Fundamentals of Regression Analysis

By Fred Schenkelberg

October 14, 2025 / 9am Pacific Time

Most of us are familiar with the data analysis method called regression analysis. Maybe not familiar enough in some cases. The analysis allows us to identify and model trends or relationships. For example, we might examine the relationship between the speed of a production line and the number of out-of-spec items.

While regression analysis is a common method that many of us use regularly, understanding some of the limitations and options can enhance our analysis insights and accuracy. Understanding the assumptions and how to test them is a fundamental skill worth mastering.

Let’s explore a few of the limitations, checks, and options when taking a look at some data. From checking assumptions to assessing the goodness of fit, and a quick exploration of various approaches beyond simple linear regression.

(Parts Count) Reliability Prediction (is awful)

By Chris Jackson

October 28, 2025 /8am Pacific Time

Isn’t reliability prediction a very important part of what reliability engineers should do? Shouldn’t we want to (for example) predict the improvement in warranty reliability a design change will make? Well … yes! But then there is ‘parts count reliability prediction.’ As is the case for lots of reliability engineering terms, there are phrases that are used to describe very specific types of concepts. And ‘parts count reliability prediction’ is awful. And in this webinar, we will explain why … using dogs! If this intrigues you … see you there!

Understanding the Basics of Automated Diagnostic Systems

By Dean Thiel

October 1, 2025 / 8am Pacific Time

Automated diagnostic systems are transforming the way we approach problem detection and decision-making across various industries. These systems utilize algorithms, data analysis, and often artificial intelligence to identify issues, recommend solutions, enhance efficiency and accuracy, and makes programs scalable with current analyst head count. This presentation introduces the basic concepts behind our automated diagnostics. By exploring the basic components and benefits of this systems, the session aims to provide a fundamental understanding of how automation is reshaping traditional diagnostic methods and paving the way for faster, more reliable outcomes.

AI – Advancing Counterfeit Detection and Hardware Assurance

By Alexa Falconer

October 1, 2025 / 9am Pacific Time

Free for members / $25 non-members

This webinar explores how advances in visual AI and deep learning are transforming inspection processes across the electronics manufacturing lifecycle. By leveraging high-resolution imaging and advanced anomaly detection models, AI-driven inspection enables 100% coverage of incoming components and in-line production stages. This approach facilitates early identification of latent defects, unauthorized modifications, and counterfeit parts that conventional inspection techniques frequently miss.

Creating and Using Cumulative Cause Map™ Diagrams for Multiple Failures

By Mark Galley

October 3, 2025 / 8am Pacific Time

While most Cause Map™ diagrams are built to investigate one specific issue, a Cumulative Cause Map™ diagram provides a way to collect multiple failures on one map. The basics of cause-and-effect remain the same for a Cumulative Map, but the analysis builds a little differently. This webinar will show the basics of building a Cumulative Cause Map™ diagram as well as different ways organizations can use them.

Reliability Physics: How to Field Reliable Products

By Abhijit Dasgupta

October 7, 2025 / 8:30-12:30 Pacific Time

$400

This 4-hr course offers an introductory understanding of some of the key engineering design principles and accelerated test techniques needed to develop reliable electronic products. Participants are presented with various reliability physics methods to design and test for reliability. Cost $400 per person

Participants will….

• Learn how/why products really fail and understand key methods to make products sufficiently reliable
• Become acquainted with the degradation modes and mechanisms associated with various electronic devices and assemblies
• Determine the stresses associated with the qualification of reliable electronic equipment and examine techniques to address reliability problems
• Investigate the usage and applicability of reliability standards and handbooks

Active Listening

By Maria Garaitonandia

October 7, 2025 / 10am Pacific Time

$150

Machine Learning and Response Surface Optimization: Applications in Engineering Analysis

By Julio Lebrón Feliciano

October 9, 2025 / 9am Pacific Time

Some engineering analysis problems involve the use of high-fidelity physics-based computational models. This poses two challenges: 1) certain phenomena may be too complicated to model through physics-based models or through simple empirical regression models; 2) calibrating physics-based computational models to match test data can become intractable if the number of model parameters is significantly large. In this webinar we will discuss how Machine Learning based Surrogate Models and Response Surface Optimization can help address these challenges. We will briefly cover examples in thermal engineering and power plant performance modeling.

Solder Voiding – Causes and Remedies

By Jerome McIntyre

October 9, 2025 / 10am Pacific Time

Free for members / $25 non-members

Solder voiding is a frequent challenge in electronic assembly, impacting the reliability and performance of solder joints. While some level of voiding is inevitable, its acceptable limits depend on the product’s design and application. Voids can affect mechanical strength, electrical integrity, and thermal dissipation, making it crucial to understand their root causes. This webinar will explore the factors that contribute to solder voiding and provide insights into material selection and process optimizations that can help minimize void formation, ultimately improving the quality and reliability of electronic assemblies.

