designlife
Design life, in engineering and product development, is the expected period during which a device, structure, or component is designed to operate safely and meet performance requirements under specified conditions. It serves as a planning parameter for maintenance, warranties, and replacement strategies, and it informs risk assessments and lifecycle cost analyses.
Design life is not a guaranteed duration. Actual performance depends on usage patterns, environmental exposure, loads,
Determination of design life uses reliability analysis, fatigue and wear estimations, accelerated life testing, historical failure
Applications include infrastructure components, machinery, and consumer products. Structures such as bridges and buildings are designed
The concept influences warranties, maintenance planning, spare parts provisioning, and capital replacement decisions. A longer design
Limitations arise from uncertainties in materials, manufacturing quality, and unforeseen hazards. Critics argue that rigid design-life
See also: reliability engineering, lifecycle assessment, obsolescence management, service life, durability.