Node A6 · Acronym decoder
MTBF
Mean Time Between Failures
What it actually means
The average operating time between failures of a repairable system — the workhorse reliability metric. Handle with care: it's an average of an underlying distribution (an MTBF of 1,000 hours does not mean no failures before 1,000 hours), and the demonstrated number depends heavily on which failures the scoring process counts as relevant.
Where you'll meet it
Reliability requirements, spares math, and FRB scoring arguments.