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

Reliability Spooky Stories Abstract Kirk and Fred discussing  and reflecting on some of the spooky reliability problems we have seen (or not seen) that sometimes have haunted us on this  Halloween 2022 episode of SOR Key Points Join Kirk and Fred as they discuss Topics include: Fred recalls a meeting that many engineers shared scary gremlins and bugs that get into our designs, including large rats that chew on insulation in the middle of the night. We know that many creatures, snakes and spiders and squirrels are many times the cause of power systems shorting or catching fire. Fred conveys a study and testing of fire ants being attracted to weak electromagnetic fields and labs that have fire ant resistance testing. Kirk discusses how working on high vacuum semiconductor manufacturing equipment exposed him to some scary invisible dangers such as X rays from Ion Implanters. A company that made small Voltage Controlled Oscillators (VCO) had a damaged varactor diode that was causing field failures. The president of the company believed that these diodes where damaged on a day there was a lightning storm and the voltage spike traveled through the building and sensitive instruments to the test rig at the exact time of the test (15 seconds) and destroyed this one component in each of 30 or more as each units was tested for 15 seconds. That is quite a synchronized lighting storm  Spooky crazy theory. 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 Show Notes You can now purchase the 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. Related Topics When Rules are Made to be Broken!(Opens article in a new browser tab) The post SOR 805 Reliability Spooky Stories appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Risk and Supply Chain Abstract Greg and Fred discussing supply chain risk management. Key Points Join Greg and Fred as they discuss current practices and risk in supply chain management.Topics include: Just in Time may become Just in Case risk management. How to mitigate supply chain inventory risks. Current challenges in supply chain manufacturing. What’s the future of supply chain risk management. 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 Related Topics Supply Chain Risk Management is the Hot New Career(Opens article in a new browser tab) SOR 487 Reliability and Supply Chain(Opens podcast in a new browser tab) The post SOR 804 Risk and Supply Chain appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Decision Making in Reliability Abstract Greg and Fred discussing the importance of decision making in quality, reliability, and work in general. Key Points Join Greg and Fred as they discuss Topics include: Importance of decision making in reliability. Types of decisions in quality and reliability and life. Discussion on types of reliability decision making starting from the beginning state or the end state. How to identify gaps (risks) in decision making. 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 Related Topics SOR 308 Importance of Planning to Create a Reliable Product(Opens podcast in a new browser tab) The post SOR 803 Decision Making in Reliability appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

How to Talk About MTBF Abstract Chris and Fred discuss the pointlessness of the MTBF.  This comes from a listener who reached out to complain about how lots of industries enforce the MTBF … but why? Key Points Join Chris and Fred as they discuss the MTBF. Seemingly sophisticated engineering industries (like aircraft manufacturing and electronic design) assume that every component that is ever used never gets old, and never gets better. In other words, every failure phenomenon has a constant hazard rate. How do you work with this? Topics include: Just to clarify … The constant hazard rate implies that the likelihood of a 100-year-old component is just as likely to fail TODAY as a brand-new component (provided both are still working). Really? How do industries convince themselves that the constant hazard rate is not a good model? They do things like pointing to a ‘bathtub curve’ that represents how hazard rates can initially decrease (wear in based on manufacturing defects), constant hazard rate (at the bottom of the bathtub curve), and increasing hazard rate (where things wear out) … and saying that they assume all the manufacturing defects have been removed and wear out can be ‘mitigated’ by maintenance and inspections. Really? How do I convince my organization and industry this is not good? There is a huge problem here. For example, virtually every aircraft crash is very well investigated by organizations like the FAA and NTSB and lots of other similar organizations across the world. Virtually every investigation that doesn’t involve human (pilot) error identifies a manufacturing error (like inclusions or cracks on turbine blades) or unmanaged wear out (like insulation degradation on electronic cabling that results in arcs that initiate fire). What causes constant hazard rate failures? Randomly occurring external and catastrophic external stresses. Think things like ‘bird strikes’ like those that occurred on US Airways flight 1549 that emergency landed on the Hudson River in New York in 2009. By the way … this was a successful emergency landing where no one died … There needs to be a business imperative for this. When there comes time for change, there needs to be a perceived HUGE business benefit that outweighs the perceived personal risk of someone going against the grain and suggesting the MTBF is bad. Perhaps you can make the case that if things go wrong, this assumption of the constant hazard rate could be the ROOT CAUSE of failure. And a system that is ‘too complex’ is not an excuse. Why? Because there are lots of