Probabilistic analysis of the maximal load of industrial machines

This study describes the statistical analysis of peak forces of industrial washing machines. The data source comes from twelve different machines. The measurements are done using a force gauge installed in places for fastening screws. A new software based on LabView has been developed to gauge the acting forces. To determine extreme force values, various probability distributions are applied. Furthermore, a convex combination of lognormal distribution is used in more complicated cases. The parameters of the lognormal mixtures are determined using modified an Expectation-maximization algorithm. Finally, the achieved results are interpreted with regard to the engineering design and to the operating reliability.