How to Plan an ALT

By Fred Schenkelberg

April 13, 2021 / 9am Pacific Time

Rescheduled due to tech problems in March

The more you understand the failure mechanisms the easier it is to design an accelerated life test, (ALT). Yet, we often do not have all the information we would like to draft an ALT. So, what do we do then?

One approach is to use a suitable standard and simply follow the recipe. For example, 3 samples in a chamber at 85°C and 85% RH for 1,000 hours is a common standard based recipe. The trouble is, what do the results of such an experiment mean? Will your device work for 15 years with a low probability of failure? It is unclear, right?

So, let’s step through an approach to setting up your ALT such that you will have a meaningful result. Starting with what you know about your failure mechanism (or should know) then step through what to measure, how often, how many samples, and an overview of the analysis. The intent of this webinar is to provide a starting point for your next ALT project.

Predictive Technologies

By Terry Harris

April 13, 2021 / 8am Pacific Time

$45

A Reliable Process Solutions 1-hour webinar event focused on providing you with practical content to improve your reliability program today.

This webinar includes a presentation and discussion on:

• Fundamentals of Predictive Maintenance
• Main Predictive Technologies
• How they extend equipment life & reduce failures
• Cost-effective options for predictive tools

10 Reasons to do FMEAs

By Chris Jackson

April 27, 2021  / 8am Pacific Time

Everyone knows why we do reliability, and reliability things like FMEAs. Customer experience. Organization reputation. Reduced warranty claims 10 years from now. But these are boring reasons that really don’t motivate me to take FMEAs seriously now. Why should I invest so much time into an activity where that benefits the ‘company’ or the ‘customer’ in the future but won’t make an immediate difference where my boss will give me a ‘gold star’ on my next performance appraisal? Right? Wrong! FMEAs yield immediate benefits. Eliminating design and production delays. Slashing costs by not having to re-design. Incorporating customer or user features that supersede those of your competitors. Having your thing pass every design review and test with flying colours. FMEAs can make you a star – and this webinar will tell you why!

Test Method Validation at WESTPAK

By Andrew Thomas

April 1, 2021 / 12 noon Pacific Time

Webinar Covers:

• Regulatory Requirements for Validated Testing
• Validation of Test Methods
• Validated Package Tests

Presentation Will Provide Participants With:

• Brief review and rationale of the regulatory requirements for validated testing
• Overview of test method validation practices at WESTPAK
• List of package tests recommended for validation
• Opportunity for Q&A

Preventing Human Error in the Life Sciences

By Charles H Paul

April 5, 2021 / 10am Pacific Time

$150

This webinar will explore the true causes and nature of human error, how human error should be investigated, how human error relates to human performance, and the difference between real human error and systems, process, and management deficiencies.

Next Gen Lead Free Solders for High Reliability & SMT Yield improvement

By Nathan Blattau, PhD

April 6, 2021 / 9am Pacific Time

$15 for non-members

The webinar will discuss the evolution of lead free (Pb-free) solder, from tin-silver-copper (SAC) system with silver content of 3.0 and 4.0 to low SAC solders and the emergence of high reliability Pb-free solder. It will cover the reasons and the driving forces of industries implementing this change.

Medical Device Hazard Analysis Following ISO 14971

By Edwin Waldbusser

April 6, 2021 / 10am Pacific Time

$150

The US FDA expects that as part of a product development Design Control Program risk management will be conducted. FDA also expects a post production risk management program be implemented.

Areas Covered in the Session:

• Explanation of Hazard Analysis terms: hazard, hazardous situation, harm, risk
• Explanation of the hazard analysis process using a template
• Examples of terms will be given will be covered step by step

Risk Management – Implementing ISO14971: 2019

By Yuval Shapiro

April 6, 2021 / 10am Pacific Time

$150

Refresh your knowledge with Risk Management basics and practices and become aware of the new requirements presented by ISO14971: 2019.

Areas Covered in the Session:

• Risk based approach
• Risk Management fundamentals
• Risk Analysis
• FMEA
• ISO14791: 2019

The Exponential Power of Daily Improvement

By Calvin Williams

April 7, 2021  / 8am Pacific Time

Calvin Williams has helped numerous companies build continuous improvement programs. In this webinar, he discusses the science behind daily improvement and how to use it to create a sustainable culture of continuous improvement. He relates how a 1% improvement daily amounts to 38 times better results in one year. He’ll also describe the power of habit and how it is formed or engineered through daily repetition, especially with a coach’s guidance.

