Calculating Factor of Safety

Calculating Factor of Safety

"Factor of safety, also known as Safety Factor, is a multiplier applied to the calculated maximum stress to which a component will be subjected.  Typically, for components whose failure could result in substantial financial loss, or serious injury or death, a safety factor of at least four (4) is used.  Non-critical components generally have a safety factor of two (2).  Safety factors are needed to account for imperfections in materials, flaws in assembly, material degradation, and unexpected stresses. "

                 Source of definition: Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org)

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Here is the formula for determining the factor of safety:

Factory of Safety [FS] = Actual Breaking Strength (lb)

                                     Normal Working Load (lb)

Typical factors of safety used in product design are between 2 and 2.5 for common applications. Remember, as the factor of safety increases, the cost of the product also increases.