Forget Human Error. Focus on this instead…

By Aaron Cross

October 10, 2025 /8am Pacific Time

We are all human and therefore must acknowledge that as humans, we are prone to making mistakes. Labeling a problem simply as a case of “Human Error” is self-evident and shortsighted. Most concerning is that it misleads you from the ultimate purpose of your investigation. Instead, we are stuck with generic action items such as “Don’t mess up,” “Be more careful,” or “Follow the procedure” that do little to reduce risk. If you have seen any of these as an output from an investigation then you are all too familiar with this shortcoming. During this webinar, we will challenge some of the conventional methods used to investigate human error that tend to focus on the human condition and leave you little to work with. Instead, we will demonstrate what to focus on during your investigation so that you can improve reliability in spite of the fact that we as humans err.

How to Improve Production Line Efficiency through Electrical Signature Analysis (ESA)

By Dr. Nicolas Verbeek

October 15, 2025 / 11am Pacific Time

Free for Members / 35,00 € non-members

Improving production line efficiency requires a proactive approach to maintenance and energy optimisation. Electrical Signature Analysis (ESA) is an innovative solution to these challenges. By analysing equipment consumption and electrical behaviour in real time, ESA enables you to anticipate breakdowns, optimise maintenance, improve energy performance and enhance the reliability of industrial processes.

You will discover how electrical signature analysis can transform industrial maintenance into a proactive and predictive approach. You will learn how to identify faults before they occur, optimise inventory management and improve the energy efficiency of your facilities.

Defining and Investigating a Near Miss

By Aaron Cross

October 17, 2025 / 8am Pacific Time

A near-miss is an incident that almost happened or could have been worse. These close calls are a warning to your organization. They contain valuable information that can help an organization mitigate risk if they know how to fit all the pieces together. In this webinar, attendees will learn how to:

• Define the incident and its potential
• Investigate a near-miss with cause-and-effect thinking
• Mitigate the risk of a similar or more severe incident occurring
• Add detail to an investigation to reveal breakdowns in work process

Statistical Process Control (SPC)

By Elaine Eisenbeisz

October 21, 2025 / 7am-1pm Pacific Time

$995

This course provides an in-depth understanding of Statistical Process Control (SPC), a key methodology used in quality management to monitor, control, and improve process performance.

The objective of the seminar is to provide information that can be used immediately by personnel involved in production operations, and by supervisors and management in decision making. Although the presentation involves use of statistical techniques, presentation of statistical theory will be limited to only what is needed by the attendees to understand and implement processes and monitoring tools within the statistical framework.

LED Solder Joint Reliability Factors on Insulated Metal Substrate (IMS)

By Michael Blattau

October 21, 2025 / 4-6pm Pacific Time

Many times, routing influences on solder fatigue are overlooked and on traditional FR4 PCB substrates they don’t influence the thermal fatigue reliability. However, on insulated metal substrate PCBs it can dramatically influence the solder joint reliability on many low CTE (ceramic) components. This presentation will show the potential influence of routing, copper weight, and dielectric selection on solder fatigue from thermal cycling on a ceramic LED.

Avoiding Alignment Errors: Improving Accuracy and Efficiency

By Jay Morel

October 22, 2025 / 8am Pacific time

This session will help reliability professionals and maintenance technicians overcome common alignment pitfalls, eliminate operator error, improve measurement accuracy, and understand how and when to use each measurement mode for best results.

Structuring a Reliability Engineering Program and Introduction to HALT & HASS

By Aldo Fucinari

October 22, 2025 / 8:30-11:30am Pacific Time

$300

This webinar will be a detailed discussion on what a reliability engineering program should entail and how to go forward setting one up. Many clients that we work with are just starting out on a reliability engineering program and reach out to Hobbs Engineering for guidance and training. Cost $300 per personThis webinar will be a high-level view of the ASQ Certified Reliability Engineer Handbook. The attendee will receive a discussion of each topic covered in the material applied to real world application. The webinar is not intended to be a primer for the exam, but it does serve as an intro to the study guide.

HALT and HASS are heavily laced into the materials, and the last hour of the webinar will serve as an introduction to HALT and HASS. All levels of engineering management will appreciate the business advantages that are gained by having product development methods with a structured reliability emphasis. Especially leveraging HALT in the development process can speed the process and create a mature product upon release.

Enhancing Pumping System Reliability Through Predictive and Preventive Maintenance Strategies

By Brian Kaiser and Stephanie Neil

October 23, 2025 / 11am Pacific Time

The presenters will begin by establishing an understanding of preventive maintenance — covering routine inspections, monitoring techniques and maintenance schedules that help to avoid failures. The discussion will then transition to predictive maintenance, focusing on data-driven strategies that use real-time monitoring and condition-based tools to anticipate equipment needs before breakdowns occur.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the key differences between preventive and predictive maintenance for pumping systems, including the benefits and limitations of each approach.
• Identify critical components in pumping systems that require regular maintenance and monitoring to ensure operational efficiency.
• Gain insight into relevant standards and regulations, including ASME and other national guidelines and how they inform maintenance practices.
• Explore emerging trends in pumping system maintenance, including IoT integration, predictive analytics and advanced monitoring tools that enhance system reliability.

