Regulators and Risk
Abstract
Chris and Fred discuss the age-old problem or regulation. If the regulators are not the adults in the room, then we have a problem.
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SOR 840 Regulators and Risk
MC 006 You Have to Think Small to Understand Metallurgy
You Have to Think Small to Understand Metallurgy
(Apologies up front – I recorded this episode using the wrong microphone. So, the sound quality is fair. I’ll do better next time.)
There are microscopic structures and processes in metals that have large effects on metal properties, performance, and reliability. Being able to conceptualize these structures and processes goes a long way toward understanding the behavior of metals and the effects of mechanical processing and heat treating on metal properties. In this episode I discuss some of the microscopic structures and their effects on metal properties.
I also discuss recent projects and a bonus at the end – some details about my recent trip to Seward, Alaska
QDD 098 Challenges Getting Team Input in Concept Development
Challenges Getting Team Input in Concept Development
This is the wrap-up, final episode of our series – the 7th episode in our series about generating ideas with a team toward action.
Since the start of 2023, we focused on a few quality tools and methods to both generate ideas and then choose which idea to pursue.
We’ve talked about:
- Changing our scope to a closed world, to failures or questions, or design heuristics
- Brainstorming within a problem-solving framework
- Grouping many ideas and then further refining them
- Prioritizing many ideas by comparing them to 2 criteria or by using team voting
- Choosing an idea by using paired comparisons or a structured decision-making solution like DMRCS
- Giving individuals a process to create a full design concept
We also interviewed an expert in brainstorming and learned the importance of planning for teamwork, including choosing our team.
What have we learned through the last few weeks? Let’s highlight take-aways and next steps.
What is Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT)?
What is Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT)?
podcast episode with speaker Chris Jackson
Some of you have heard of HALT (and I don’t mean someone asking you to stop). HALT is a very powerful form of testing that really helps us improve the robustness and reliability of new products. So what is HALT? HALT is a targeted test strategy to stress your amazing new product to (and beyond) its limits. Which means HALT will break your product (or prototype). Over and over again. Some people ask ‘so what … of course it was going to break when you pushed it that hard?’ But there is a method to this madness. And many organizations have used HALT to create amazing new products that are robust and reliable very quickly (with competitors struggling to understand why). Want to learn more? See you at this webinar!
[Read more…]
SOR 839 First Steps with Data
First Steps with Data
Abstract
Chris and Fred discuss what is the first thing with you do when someone gives you lots of information. What do you do?
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SOR 838 Basic Risk Management
Basic Risk Management
Abstract
Greg and Fred discussing how to set up a risk assessment program.
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QDD 097 Brainstorming within Design Sprints
Brainstorming within Design Sprints
We’re in our 6th episode into our series about generating ideas with our team toward action. The first two episodes were all about idea generation. The 3rd through 5th episodes was about using Quality Tools to help us group, explore, prioritize, and decide on an idea.
There’s one more method to consider in this series: a design sprint.
A design sprint utilizes all of these things we’ve been talking about. We talk about the book Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days and how these ideas fit together.
RM 114: The Remarkable Return of the Post-Reflow Cleaning Process
The Remarkable Return of the Post-Reflow Cleaning Process
On this show, we’ve discussed many aspects of the Electronics assembly process. We talked about reflow, thermal management, printing, soldering materials, additives, and so much more. What do all these topics have in common? When done correctly, they all contribute to the reliability of circuit assemblies.
Today, we’re going to dive into the subject of cleaning circuit assemblies after reflow. For many assemblers, the cleaning process was replaced by the use of no clean flux technology. Time and technology have eroded the concept of allowing all residues to remain on the assembly. Today, residue caused failures are such a concern, that IPC recently and radically changed the way circuit assemblies are considered to be clean.
My guests today are Sal Sparacino and Eric Camden. Sal is Director of Sales at Zestron Americas, located in Manassas Virginia. Zestron is a manufacturer of cleaning chemicals for the electronics industry. Eric is Lead Investigator for Foresite, an analytical laboratory based in Kokomo Indiana. Eric, is the guy you call when things go wrong. Together with my experience as a cleaning equipment manufacturer, we’ll discuss how cleaning contributes to increased reliability, and we’ll review the reasons cleaning has returned as a mainstream assembly process.
Guest Contact Info:
Sal Sparacino
sal.sparacino@zestronusa.com
https://www.zestron.com
Eric Camden
ericc@foresiteinc.com
https://www.foresiteinc.com
SOR 837 Checking Assumptions
Checking Assumptions
Abstract
Greg and Fred discussing how assumptions in reliability and quality engineering are highly critical. We all know what assume can stand for: make an ‘ass of u and me.’
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SOR 836 Backup Balance
Backup Balance
Abstract
Kirk and Fred discussing how much we should invest in backup power or systems redundancy to prepare for rare weather or use conditions.
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MC 005 Metals Engineering Perspective to Component Design
Metals Engineering Perspective to Component Design
In this episode Michael discusses the metals engineering perspective to component design. The concepts actually apply to all materials – metals, polymer, ceramics, and new classes of materials.
No matter the application, the considerations when designing a component are always the same. It’s necessary to understand all the design requirements when selecting materials and finalizing a component’s shape and features. The design requirements include performance, reliability, weight, cost, how the component will be fabricated, and how it will be joined to other components. With this information it’s possible to identify alloys and make changes to the component’s shape and features as needed to meet the design requirements at low-cost. Often, trade-offs between component materials and form are made to optimize the design. This is especially important for design for manufacturability to keep costs down and ensure a receptive supply base.
QDD 096 After the ‘Storm: Compare and Prioritize Ideas
After the ‘Storm: Compare and Prioritize Ideas
We’re in our 5th episode of our series about generating ideas with our team toward action. The first two episodes were all about idea generation. The 3rd was about grouping and exploring ideas. The 4th was about screening ideas. Now, we’ll look at ways to compare ideas.
We’re still considering that we’re just after brainstorming, at the point where we have many ideas and no next steps.
Let’s compare ideas with our team so we can move toward action. We explore these Quality Tools and how to use them after a brainstorming or other idea-generating team activity:
- paired comparison
- prioritization matrix
- DMRCS
The State of Reliability Education
The State of Reliability Education
podcast episode with speaker Fred Schenkelberg
We have many options to learn reliability engineering—books, magazines, newsletters, conferences, seminars, etc. We have options. Some options are better than others, depending on what you want to know. Likewise, some options are better than others, depending on what you want to share.
SOR 835 Role of Technical Papers
Role of Technical Papers
Abstract
Kirk and Fred discussing technical papers, which Fred and Kirk have a few on the website Research Gate, and the role they play in the reliability engineering world.
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SOR 834 Reliability Assumptions
Reliability Assumptions
Abstract
Carl and Fred discussing the broad subject of assumptions, and how they impact reliability analysis and applications. When are assumptions good and when are they questionable?
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