ways your system can fail. Which means you have a huge choice of failure mechanisms to choose from if you want to improve reliability. And this choice means you can find the VITAL FEW things that drastically improve 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. Download Audio RSS Related Topics SOR 699 Only have MTBFs(Opens podcast in a new browser tab) SOR 405 What’s Wrong with MTBF(Opens podcast in a new browser tab) The post SOR 802 How to Talk About MTBF appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Deferred Maintenance in the News Abstract Chris and Fred discuss about what happens when we ‘defer’ maintenance … or do it later … or perhaps never. When is it OK to do this? Key Points Join Chris and Fred as they discuss the concept of deferring maintenance. Sometimes it is OK. Usually it is not. Topics include: Can we defer maintenance? Yes … if an analysis of how your system accumulates damage suggests you should. But if you are deferring maintenance to simply balance a budget … future budgets will suffer. A lot. Importance and urgency. What is the most important thing when it comes to how maintenance supports reliability? … preventing failures. This saves time and money. It also means we get better outputs. What is the most urgent thing? … depends who you ask. Organizations that do this well make the important thing the most urgent thing. The least important thing is saving money this week (at the expense of saving LOTS of money later on). What is your organization like? Don’t forget human motivations. Jackson Mississippi currently has no potable water. Why? Because maintenance was ‘deferred’ for decades. The people who continually deferred maintenance are generally not in the organization anymore. One could argue that they are not motivated to have made the unpopular (but right) decisions when they had the chance to do it. The 2nd law of thermodynamics has never been defeated. This law essentially outlines how every part of the universe will eventually move toward a state of ‘disorder.’ Molecules will become more and more mixed. Things that we have spent a lot of time manufacturing (i.e. being ‘ordered’ in a way that the design dictates) will inevitably fail. But sometimes if it has been working for the last day, week, month or year … we can convince ourselves that it will always keep working. 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 Related Topics SOR 211 Is Deferred Maintenance Bad?(Opens podcast in a new browser tab) The post SOR 801 Deferred Maintenance in the News appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

What Could Go Wrong Abstract Chris and Fred discuss ‘what can go wrong’ in scenarios where it is almost impossible to even comprehend might happen … like when something is really old! Key Points Join Chris and Fred as they discuss a particular problem where an electronic component manufacturer wants to find if it can create a data storage device that will last 250 years … so that our children’s children’s children’s … children’s children can access what will eventually be a key piece of history. Topics include: We can’t always test for the answer. Electronic components – as a technology – have not been around for more than 100 years. So there is absolutely no data that extends out to 250 calendar years. Use all the information you have. Expert judgment. Data from similar systems. Academic journals. Anything. Don’t throw any useful information away. You are going to have to extrapolate. Which means we are dealing with the Physics of Failure (PoF). So you need to know what the failure mechanisms are going to cause problems many years from now. You can only accelerate a failure mechanism during testing. You can only simulate a failure mechanism. You can only extrapolate outside of a data set with any level of confidence … with a failure mechanism. … and if you now the PoF, you might be able to do something about it! If you know which VITAL FEW are going to drive failure centuries from now, maybe you can do something about it. Humidity-free chambers? Cold housing? Sheltered from light? … vibration? Measuring reliability is important. But not nearly as important as improving 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. Download Audio RSS Related Topics Work Within The Design Limits(Opens article in a new browser tab) The post SOR 800 What Could Go Wrong appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Changing Company Career Advice Abstract Carl and Fred discussing advice for experienced engineers who are looking to change jobs or companies. Key Points Join Carl and Fred as they discuss lessons learned on how to advance one’s career when changing companies. Topics include: Don’t be afraid to look for new positions. The best employees look to advance their careers and let their management know their goals. Where do you want to be in five years? Covey: begin with the end in mind. Helping other people is satisfying and builds networks. Volunteer for things that stretch your capabilities. When you interview, be ready to talk about STAR: Situation, Task, Action, Results Use qualifications brief, not traditional resume, emphasis on your accomplishments. Job search is automated, tailor your resume to the job you are looking for and be sure to include key words. Study the industry you are looking to enter, be prepared for interview questions that specifically relate to the industry. Use networking to open doors. Go to conferences and network, learn about different industries. Don’t network merely to find a job, network to learn about other industries and how people solve problems. When interviewing, focus on what you can do to help the company, not on what the company can do to help you. Work to get lots of interviews, and lots of offers. Don’t embellish your resume, always be honest about your accomplishments and history. Practice your “two minute speech,” why you want the job, what you can contribute. Make it genuine and passionate. Don’t change jobs too often. 