Your Reliability Engineering Professional Development Site
Carl and Fred continue discussing the listener question about building an effective reliability program. After discussing some of the finer points about creating the reliability plan, the podcast focuses on execution of the reliability plan.
ᐅ Play Episode
Carl and Fred discuss a voice message received on the Accendo Reliability “speak pipe.” The caller is trying to build a reliability program at his company. The company already has a good testing program, but needs to supplement with support for reliability in design.
ᐅ Play Episode
Dianna Deeney interviews Yakira Mirabito about social dynamics within engineering and how it affects decision making. The episode focuses on improving design reviews and making them more inclusive.
Yakira explains how things like personalities and power dynamics can really affect decisions made by design teams. She gives advice to engineers on how to prepare for these reviews, such as how to give presentations effectively and encourage helpful feedback from team members. She also highlights useful tools, like the “Identity Wheel,” to help people understand each other’s backgrounds and avoid biases when making decisions. The episode is a great resource for anyone who wants to improve teamwork and create better products!
This interview is part of our series, “A Chat with Cross Functional Experts”. Our focus is speaking with people that are typically part of a cross-functional team within engineering projects. We discuss their viewpoints and perspectives regarding new products, the values they bring to new product development, and how they’re involved and work with product design engineering teammates.
Yakira Mirabito is a postdoctoral researcher at MIT whose work falls within design theory and engineering management. Her research examines how sociotechnical factors influence design decisions using quantitative and qualitative research methods. Her research interests include design behavior, cognitive biases, and social dynamics within engineering contexts. Yakira’s work enhances current design methods and tools, empowering engineers to build more innovative and equitable systems. She received her BS in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University and her MS and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.
Yakira’s suggestions involve awareness and evaluating our decision making, including stopping to consider if the feedback we want to accept really links back to the objective results of our projects.
Ongoing Reliability Testing (ORT) is a class of product testing that aims to identify potential field reliability issues after product launch and before customers experience failures. Typically, done using a rotation of samples directly from production and using expected use conditions/stresses, the testing balances many factors to be of value.
ORT works well to monitor an ongoing production process subject to variation. If that variation impacts reliable performance, then a well-designed and implemented ORT should identify the issue.
Let’s explore the range of considerations when designing an ORT to optimize the ORT’s ability to identify field problems efficiently. We will also discuss the various tradeoffs that impact sample size, the use of accelerating stresses, and more.
Today, I’m excited to introduce the hosts of the D-Code podcast, a dynamic trio of young professionals making waves in the electronics manufacturing industry.
With experience rooted in contract manufacturing and stencil fabrication for electronic assemblies, they bring a fresh perspective to the table. Although they’re at the start of their podcasting journey, D-Code has already begun to attract attention, tackling industry insights with a unique lens that up-and-coming voices can uniquely offer.
My guests today are Daniel Stanphill, SMT Process Engineer at Aurora Boardworks, a contract assembler located in Aurora, Nebraska, Sean Kincaid, President of K & F Electronics, located in Fraser Michigan, also a contract manufacturer, and Elias Malfavon, President of Metal Etch Services, a SMT stencil fabricator located in San Marcos California.
I’ll ask them about their experiences, challenges, and how they’re setting out to decode the world of electronics manufacturing.
Contact Information:
The D-Code Podcast
https://www.youtube.com/@The-D-Code
Daniel Stanphill
Aurora Boardworks
daniel.stanphill@auroraboardworks.com
https://auroraboardworks.com
Sean Kincaid
K & F Electronics
sean@the-d-code.com
https://www.circuitboards.com
Elias Malfavon
Metal Etch Services
elias@the-d-code.com
Chris and Fred discuss how we get started with vibration testing. We are often told (or feel like) we need to conduct vibration testing on new products and components. But what does that mean? Where do we start?
ᐅ Play Episode
Chris and Fred discuss this thing called the MTBF … and how it (perhaps!) can be used in some reliability engineering applications … sometimes!
ᐅ Play Episode
Carl and Fred discuss a listener question about what type of field or test issues to count when assessing or estimating reliability in a project.
ᐅ Play Episode
Carl and Fred discuss an Inside FMEA reader question: “does a facilitator have to have a deep understanding of the subject matter they are facilitating?”
ᐅ Play Episode
Have you ever stopped to consider the engineering marvels that make festive meals like Thanksgiving possible? Engineering has played a crucial role in ensuring we can enjoy fresh-tasting vegetables and perfectly preserved foods all year round.
Beyond the realm of food preservation, this episode serves as a tribute to the unsung heroes of our holiday tables: engineers. These individuals are responsible for the seamless functioning of everyday items that enhance our lives. By shedding light on these engineering feats, we hope to inspire a greater appreciation for the engineering community’s contributions to making life safer, easier, and more enjoyable.
As a fellow engineer, I am proud to be part of a profession that has such a profound impact on the world. By sharing stories of innovation and success, we can foster a deeper understanding of the vital role engineers play in shaping our daily experiences. Whether it’s through the development of new technologies or the improvement of existing processes, engineers continue to push the boundaries of what is possible, ensuring that our holiday feasts are as delicious, healthy, and convenient as ever.
On today’s episode, we’ll be exploring the critical steps to avoid contamination on circuit assemblies during the rework process with our expert guest, Gayle Towell.
Gayle is the Content Marketing Specialist at AIM Solder, a leading global manufacturer of solder assembly materials for the electronics industry. She holds master’s degrees in both mathematics and physics from the University of Oregon and has nearly two decades of experience in higher education, technical writing, and creative writing.
In her role at AIM Solder, Gayle is instrumental in producing technical and research-based materials, while also collaborating with industry partners on various projects. She has contributed articles to industry publications, such as the Printed Circuit Engineering Association Magazine, where she discusses topics like solder paste powder sizes and mixing methods.
Gayle has also participated in industry events, including the SMTA International conference, where she shared her expertise in sessions covering soldering technologies and solder paste advancements. Additionally, she has appeared on podcasts discussing the development of new solder products.
Her extensive background in technical communication and her role at AIM Solder highlight her significant contributions to the electronics manufacturing industry, and today she’ll be sharing her insights from a recent technical article “What’s on Your Rework Bench.”
In this discussion, we’ll review the rework station and the essential practices that can make or break circuit reliability. Gayle will walk us through the common pitfalls she’s seen—from the dangers of unapproved fluxes to mismatched cleaning solvents—and explain how these mistakes lead to long-term failures in the field.
She’ll also share practical advice on maintaining a contamination-free bench, the importance of selecting compatible chemistries, and why regular audits and operator education are key to preventing unintended residues and contaminants.
Gayle will help us prevent one problem, rework, while not creating another, contamination.
Gayle’s Contact Information
Gayle Towell
gtowell@aimsolder.com
https://www.aimsolder.com
Dianna and Fred discuss influence vs. facilitation and the difficulty of trying to do both at once.
ᐅ Play Episode
Dianna and Fred introduce a special guest, ‘G’, and talk about the 8 Disciplines method of problem solving.
ᐅ Play Episode
Chris and Fred discuss how reliability and quality is destroyed by organizations that like to have a ‘razor’ split between design and manufacturing teams. Why?
ᐅ Play Episode
Chris and Fred discuss how we can go about calculating equipment reliability … when you only have a small amount of information. Help!
ᐅ Play Episode