Problem Solving/RCA Evidence Based Analysis

By David Auda

April 7, 2021 / 8:30-10am Pacific Time

$150

One of the necessary practices in development, maintenance and failure recovery is Root Cause Analysis. This term gets used almost synonymously with Problem Solving, as if the two were somehow the same thing. Albeit, I can have a problem, fix it, and never perform anything that resembles a Root Cause Analysis. I can also perform Root Cause Analysis (more appropriately termed “Causal Analysis”) to gain understanding or make changes that do not necessarily stem from a “Problem”. Delineating Problem Solving from RCA is important conceptually.

This webinar will illuminate the differences between the two and share, by example, how to effectively and efficiently facilitate Problem Solving, RCA, or both when needed. This is an Evidence Based approach that supports informed decision making (defensible in the face of challenges). Upon completion of the course, the attendee will be able to determine the correct path to take when presented with the need to make a decision. Based upon that decision, the attendee will have learned how deploy the appropriate method(s) to achieve the desired goal, whether it be solving a problem, making causal determinations, or both in conjunction.

Introduction to Resonance

By Robert Sayer

April 7, 2021 / 1pm Pacific Time

This five-part webinar series is presented by Robert Sayer, PE, past president of the Vibration Institute.  It draws upon over 45 years of Mr. Sayer’s experience in diagnosing and correcting resonance problems in rotor dynamic and structural dynamics.

Analysis of Survival Data in Engineering, Business, and Medicine

By Dr. Wayne Nelson

April 8, 2021 / 9am Pacific Time

This talk is an introduction to survival data analysis in engineering, business, and medicine. It presents basic concepts including the Weibull distribution, its age dependent failure rate, and simple probability plots. The talk shows applications to engineering, business, and medicine, including:

• The reliability of products designed and manufactured by engineers (e.g., toaster life).•
• The distribution of time to a bank’s loss of bank accounts and TV service’s loss of subscribers.
• The life distribution of patients under treatment and life of medical devices (e.g., heart pacemakers).The life distribution of patients and products, e.g., median life, % surviving 5-years or warranty.
• Whether a product failure rate increases or decreases as the population ages. This information is used to determine whether preventive replacement of old units in service reduces in-service failures.
• A prediction of the number of population failures in a coming month, quarter, or year.During product development, a prediction of the improvement in product life that would result from eliminating one or more failure modes.
• Comparisons of 1) medical treatments, 2) business policies, and 3) product designs, vendors, materials, operating environments, manufacturing methods, etc.

Creating and Using Cumulative Cause Map™ Diagrams for Multiple Failures

April 9, 2021 / 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.

Effect of high voltage (up to 1000V) on Dendrite Failures and Conductive Anodic Filament (CAF) Failures of Electronic Circuits

By Ling-Zou

April 13, 2021 / 6:30-8am Pacific Time

Achieving high reliability in service is the key issue in today’s high density electronic circuits. The voltage applied to the electronic circuit plays a very important role in electrochemical reliability. Insulation Resistance (IR) measurement has been widely used to predict and evaluate the reliability of electronic circuits. The test voltages utilised for existing IR measurement are typically only up to 100V. With the significant increase in electrification of transport and corresponding increases in the voltages that electric vehicles operate, IR measurements need to be conducted at higher voltages to understand any potential new failure mechanisms.

NPL recently commissioned 1000V IR test facility has be used to characterise dendrite formation on PCB surface and Conductive Anodic Filament (CAF) formation inside PCBs at 1000V. Specially designed PCBs with different finishes and comb patterns of different pitches have been reflow soldered using different solder pastes and IR tested at 1000 V. The effect of the increased test voltages on dendrite failure will be discussed. The results will also be compared with the CAF failures generated by NPL on similar pitch of via patterns.

The Shaker Profile and More: Ways to Improve Vibration Durability Testing

April 13, 2021  / 7am Pacific Time

Developing a shaker-based durability test requires insight into many aspects of the product under test. It involves understanding the customer, the intended use of the product, reliability requirements, and available resources. With this knowledge in place, nCode software can then be utilized to create a comprehensive vibration test to ensure the product’s durability.

Body of Knowledge Webinar Series Pillar #5 – Work Management

By Thomas J Moriarty

April 13, 2021 / 10am Pacific Time

Thomas Moriarty, President of Alidade MER, Inc. will guide attendees through maintenance and reliability goals in relation to Pillar #4 of SMRP’s Body of Knowledge. This webinar series provides an overview of the key elements that make up the SMRP Body of Knowledge.