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 Here is a link to an article about the STAR system for recruiting that was mentioned in the podcast. Understanding the STAR Interview Format (indeed.com) Related Topics SOR 798 Inside Company Career Advice(Opens podcast in a new browser tab) The post SOR 799 Changing Company Career Advice appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Inside Company Career Advice Abstract Carl and Fred talking about their experiences in their own careers and advices for others in developing and taking advantage of career opportunities within a company. Key Points Join Carl and Fred as they discuss the most important lessons when advancing careers. This podcast will talk about career advancement inside a company. The next podcast will share lessons and experience when changing jobs outside of a company. Topics include: Lessons for advancing your career, if new on the job. Lessons for advancing your career, if you have been on the job for a while. Doing more than anticipated, especially from a quality and value standpoint. Make sure you understand what people want and then deliver what they want in addition to adding value. Find the right balance when marketing yourself; do good work and make sure people are aware of your work. Become the “go to” person for help and advice. Help other people be successful. Spend at least 10% of your time improving your knowledge and skills (Covey calls it “sharpen the saw”). Work across silos and make pathways that integrate your work with other departments. Be willing to work out of your comfort zone. Always be looking for your next job; always prepare for your next job. If you see something that needs improvement, don’t wait, just do it. Evolve your role to be more effective. Build relations across the organization. Find a good mentor to help you become more valuable. When you have a mentor, listen and follow advice. Let management know what you want to do in your career. You are in charge of your own career. Reliability engineers need to dedicate time to work on communication skills. 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 Related Topics SOR 799 Changing Company Career Advice(Opens podcast in a new browser tab) The post SOR 798 Inside Company Career Advice appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Data and Automation of Analysis Abstract Kirk and Fred discussing the use of current buzzwords in the field of reliability,  the use of software data Failure Reporting and Corrective Action Systems (FRACAS) and how many reliability professionals jump to software automation to analyze reliability issues. Key Points Join Kirk and Fred as they discuss how when it comes to understanding reliability you must understand the basic physical causes of failure through empirical failure analysis. Topics include: Some would promote that the software analysis of field failure data may give a better graphically illustration of the extent and distribution of a problem, but in most cases failures can be understood with FA of a very small sample. A pretty graph may not add much to solving the problem. Understanding where and why the failure data is gathered on manufacturing lots and dates may help identify a regional, it may identify a problem with a regions pour power distributions or special environmental conditions but sometimes may not have a correlation at all. Electronics used in a Seaside environment have a much higher failures due to corrosion. Reliability Engineers many times want to jump to models rather than go examine failed systems from warranty returns, and actually take systems apart to isolate and understand what physical mechanisms cause the system to stop working. An advantage of finding the failure cause and repairing capital equipment on site is being able to develop a new relationship with the customer and re-sell the customer the reliability of the system after they have lost faith in its reliability due to the failure. 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 Show Notes You can now purchase the 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. Related Topics SOR 239 Automation, Reliability, in a Factory Setting(Opens podcast in a new browser tab) The post SOR 797 Data and Automation of Analysis appeared first on Accendo Reliability.

Very Long Term Storage Question Abstract Kirk and Fred discussing how to determine reliability for an LED device that needs to be operational after 250 years storage. Key Points Join Kirk and Fred as they discuss a question he had about how to determine what physical changes that may cause failure of an LED after being stored for 250 years. Topics include: Possible diffusion of dopants in the silicon P/N junction, the heart of LED is a possible failure mechanism, but semiconductors have only existed for 70 years, and semiconductor fabrication technology has changed significantly during that period. There may be other mechanisms that cause failure through intrinsic aging changes in the assembly and supporting power or operational circuits. Most likely today’s technology will be very historically obsolete be hundreds of years and difficult to imagine how a civilization would be able to operate a device, as we see today with VHS tape video recorders which today are a rarely used obsolete 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 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. Related Topics SOR 812 Storage of Test Parts(Opens podcast in a new browser tab) The post SOR 796 Very Long Term Storage Question appeared first on Accendo Reliability.