Reliability is Still Important
Abstract
Kirk and Fred discuss how to keep reliability a priority when dealing with changing suppliers.
Key Points
Join Kirk and Fred as they discuss shifting suppliers and how to ensure reliability when components or manufacturing locations change.
Topics include:
- If a product was developed using HALT methods, then it should be a robust design and stress-strength margins documented that can be used for reference, to make sure the changes have the same stress margins as the original design.
- Companies that use just-in-time manufacturing inventory may make it challenging to evaluate new components for reliability. Still, using stress margin comparisons from HALT evaluations can be a quicker and more comprehensive check for reliability risks.
- A failed component does not always result in a system failure, as many components, such as capacitors, are used for potential issues and for operational margin, and are used in large numbers in a design. HALT has been used to isolate the locations in the circuit that cause system failure.
- Having to deal with supplier changes is a constant in the world of high-volume manufacturing and it is usually not easy to run a long re-qualification process  for each change, but confirming margins either through re-HALT or an ongoing HASS can provide a little more confidence that the change does not impact established field reliability.
Enjoy an episode of Speaking of Reliability. Where you can join friends as they discuss reliability topics. Join us as we discuss topics ranging from design for reliability techniques to field data analysis approaches.
Show Notes
Please click on this link to access a relatively new analysis of traditional reliability prediction methods article from the US ARMY and CALCE titled “Reliability Prediction – Continued Reliance on a Misleading Approach”. It is in the public domain, so please feel free to distribute it. Attempting to predict reliability is a misleading and costly approach to use for developing a reliable system.
If you would like to learn more about using HALT (Highly Accelerated Limit Tests) and HASS (Highly Accelerated Stress Screens), please follow this link to the book “Next Generation HALT and HASS: Robust design of Electronics and Systems,” written by Kirk Gray and John Paschkewitz. It can also be found on Amazon Books at this link.
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