Maintaining an Effective CAPA Program and Using Risk Assessment Tools: Current Trends

By David R Dills

April 14, 2021  / 10am Pacific Time

$150

This session provides an overview on identifying recommended practices to improve, streamline, refine, retool…and develop, deploy and maintain a viable and sustainable CAPA system. Learn that a well written policy and procedure on setting up and maintaining your system is just the first part of the process…now you need to monitor your system because CAPA is your immune system and will determine how healthy or unhealthy or business site is.

Identification of Natural Frequencies: The Impact Method

By Robert Sayer

April 14, 2021  / 1pm Pacific Time

Energy Efficient Smelter Operations with AI

By Arjun Bhattacharyya

April 15, 2021 / 7am Pacific Time

In this webinar, we will look at how AI and digital twin technology to are used to build accurate asset models and process advisories in order to reduce specific power consumption at the highly energy intensive aluminum smelters.

Bulletproof CAPA Process: How to do it Right?

By Yuval Shapiro

April 15, 2021 / 10am Pacific Time

$150

The webinar shall provide tools and examples of how to analyze and identify a root-cause and provide a mechanism to mitigate them. Also, the webinar shall provide insights into how to manage CAPA in a daily manner.

Areas Covered in the Session:

• Corrections, Corrective Actions, and Preventive Actions
• Sources for CAPA
• Root-cause Analysis
• CAPA Management

How Ansys Sherlock’s Pre-Processing Engine Creates High-Fidelity Models for Ansys Mechanical & Icepak

By Kelly Morgan

April 15, 2021 / 10am Pacific Time

Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) are complex structures from both geometric and material viewpoints and are often simulated (and tested) under a variety demanding environmental conditions (shock, vibration, drop, etc.) to ensure they meet the necessary requirements. Specifically, they are geometrically complex in that they contain both surface-mounted and internal components (e.g., traces, vias) that need to be captured to ensure true-to-life behavior is being simulated. In such cases, Ansys Sherlock’s powerful Pre-Processing capabilities allow users to rapidly generate high-fidelity models intended for use with tools such as Ansys Mechanical and Ansys Icepak.

In this webinar, we will discuss a range of pre-processing/modeling techniques that are available in Ansys Sherlock for addressing such challenges, as well as the relative merits of these approaches, to help you ensure you are choosing the right level of fidelity for your studies.

Crack Management using ILI Crack Data

By Dr. Ravi Krishnamurthy

April 15, 2021 / 1-2:30pm Pacific Time

Mr. Krishnamurthy will be discussing new advancements in Pipeline Integrity Management, specifically how to manage single to multiple cracks using ILI Crack Data.

Agenda:

Building Signal Processing Graphically using nCodeDS

April 20, 2021 / 7am Pacific Time

Engineers need to gain meaningful insights from both test measurements and real-world usage data in order to reduce development, operational and warranty costs. Today, getting access to this data is not necessarily difficult, but running high performance data fusion, cleaning, transformation and engineering analytics is becoming more and more of a challenge due to the quantity of new data produced every day.

Designed for scalable deployment within the web-based Aqira platform, nCodeDS (nCode Digital Streams) provides both the performance and the engineering functionality required to analyze high volumes of digital bus data, connected vehicle data and a wide range of other data sources. nCodeDS is available in a Python environment enabling a high degree of flexibility. Now nCodeDS is also accessible through a brand new graphical drag-and-drop user interface, which makes the creation of analytics processes quick and easy.

Equipment Validation, Tracking, Calibration and Preventive Maintenance

By Jeff Kasoff

April 20, 2021  / 10am Pacific Time

$150

FDA and EU regulations require that firms have a program for the calibration and maintenance of test and measurement equipment.

The program must include: intervals, scheduling, specific procedures, limits of accuracy/precision, and remedial action in the event that the equipment does not meet established requirements.

Areas Covered in the Session:

• Equipment Validation: Installation Qualification, Operation Qualification, and Performance Qualification
• Preventive Maintenance Requirements
• Calibration vs. Maintenance: When to use Which One?
• Remedial Action for Out-of-Calibration Equipment
• Use of Calibration Standards to Save Cost
• Equipment Calibration Requirements: Scheduling, Use of External Services, and Documentation

Using Statistics to Determine Sample Size

By Steven Wachs

April 20, 2021  / 10am Pacific Time

$150

The webinar will provide important considerations when selecting sample sizes for specific applications. The knowledge gained by attending the webinar will allow practitioners to consider the implications of sample size selection prior to conducting the study and ensure that the information obtained can be useful for decision making.

Asset Management effectiveness begins with the right plans – are you planning and delivering the right capital and O&M work?