How to Make a Timeline & Improve Your Investigations

By Mark Galley

October 24, 2025 / 8am Pacific Time

When investigating an incident, accident or problem, a timeline is an important tool. Learn our simple format for organizing dates, times, and events associated with an issue. You’ll learn how to start a basic timeline and how to expand it into a detailed sequence of events for an issue. We’ll also share the best shortcuts in Microsoft Excel for making a timeline using our Cause Mapping® Template.

Electrical Fatigue Degradation in Coatings due to Partial Discharges

By Martin Wickham, Dhaval Vankhade and Meenakshy Ramankutty

October 27, 2025 / 7:30-8:30am Pacific Time

Degradation of dielectric materials can occur when they are subjected to multiple partial discharges. These may lead to a reduction in their electrical withstanding voltage and result in full dielectric breakdown at significantly lower voltages. NPL has developed capability to test multiple samples simultaneously at low pressure, where partial discharges and subsequent full breakdown can occur at lower voltages. This webinar will give details of the new system and show examples of coating tests, giving the outcomes of applying multiple partial discharges to PCB protective coatings.

QMS 101: Quality Management System Guide

By John E Lincoln

October 29, 2025 / 11am-12:30pm Pacific Time

$150

This webinar discusses the key parts of ISO 9001, especially how it applies to manufacturing. However, its principles can, and are, used in many different business activities, not just manufacturing. ISO 9001 is the underpinning for paharmaceutical manufacting worldwide, with its principles incorporated in the US CGMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices) for pharma, 21 CFR 210 and -211 (actually the other way around), and in ICH Q7, GMPs for APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients).

Measuring What Matters–Analytical Strategies for Clean & Reliable Electronic

By Adam Klett Ph.D.

October 29, 2025 / 1-2pm Pacific Time

Free for members / $25 non-members

Ensuring the reliability of electronic assemblies requires rigorous assessment of surface cleanliness and contamination. The shift to requiring “objective evidence” has put the burden on the manufacturer to prove their process is capable of producing reliable products. This presentation reviews three principal analytical techniques, Surface Insulation Resistance (SIR), Resistivity of Solvent Extract (ROSE), and Ion Chromatography (IC), commonly employed in electronics manufacturing. SIR provides a quantitative evaluation of electrical resistance to detect ionic residues that may compromise circuit reliability. ROSE offers a rapid, semi-quantitative method for assessing overall ionic contamination via solvent extraction. IC enables precise identification and measurement of specific ionic species, supporting compliance with industry cleanliness standards. The strengths, limitations, and practical applications of each method are discussed, along with how to use the data to develop a qualification compliant with the current IPC standard. Also, a brief overview of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) as a complementary tool for molecular analysis will be covered. Understanding these techniques is essential for optimizing cleaning processes and providing the objective evidence required to ensure long-term reliability in electronic products.

From Risk to Reliability: Detecting LDPE Reactor Bearing Faults Before Downtime

By Michael Hastings

October 30, 2025 / 7am Pacific Time

Low density polyethylene (LDPE) plays a dominant role in the packaging industry. Many LDPE products are made by the high-pressure ethylene autoclave process (free-radical polymerization), where the ethylene reactor mixer is the critical machine used for the polymerization.

Managing this asset’s life-cycle costs is a challenge, as expensive downtime not only results from prematurely failing components of the reactor, but also from the process itself. Decomposition (decomp) can occur if the mixing, temperature, pressure and organic peroxides and comonomers and other modifiers are not properly balanced during polymerization. During decomp, the ethylene and polyethylene decomposes into H2 and CH4, which are highly explosive. Decomp can also occur if faulty bearings create a hotspot or affect the stirring action. Failed bearings are dangerous because metal particles can block the LDPE outlet channels. Bearings can prematurely fail because of the harsh environment, such as by deposits inside the bearing. Fortunately, it is possible to effectively monitor the condition of the bearings.

This webinar covers three individual case studies of monitoring defect reactor bearings. This proves that an effective condition monitoring solution with the proper monitoring techniques is an absolute imperative for this type of machine.

Facilitating and Documenting a Root Cause Analysis (RCA)

By Mark Galley

October 31, 2025 / 8am Pacific Time

A problem in your business can be thought of as an “information knot.” Different people from different departments each know part of the problem. A facilitator collects and organizes all the details in an incident. They essentially untangle the knot to provide a complete explanation of what happened and why. Sometimes people think of a facilitator as the person who leads meetings, but a root cause analysis facilitator manages the entire investigation process. An effective facilitator provides clarity. A facilitation starts from the time an incident occurs and continues through the analysis and documentation, to the implementation of solutions and the communication of lessons learned. This webinar explains the basics of facilitation and the role it plays in understanding and preventing problems in your business.