Event Log Control Panel Settings

The event log folio control panel allows you to configure the analysis settings for the data sheet and view/access the results. It consists of a Main page, Analysis page and an Other page.

Control Panel Main Page

The Main page of the event log folio control panel contains most of the tools you will need to perform an analysis. It contains the following settings:

The Levels to Analyze area allows you to specify the component level to include in the analysis. At least one level must be selected in order to perform an analysis. For instance, suppose you have a cutting system with an electric saw as the level 1 component and the saw blade as the level 2 component. If you select to analyze both levels 1 and 2, then the software will compute for the total uptime and downtime at each level. In addition:
- The software will obtain the failure and repair distributions of the electric saw. The analysis of the level 1 component considers the events that affect the electric saw and any other components of the electric saw assembly, including the saw blade.
- The software will also obtain separate failure and repair distributions for the saw blade. The analysis of the level 2 component considers the events that affect the saw blade and events for any other components of the saw blade (level 3 and 4 components of the saw blade, if any).

Note that when you select the Use OTSF column check box on the Other page of the control panel, the software can analyze only one level at a time.

The Analyze Failures and Events area allows you to select whether you want to obtain the failure/repair distributions of the F and E occurrences jointly or separately. When you select a joint analysis, all general events in the data set will be treated as failures. This affects the calculation for the total uptime/downtime of the component, as well as the failure/repair distributions.

The System area is for specifying the dates/times when you started and stopped collecting the event log data. Note that if you select the Use System column check box on the Other page of the control panel, the drop-down list will be enabled. This allows you to select the system name from the drop-down list and enter the start date/time and the end date/time of the observation period of that system. If the Use System column check box is not selected, the software assumes that all events are assumed to have occurred for the same system and the drop-down list will be disabled.

The System is new on start date check box indicates that the system has never been used before and that the start date you entered is also the same calendar date that the system started operating. This setting affects how the software classifies data when it converts the log entries to failure/suspension data. If the system is new, then the times to first occurrence of every event are considered to be complete data (F) because the exact time-to-event is known. If the system is not new, then the times to first occurrence of every event are considered to be right censored data (S) because the amount of time that the system operated before the observation period began is not known.

Tip: As an alternative, you can enter the start date/time and end date/time of the observation period for each system in a separate window by clicking the Systems Setup icon on the Main page of the control panel. The larger window makes it easier to enter information for several systems all at once. This option is available only if you have selected the Use System column check box on the Other page of the folio’s control panel.

If your system does not operate on a 24/7 basis, you may also want to define the shift schedule of the system so that you obtain accurate calculations for the failure and repair times. (See Set Shift Pattern.)

The Results area gives you the option to display the following results:
- To view the failure/repair distributions of each component, click the Show Analysis Summary (...) button. The resulting failure/repair distributions are based on the settings you have defined on the Analysis page of the control panel and on the log data in your data sheet.
- To view a report on the number of repair actions performed, the OTSF settings of each component and other results, click the Show Report (...) button.

Folio Tools

The folio tools are arranged on the left side of the Main page of the control panel. These tools are also available from the Event Log tab in the Ribbon.

Calculate converts the log entries into failure/repair times and then fits distributions to the converted data. In addition, it calculates the total uptime and downtime of the components.

Set Shift Pattern opens the Shift Pattern window, which allows you specify the days and times when the system is operating.

Systems Setup is available only if you have selected the Use System column check box on the Other page of the folio’s control panel. It opens the Systems Setup window, which allows you to record the dates/times when you started and stopped collecting event log data for each system and whether it was new at the specified start date.

After the folio has been calculated, three transfer options become available:

Transfer Life Data to New Folio transfers all of the analyzed time-to-failure and time-to-repair data sets to separate data sheets in a new Weibull++ standard folio.

Transfer Life Data to Selected Folio opens the Transfer Life Data window, which allows you to choose specific data set(s) to transfer to either new or existing folio(s).

Transfer to BlockSim is available only if BlockSim is activated on your computer. The Transfer to BlockSim window allows you to export the analysis results as blocks in a new simulation diagram.

Control Panel Analysis Page

The Analysis page of the event log folio control panel allows you to specify how the software will fit a distribution to the failure data and the repair data. It contains the following settings:

If you select the Use quick defaults check box, all the other options will be unavailable and one of the following actions will be applied:
- When the failure/repair data set contains at least two unique failure times, the software uses the 2-parameter Weibull distribution and the MLE parameter estimation method to analyze the data.
- When the failure/repair data set contains one failure time, the software uses the 1-parameter exponential distribution and the MLE parameter estimation method to analyze the data.
If you select the Prefer RRX if sufficient data option, the software uses the RRX parameter estimation method when the failure/repair data set has at least two unique failure times; otherwise, the MLE method is used.
If you select the Always use MLE option, the software always uses the MLE parameter estimation method.
The Distributions to Consider area allows you to select one or more of the listed distributions to be considered for the data. The software evaluates the fit of each selected distribution to the data set and displays in the results the one that provides the best fit.

Control Panel Other Page

The Other page of the event log folio control panel contains optional settings that allow you to format the event log data sheet.

The Times to Failure/Repair In area allows you to select the unit of time to be used when the software converts the log entries to failure/repair data.
The Time Format and Date Format areas allows you to select the formatting options for displaying the date and time information in the data sheet and in the results.
The Other area allows you to include either an OTSF (Operates Through System Failures) column or a System column in the data sheet, or both.
- If the Use OTSF column check box is selected, you will have the option to specify in the data sheet whether a component continues to accumulate age when any failures other than that component’s own failure occurs. If the check box is not selected, all components are assumed to be failed when the system is failed.
- If the Use System column check box is selected, you will have the option to enter events for multiple systems in the data sheet. If the check box is not selected, all events are assumed to have occurred for the same system.
The Comments area allows you to enter notes or other text that will be saved with the folio.

To save your current settings for all new event log folios, click the Set as Default button. To automatically apply the saved settings to any existing event log folio, click Load Default.