By Roopchan Lutchman

April 20, 2021  / 10am Pacific Time

Free for members / $33.90 non-members

Asset management (AM) is a far-ranging topic and can be very confusing or overwhelming to anyone who is now embarking on a program or trying to take their existing program up a notch. The biggest impact in AM is on the planning side of the AM Framework. Essentially, if you plan well, then you can execute the right activities (capital project, operations, and maintenance tasks) well. Conversely, which is the case with many organizations, there is poor planning but with efficient execution of the work and attendant sub-optimal performance. Excellence in AM requires effective planning in three areas: Growth and Rationalization, Renewal & Replacement, and Operations & Maintenance. This presentation will provide best-in-class concepts for developing these three areas and the return on investment in effective planning, and will be supported by real-life examples.

Digital Twins for Performance with AI and FMEA

By Sudeep Gowrishanker and Tanmay Agarwal

April 21, 2021  / 7am Pacific Time

In this webinar, we will examine methods of using supervised and unsupervised learning AI models in conjunction with Failure mode and Effect Analysis for accurate prognostics of machine performance and actionable insights.

Gain Deep Insights into Bearing Health with Ultrasonic Analysis

By Blair Fraser

April 21 2021  / 8am Pacific Time

Friction is inherent in all machine bearings. When this friction starts to change, ultrasonic analysis can tell us a lot about what is happening in that bearing. When both friction and impact monitoring with ultrasound get combined with the real-time data collection of a IIoT system, we can uncover the signs of a bearing asking for help. In this webinar, Blair Fraser of UE Systems Inc. discusses how simple it is to apply ultrasonic technology and how taking full advantage can prevent bearing failure from ever occurring.

Cooling Techniques for Electronic Equipment Overview

By Steve Carlson

April 21, 2021  / 8:30-11:30am Pacific Time

$300

Don’t wait until your electronic equipment over-heats or fails because of poor cooling. Find out if your present systems are adequately cooled, how to avoid many common cooling problems and how to design efficient, reliable cooling systems for many different types of electronic cabinets. The purpose of this 3-hr webinar, which costs $300, is to show designers and engineers an overview of the quick methods for designing electronic equipment to withstand severe thermal environments without failing. Techniques are presented which will permit the evaluation and design of cost effective, compact cooling systems, without the aid of a large digital computer.Learn simple design rules, and guidelines, which can improve the effective cooling of your sophisticated electronic components used in today’s military, industrial and commercial electronic systems. Learn methods for determining thermal stresses in lead wires and solder joints due to a mismatch in thermal expansions.

Identification of Natural Frequencies: Speed Sensitivity

By Robert Sayer

April 21, 2021  / 1pm Pacific Time

This five-part webinar series is presented by Robert Sayer, PE, past president of the Vibration Institute. It draws upon over 45 years of Mr. Sayer’s experience in diagnosing and correcting resonance problems in rotor dynamic and structural dynamics.

How to Choose an Appropriate Vibration Monitoring System for Various Rotating Equipment

By Subba Rao

April 22, 2021  / 3:30-4:30am Pacific Time

This webinar discusses the factors that govern the selection of appropriate vibration monitoring system for various rotating equipment’s that are used in most of the industrial environment such as steam & Gas Turbines, Centrifugal Compressors, Pumps, Fans, Blowers, Electrical Motors & Generators, Gearboxes, etc. and provides the guidelines to choose the best monitoring system.

Attendees will understand the concept of Online and Offline vibration monitoring systems – Advantages and limitations. Learn the selection of the right vibration monitoring systems depends upon many factors such as the equipment type, speed, application criticality, etc. Thorough understanding of Vibration measures (displacement, velocity, and acceleration) available sensors and identifying the most appropriate monitoring strategy.

Industry 4.0 / Non-Destructive Failure Analysis

By Michael Ford and Robert A Boguski

April 22, 2021  / 10:30-11:30am Pacific Time

Technical Presentations from:

1. Aegis Software Inc.: Genuine Industry 4.0

(Michael Ford, Senior Director – Emerging Industry Strategy)

2. Datest Corporation: New Developments in Digital Computed Tomography (CT) for Nondestructive Failure Analysis of PCBFs, PCBAs, and other Selected Applications

(Robert A. Boguski, President)

Risk, Reliability & Root Cause Analysis

April 23, 2021  / 8am Pacific Time

This presentation, for both frontline and managers, clarifies the connection between risk, reliability and root cause analysis. These three topics can sometimes be vague theories rather than concrete disciplines. Companies inadvertently make problem-solving too complicated. Six-week quality programs that leave people confused, 300 puzzling “cause codes” and frustrating investigations are not just counterproductive, they can be detrimental. It can erode the effectiveness of an organization. Your problems are confusing enough; your problem-solving tools shouldn’t make it worse. Employees who are inundated with techniques, methods and software can lose track of the basics. All problem-solving efforts should be focused on your company’s goals with a bias toward principles.

