What is a fallout?

[flute]

What is the meaning of fallout in the following context?

For example, a customer came to Donnelly to troubleshoot a problem. They were having voids in a thick-walled part, in which any void represented an unacceptable safety hazard. Additionally, the customer was experiencing a 50 percent fallout ratio.

 

[Victoria A.]

Is this structurally? Is it possible that it means litterally to fall out or collapse?

 

[rspcaf]

I think it is related to nuclear radiation.

 

[djkingdanny]

Im Peruvian, not a native speaker. But I know that fallout has two meanings deppending on different contexts:
1- Radioactive particles carried into the atmosphere by a nuclear explosion and gradually falling to the ground over a wide area.
2- The adverse results of a situation.

 

[Cagey]

What is the meaning of fallout in the following context?

For example, a customer came to Donnelly to troubleshoot a problem. They were having voids in a thick-walled part, in which any void represented an unacceptable safety hazard. Additionally, the customer was experiencing a 50 percent fallout ratio.

Here is the SOURCE.

The customer is a manufacturer who produces products by injection molding. From my reading, it seems that "voids" are gaps in the walls of the parts they were producing, or perhaps weak spots. In this context, there is no reference to radiation.

Another source that discusses injection molding refers to "quality fallout".

I suggest tentatively that fallout refers to the products that must be rejected because the don't meet quality standards. In this case, the fallout ratio would be the ratio of the rejected parts to the accepted ones.

I hope someone with more experience helps us out.

 

[panjandrum]

I agree with Cagey.
Fallout ratio, or fall-out ratio, in this context is almost certainly another term for reject ratio, failure ratio ... that kind of thing.
If you Google "fallout ratio" you will see plenty of examples from different industries.

 

[flute]

Cagey,

Thanks for doing such thorough research! After reading your post, I went back and read the passage, and now it makes sense.

Thanks to all who replied!

 

[EdisonBhola]

Can it also refer to an argument, as in "two people are having a fallout"?

 

[Egmont]

Can it also refer to an argument, as in "two people are having a fallout"?

No, it cannot. If you want to use a noun, you can say that they had a falling-out.