an example, please continue to check the exida website as a white paper on the topic, as well as web seminars will be added in the coming weeks.