Power Analysis for Sample Size Calculations

By Elaine Eisenbeisz

April 26, 2021  / 10-11:30am Pacific Time

$150

In this webinar attendees will learn the statistical power analysis and techniques for determining sample size (a priori techniques) calculation.

Areas Covered in the Session:

• The usefulness of power analysis
• Overview of power analysis theory and concepts
• Effect size
• Examples of sample size calculations using G*Power software
• Examples of sample size calculations using simulation

Useful Statistical Methods for Defining Product and Process Specifications

By Steven Wachs

April 26, 2021  / 10-11:30am Pacific Time

$150

Scientists, Design Engineers, and Manufacturing/Process Engineers must develop product and process specifications that ensure that products delivered to customers perform their intended functions over time. If specifications are too wide,the risks of inadequate product performance and product failures increase. If specifications are too tight, the costs to ensure conformance increase.

Scientific and engineering theory, knowledge, and principles play an important role in developing specifications, but usually this must be combined with testing and data analysis to verify appropriate specifications.

This webinar covers useful and important statistical methods that assist scientists and engineers in the development of appropriate product and process specifications.

Streamlining the PdM Process using MCA Motor Testing

By Bill Kruger

April 27, 2021  / 10am Pacific Time

Streamlining the PdM process using MCA motor testing” presents brief discussion of Predictive Maintenance and how to incorporate the various MCA technologies to identify motor faults.

Learning Takeaways

1. What are the 3 phases of PdM program.
2. What are the main failure categories of electric motors
3. What PdM technology identifies each of the electrical faults
4. What faults do each of the MCA technologies identify

MEMS Accelerometers – Technology Review and Implications for CBM

By Ed Spence and Adam Jablonski

April 28, 2021  / 6am Pacific Time

Wireless condition monitoring systems, also known as IIoT, promises easily deployed ‘continuous’ condition monitoring, with the potential to save some of that most precious commodity – your time. MEMS accelerometers have been instrumental in enabling the proliferation of these systems, but lingering concerns about MEMS performance add uncertainty to an already complex solution landscape.

In this session we will compare and contrast MEMS accelerometer technology with legacy PZT, discussing the implications for IIoT and CBM applications in general. We will demonstrate how MEMS performance improvements made over the last 5 years not only supports overalls trending but also enables bearing fault detection and diagnostics. With a better understanding of the underlying sensor technology strengths and limitations, we will also show how MEMS accelerometer performance positioning data suggests using caution when selecting wireless IIoT solutions for your assets.

Harsh Environment Failures 2021 – Causes & Cures

By Keith Bryant and Bob Willis

April 28, 2021  / 6:30-7:30am Pacific Time

Join Keith Bryant & Bob Willis to find out more about the demands on Electronics in Harsh Environments as they showcase the challenges faced by design and process engineers worldwide. Including some of the key issues that are faced in Power Electronics, Automotive, High Voltage, Assembly and High Reliability Products.

Using ODS in Modal Testing

By Robert Sayer

April 28, 2021  / 1pm Pacific Time

This five-part webinar series is presented by Robert Sayer, PE, past president of the Vibration Institute.  It draws upon over 45 years of Mr. Sayer’s experience in diagnosing and correcting resonance problems in rotor dynamic and structural dynamics.

Root Cause Analysis Case Study – Concorde Crash

April 30, 2021  / 8am Pacific Time

On July 25, 2000, a Concorde Supersonic jet crashed near Paris, France killing all 109 people on board in addition to four on the ground. A tire on the left side disintegrated while the aircraft was accelerating during take-off and struck the underside of the wing, rupturing a fuel tank. Fuel poured from the tank and ignited. The Concorde had already reached a velocity where it could not stop safely by the end of the runway, so it lifted off the runway with flames hanging from the left wing. This webinar will discuss the causes of the disaster, including several specific lessons on risk, reliability and root cause analysis that can be applied within your organization.

Tips and Techniques for Handling Missing Data (Statistical Techniques)

By Elaine Eisenbeisz

April 30, 2021  / 10am Pacific Time

$150

If you work with data, you should attend this webinar. Real life data is not pretty. It is messy and often incomplete.

Areas Covered in the Session:

• History, types and handling of missing-ness in a data set
• Good, bad, and ugly of some commonly used techniques in dealing with prevention of missing data
• Diagnostic tests and decision making when working with missing data
• Multiple imputation techniques
• Multiple imputation with SPSS software