Editing Durability

{{Short description|Ability of a product to continue to function}}
{{About|the physical property|the database property|Durability (database systems)|the cognitive bias|Durability bias}}
[[File:MER No.6.jpg|thumb|The [[Manx Electric Railway]] on the [[Isle of Man]] still operates with its original tramcars and trailers, all of which are over one hundred years old, the latest dating from 1906.]]
'''Durability''' is the ability of a physical [[product (business)|product]] to remain functional, without requiring excessive [[maintenance (technical)|maintenance]] or repair, when faced with the challenges of normal operation over its [[design life|design lifetime]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Cooper|first=Tim|year=1994|title=Beyond Recycling: The longer life option|url=http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/24666/1/201125_7266%20Cooper%20Publisher.pdf|journal=The New Economics Foundation, Whitechapel Road, London|pages=5}}</ref>{{rp|5}} There are several measures of durability in use, including years of life, hours of use, and number of operational cycles.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Longer Lasting Products: alternatives to the throwaway society|last=Stahel|first=Walter|publisher=Gower|year=2010|isbn=978-0-566-08808-7|editor-last=Cooper|editor-first=Tim|location=Farnham|chapter=Durability, Function and Performance}}</ref> In [[economics]], goods with a long [[service life|usable life]] are referred to as [[durable good]]s.

Because there is no objective measure of durability for clothing, [[price]] has become an important indicator.<ref name="affm">{{cite journal |last1=Guo |first1=Yue |last2=Morris |first2=Kate E. |last3=Sumner |first3=Mark |last4=Taylor |first4=Mark |date=March 2025 |title=A framework for measuring physical garment durability |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666784324000780 |journal=Cleaner and Responsible Consumption |volume=16 |doi=10.1016/j.clrc.2024.100245 |access-date=|doi-access=free }}</ref>

== Requirements for product durability ==
[[File:Durability test in Okinotorishima.jpg|thumb|upright|Durability test in Japan, 2010]]
Product durability is predicated by good [[repairability]] and [[Regenerative design|regenerability]] in conjunction with [[Maintenance (technical)|maintenance]].<ref name="durabilityBook">{{Cite book|author=J. Lienig|author2=H. Bruemmer|title=Fundamentals of Electronic Systems Design|pages=201–203|chapter=New Design Strategy – Product Durability|publisher=Springer International Publishing|date=2017|isbn=978-3-319-55839-4|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-55840-0}}</ref> Every durable product must be capable of adapting to technical, technological and design developments.<ref name=durabilityBook/> This must be accompanied by a willingness on the part of consumers to forgo having the "very latest" version of a product.

In the United Kingdom, durability as a characteristic relating to the quality of goods that can be demanded by consumers was not clearly established until an amendment of the [[Sale of Goods Act 1979]]  relating to the quality standards for supplied goods in 1994.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Longer Lasting Products: alternatives to the throwaway society|last=Ervine|first=Cowan|publisher=Gower|year=2010|isbn=978-0-566-08808-7|editor-last=Cooper|editor-first=Tim|location=Farnham|pages=187–188|chapter=Durability and the Law}}</ref>

[[Reliability testing]] verifies the resistance of a product or material to wear.<ref name="widt">{{cite web |date=22 October 2024 |title=What is Durability Testing |url=https://www.dellamarca.it/en/what-is-durability-test/ |website=FDM |access-date=25 February 2025}}</ref>  Common tests evaluate fatigue, abrasion, corrosion and exposure to environmental conditions.<ref name="widt"/>

== Product life spans and sustainable consumption ==
The lifespan of household goods is a significant factor in [[sustainable consumption]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Cooper|first=Tim|year=1994|title=The durability of consumer durables|journal=Business Strategy and the Environment|volume=3|issue=1|pages=23–30|doi=10.1002/bse.3280030103|url=http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/8822/1/NPS_1086a_Cooper.pdf}}</ref> Longer product life spans can contribute to eco-efficiency and sufficiency, thus slowing consumption in order to progress towards a sustainable level of consumption.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Cooper|first=Tim|year=2005|title=Slower Consumption Reflections on Product Life Spans and the "Throwaway Society"|journal=Journal of Industrial Ecology|volume=9|issue=1–2|pages=51–67|doi=10.1162/1088198054084671|url=http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/994/1/NPS_1081a_Cooper.pdf|doi-access=free|bibcode=2005JInEc...9...51C }}</ref> Cooper (2005) proposed a model to demonstrate the crucial role of [[product lifespan]]s to [[sustainable production]] and consumption.<ref name=":0" />

==Types of durability==
[[File:Drop of water on water-resistant textile (100% polyester).jpg|thumb|Waterproof textile, 2021]]
Durability can encompass several specific physical properties of designed products, including:

*[[Polymer degradation|Ageing (of polymers)]]
*[[Dust#Control|Dust resistance]]
*Resistance to [[Fatigue (material)|fatigue]]
*[[Fireproofing|Fire resistance]]
*[[Radiation hardening]]
*[[Residual stress|Thermal resistance]]
*[[Rot-proof]]ing
*[[Rustproof]]ing
*[[Toughness]]
*[[Waterproofing]]

==Examples==
*[[Chemically strengthened glass]] e.g. [[Superfest]]
*[[Durable medical equipment]]
*[[Durable water repellent]]

== See also ==
{{wiktionary|durability}}
*[[Availability]]
*[[Consumables]]
**[[Disposable product]]
*[[Interchangeable parts]]
*[[Maintainability]]
*[[Product life]]
*[[Product stewardship]]
*[[Throwaway society]]
*[[Waste minimization]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Broad-concept articles]]
[[Category:Materials science]]
[[Category:Waste minimisation]]