Speaking Of Reliability: Friends Discussing Reliability Engineering Topics | Warranty | Plant Maintenance

Environmental Testing Abstract Kirk and Fred discuss the question of using a standard series of environmental test for reliability development. Key Points Join Kirk and Fred as they discuss standard environmental test suites such as MIL-STD 810 which describe many environmental tests that can be applied depending on the end-use conditions. Topics include: Many of these standards include the stresses and duration, they do not define what can be considered a failure. Many of the standard tests do not use stresses very much more intense than the expected end-use field stresses and therefore do not provide acceleration to find many latent design weaknesses. Many of the standard environmental tests can be converted to HALT type testing by increasing stress levels until a operational failure or destruction happens and determining how to make it stronger to the fundamental limit of technology. 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. Download Audio RSS Show Notes You can now purchase the most recent recording of Kirk Gray’s Hobbs Engineering 8 (two 4 hour sessions) hour Webinar “Rapid and Robust Reliability Development 2022 HALT & HASS Methodologies Online Seminar” from this link. 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” For more information on the newest discovery testing methodology here is a link to the book “Next Generation HALT and HASS: Robust design of Electronics and Systems” written by Kirk Gray and John Paschkewitz. The post SOR 906 Environmental Testing appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

A HALT Plan Question Abstract Kirk and Fred discuss a test plan sent to Kirk and how this plan misses the point of accelerated testing. Key Points Join Kirk and Fred as they discuss the fact that many of are labeled by the book titles they have written and yet we know many other important analysis techniques that we know and use. Topics include: HALT evaluations require a lot of thinking about what needs to be tested, what stresses to apply to what parts of the systems, and what will be defined as a failure In a nutshell, HALT is a methodology of applying environmental stress in a step-wise controlled function to electronic and electro-mechanical systems while operating, The stresses are applied to the point failure, then analysis of the potential weakness,  then improving the weakness and repeating to the point that the design has reached the fundamental limit of standard technologies. Kirk recalls discussing a component change with a manager who argued that a component failure that happened at a wide range of temperatures would never occur in the field, but with the change and a HASS process on the product reduced the warranty return rate from 5% to 0.5% return rate. The most important step in the HALT process is when a weak link is found that is well below the fundamental limit of technology is to improve it. HALT is a waste of time for those companies who want to reduce failures as opposed to telling customers that they do HALT, for marketing purposes. HASS is unnecessary if every unit is manufactured with little or no variations, but that is rare for most industries. Latent defects can be introduced into the supply chain at anytime in the manufacturing life cycle. 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. Download Audio RSS Show Notes You can now purchase the most recent recording of Kirk Gray’s Hobbs Engineering 8 (two 4 hour sessions) hour Webinar “Rapid and Robust Reliability Development 2022 HALT & HASS Methodologies Online Seminar” from this link. 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” For more information on the newest discovery testing methodology here is a link to the book “Next Generation HALT and HASS: Robust design of Electronics and Systems” written by Kirk Gray and John Paschkewitz. The post SOR 905 A HALT Plan Question appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Good Reliability Requirements Abstract Carl and Fred discuss the essence of well-written reliability requirements. They are much more than reliability numbers. Key Points Join Carl and Fred as they discuss how to ensure reliability requirements are proper and adequate. This builds from the definition of reliability. Topics include: What are the four key elements of the definition of reliability? How can each of these four key elements be used to develop effective requirements for reliability? What makes for good reliability requirements and bad reliability requirements? Reliability requirements need to be incorporated into technical specifications and measurable in the right timeframe. What is difference between warranty policy and reliability requirements? Requirements should encourage the right behaviors to achieve the organization’s goals. Beware of merely passing tests. Quality objectives for reliability requirements. Don’t forget the intended functions. The four elements have to be specific to the item being specified. Technical specifications should be reviewed to see if the reliability requirements are properly specified. If reliability requirements are properly specified in purchased parts, suppliers can more easily develop and ship reliable parts. 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. Download Audio RSS Show Notes During the podcast Carl mentioned a list of objectives regarding reliability requirements. Here is the list. ReliabilityRequirementsObjectives The post SOR 904 Good Reliability Requirements appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Common FMEA Confusions Abstract Carl and Fred discuss common FMEA confusions that come up from time to time. These are condensed from questions that Carl gets from “Inside FMEA” readers. Key Points Join Carl and Fred as they discuss common FMEA misunderstandings, and how to simplify the concepts. Topics include: Is it a Failure Mode, Effect of Cause? What’s the difference, and how can you be sure? Is a certain word automatically a Failure Mode, Effect or Cause? The answer depends on the context within the FMEA. Always begin with the Item and Function. Bucket example . . . Is a “leak” a Failure Mode, Effect of Cause? The answer is that it can be any of those elements. What is difference between Cause and Failure Mechanism? For high-risk issues, always take to root cause and failure mechanism. Brainstorming Failure Modes; do you have to enter all of them into the FMEA worksheet? Simple rule for what to enter in the FMEA worksheet, and what can be left out. Every person on a design team, and an FMEA team, has potential for blind spots. How to ensure the FMEA is not hindered by blind spots. Application of thought-starter questions to stimulate FMEA team discussion and bypass confusions. If you are having a problem with one part of an FMEA, go earlier. It usually means an earlier part of the FMEA was not we3ll defined. Stay focused on fundamentals. The value is often in the discussion. 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. Download Audio RSS Show Notes   The post SOR 903 Common FMEA Confusions appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Learning What You Don’t Know Abstract Greg and Fred discuss keeping up professionally, which is a requirement these days to continue to be marketable. Key Points Join Greg and Fred as they discuss three types of reliability engineers: 1. Those to whom something happens; 2. Those who wonder what or why something happened; and 3. Those who make things happen.  #3 reliability engineers ‘get it.’  They want to learn what they don’t know. Topics include: What type of engineer are you:  #1; #2 or #3. How to make things happen. How to learn to be marketable in these disruptive times. 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. Download Audio RSS Show Notes   The post SOR 902 Learning What You Don’t Know appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Good is Often Good Enough Abstract Greg and Fred discuss form vs. function decision making. Key Points Join Greg and Fred as they discuss various elements of form vs. function decision making.  Greg and Fred are engineers, who lean towards function, which is often good is good enough.  Others may lean towards form. Topics include: What is a form vs. function decision making. Why is this paramount in quality and reliability. When is good good enough. 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. Download Audio RSS Show Notes   The post SOR 901 Good is Often Good Enough appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Mil HDBK 217 F Again! Abstract Chris and Fred discuss the Military Handbook 217 Version F (from 1991 no less) … again? Ever heard of it? Key Points Join Chris and Fred as they discuss this document called the MIL-HDBK 217F. This is a document that has a list of guesses (yes … guesses) of failure rates of classes of electronic components. And for some reason, these figures are routinely used to ‘model’ the reliability of today’s systems. It’s not good. Topics include: Where do these failure rates come from? Less than 10 companies provided failure data for their electronic components (without anyone confirming if this data was good) … with military data dating back to the 1960s filling in the gaps. Can you remember an electronic device manufactured in 1991? Probably not. And if you could, you would realize that we have come a LONG way in that time. Why was there even an attempt to create this book? Organizations could not (or didn’t want to) analyze, study, understand or test their designs to come up with reliability estimates. The solution? A bunch of numbers that can be put into your model to give you a number without having to work for it. Awesome! But it is always the failure rate! Failure rates mean nothing for most applications. For example, electronic component suppliers will advertise their reliability in terms of FITS (failures in time or failures per billion hours). You can buy diodes with a failure rate of 100 FITS. This implies an MTBF of 1 140 years. Good luck with that. Unfortunately … there is no substitute for critical thinking. Sorry. 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. Download Audio RSS Show Notes The post SOR 900 Mil Hdbk 217 Again appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Inspiring New STEM Students Abstract Greg and Dianna discussing how to get involved in inspiring new STEM students. Key Points Join Greg and Dianna as they discuss inspiring new STEM students. How do we get new people interested in STEM? Topics include: Mentoring, being an example, getting them engaged The allure of the engineering decision-making process Push vs. Pull 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. Download Audio RSS Show Notes A highlight of engineering is the decision-making process that we utilize. That aspect is exciting to students. Coach them to start with the end in mind: who do you want to be, where do you want to go, what do you want to do? Then, help them evaluate the obstacles using observations, problem-solving, and decision-making approaches. The post SOR 899 Inspiring New STEM Students appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

