Robustness of technical systems in relation to quality, reliability and associated concepts

The conceptions of 'robustness' and 'robust design' are still new to the manufacturing industry. Moreover, their role and position in relation to conceptions like 'quality' and 'reliability' have yet to be established. This article is an attempt to identify the objectives of robust design and to define robustness in words better adapted to the vocabulary of design science and also to provide a discussion on situations when it is useful to apply the concept of robustness. A hierarchy model which describes the relationship between product quality and product robustness will also be presented.