Hartmut Schiefer - Statistics for Engineers: An Introduction with Examples from Practice

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Engineers use statistical methods in many ways for their work. The economic, scientific, and technical requirements of this approach mean that it is necessary to obtain better knowledge of technical systems, such as their causeeffect relationship, a more precise collection and description of data from experiments and observations, and also of the management of technical processes.

We are engineers. For us, mathematics and thus also statistics are tools of the trade. We use mathematical methods in many ways, and engineers have made impressive contributions to solving mathematical problems. Examples that spring to mind include the solution of Fouriers differential equation through numerical discretization by L. Binder (1910) and E. Schmidt (1924), or the elastostatic-element method (ESEM, later called FEM) developed by A. Zimmer in the 1950s, and K. Zuse, whose freely programmable binary calculator (the Z1, 1937) earned him a place among the forefathers of modern computing technology.

The present explanations serve as an introduction to the statistical methods used in engineering, where engineers are under constant pressure to save time, money, and materials. However, they can only do this if their knowledge of the sequence ranging from design through to production and the application of the product is as comprehensive as possible. The application of statistics is an important aid to establish such knowledge of interrelationships.

Technical development is accompanied by an unprecedented increase in data volumes. This can be seen in all fields, from medicine through to engineering and the natural sciences. Evaluating this wealth of data for a deeper penetration of cause and effect represents both a challenge and an opportunity. The phenomenological description of the relationship between cause and effect enables further theoretical investigationfrom the phenomenological model to the physical and technical description.

The aim of this textbook is to contribute to the wider application of statistical methods. Applying statistical methods makes statistically founded statements available, reduces the expenditure associated with experiments, and ensures that experiment results are evaluated completely, meaning that more statistically sound information is gained from the statistically planned experiments or from observations. All in all, the application of statistical methods can lead to more effective and efficient development, more cost-effective production with greater process stability, and faster identification of the causes of damage.

The contents of statistical methods presented here in seven chapters are intended to facilitate access to the extensive and comprehensive literature that exists in print and online. Examples are used to demonstrate the application of these methods.

We hope that the contents of this book will help to bridge the gap between statisticians and engineers.

Please also use the opportunities for calculation available online. We are grateful for any suggestions on how to improve the books contents and for notification of any errors.

We thank Mr. Thomas Zipsner from Springer Vieweg for his constructive cooperation.

To satisfy our requirements for the English version of Statistics for Engineers, we would like to thank Mr. James Fixter for his professional cooperation in editing the target text.