Comparison of Failure Time Distributions

Is there a meaningful difference in reliability between products from different manufacturing batches or suppliers? Answering this question is fundamental to quality control and process improvement. While visual inspection of data can offer clues, a formal statistical test is required to make a confident, data-driven conclusion.

This article provides a practical tutorial on how to use a parametric approach, specifically with the versatile Weibull distribution, to compare failure-time data across multiple groups. Through a hands-on example analyzing wire bond strength and step-by-step R code, you will learn how to build and interpret models to determine if statistically significant differences exist. This is an essential skill for any analyst looking to pinpoint variations in product quality and drive improvements.