ERM and Reliability Engineers Abstract Dianna and Greg discussing ERM and Reliability Engineers, along with the AI revolution and the current state of quality. Key Points Join Dianna and Greg as they discuss how ERM (enterprise risk management) and reliability engineers relate. Topics include: The history of ERM and its current state. Quality decision-making needs to re-orient from: tools, to data, to user, to smart decisions. The current state of engineering education, with the quickening pace of the half-life of knowledge. The AI revolution, including code and DALL-E. 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. Download Audio RSS Show Notes Greg gives context to ERM and describes its history, including the introduction of CQO (Chief Quality Officers) and ISO standards and compliance. And, how it has changed since 2000. “The future of quality: risk.” – Greg Hutchins The new focus of Quality is the decisions that we make. Those decisions are affected by the assumptions behind the data. And the new scope is not just production, but the greater business system. New products are integrated and complicated, making the evaluation and decision-making more complicated. And the pace of knowledge growth is outpacing education. Focusing on the strength of our decision making can help us differentiate ourselves and add value to ourselves, our families, and our employers.   The post SOR 898 ERM and Reliability Engineers appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Creating a Culture of Innovation with Quality and Reliability Abstract Dianna and Carl discussing creating a culture of innovation with Quality and Reliability. Key Points Join Dianna and Carl as they discuss creating a culture of innovation with Quality and Reliability. Topics include: The innovation continuum, from company culture to individual interactions How to foster innovation in teams and between individuals Bell Labs, 3M, PAN-AM, Apple, and GM’s innovation 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. Do you have ideas relating to the balance of innovation and your reliability work? Leave us a comment. Download Audio RSS Show Notes A culture of innovation requires space, value, and opportunity to be creative. Also needed are skills of evaluation, critique, and problem solving. It’s difficult to balance both. Companies can foster innovation by understanding that there are risks and that innovative ideas need different measures of success. Short-term profitability on new concepts can be unsupportive of development of new ideas. Those measures of success may extend into management metrics. Innovation isn’t limited to BIG ideas. Innovation exists on a continuum and extends into individual interactions. People can use inside-out thinking for innovative ideas while also evaluating with outside-in thinking. They also discuss ways to foster creativity on an individual level, and ways to work with a team during FMEAs to assist with a team’s creative instincts. The post SOR 897 Creating a Culture of Innovation with Quality and Reliability appeared first on Accendo Reliability.