Reliability analysis of respirators based on the analytic hierarchy process and multicriteria decision-making.

This study examined the reliability of respirators using hierarchical analysis and multicriteria decision-making. The hierarchical structure, which consists of three assessment criteria and six product assemblies as decision possibilities, reveals that the priority of evaluation criteria follows the trend of cost, complexity and technology. Face-piece, triple-piece and visor assemblies have the highest failure rate, according to an analysis of product reliability at the assembly level. However, according to the analysis at the parts level, the most likely failures are found in the face-piece, upper and lower visor frames, visor, head-harness, exhalation valve disc and exhalation valve seat. In addition, the Weibull distribution function (with a shape parameter >1) can be utilized to predict product reliability. Among the six defined product assemblies, according to the sensitivity analysis, the overall weight of the triple-piece assembly and the visor assembly has the most sensitivity to changes in the priority of evaluation criteria.