ELECTRONIC POWER CONVERSION RELIABILITY

From Point-of-Load (POL) modules to Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS), electronic components are subjected to stresses that result in long-term reliability issues.  Using industry standard design guidelines and lessons learned combined with electrical and mechanical stress analysis, we help identify and reduce these stressors or design margins increased in order to guarantee long term reliability of the products.  This will reduce time-to-market by identifying issues early in the design phase of the project.

DESIGN GUIDANCE - DF(X)

DF(x) - Design for Reliability, Design for Manufacturability and Design for Testability are concept used in the new product introduction (NPI) process which are key to ensuring high quality, reliable products which reduces the lead time to product introduction and ensures that a design meets the cost objectives.   We work with development teams to understand these concepts and use them during the NPI phase of any project.

Failure Analysis

Detailed failure analysis is a critical part of determining root cause of failure and developing effective corrective actions and implementing preventative measures.  We follow the 8 Discipline approach in conducting product failure analysis where we do not subscribe to the catch all phrase "Electrical Over Stress (EOS)."  Identifying the stressors which exacerbated an over stress of an electronic component is an art which we have developed through many years of investigative root cause analysis and in 99.5% of the cases we are able to identify the root cause and recommend a conclusive corrective action.

Solder joint reliability

Solder joints fatigue as a result of thermal excursions leading to long term reliability issues.  We have studied these phenomena and can provide guidance on extending the life of solder joints, especially those associated with SMT and leadless component packages.

DESIGN REVIEW

The cost of identifying and correcting an issue increases by an order of magnitude as the discovery moves from the design to the manufacturing to the customer.  A rigorous design review (mechanical, thermal, electrical) process will ensure that any design oversight is captured early in the development phase and avoid costly "fixes down the road".   We conduct these reviews with rigor and assist in developing mitigation plans.  This will reduce time-to-market by identifying issues early in the design phase of the project.

COMPONENT ENGINEERING AND SUPPLIER MANAGEMENT

Selecting the appropriate supply base which meets the technology needs for engineering and cost objectives for sourcing is balancing act of a number of critical tradeoffs.  Qualification and Surveillance of suppliers as well as characterization of component and understanding component manufacturing technology and manufacturer's capabilities is necessary to ensure long term reliability of the products is not compromised.  Our expertise will provide our clients with the necessary tools to ensure that component and supplier quality and reliability are consistently met throughout the lifetime of the products.  We can also work with your organization to qualify new suppliers as well as performing surveillance audits.

Field RISK Assessment

if a product field failure occurs, we look at factory test history and failure analysis data to identify any trend that may have been missed during the design/early manufacturing of the product.  In addition, we involve the end user in fully explaining the conditions of failure in order to determine the risk of additional field failures.  If necessary, we recommend accelerated testing to exacerbate the stressors identified during the understanding of conditions of failure.  A risk assessment is then provided with recommendations for potential field actions.

ELECTRONIC COMPONENT PHYSICS OF FAILURE

Understanding how and why electronic components fail is key to having a robust design that leads to lower costs in manufacturing and warranty.  We have been studying these failure modes and have developed a set of design guidelines which mitigate the propensity of unexpected field issues.  Should a field issue occurs, our expertise can resolve it and provide cost effective mitigation and recommend necessary field action to minimize exposure.

COUNTERFEIT COMPONENT IDENTIFICATION AND MITIGATION

If shortages occur, oftentimes we look at alternative sourcing of the components necessary to meet our build schedules.  In these situations, a rigorous counterfeit component mitigation plan is necessary to mitigate the potential of unsuspected latent field failures.  Should the need arise to pursue alternate sourcing, it is imperative that we have the proper knowledge to identify a potential counterfeit component before it enters the material stream.  We have extensive experience in counterfeit component identification and risk mitigation.

Training

We offer training ranging from basic electronics for technicians to advanced electronic component technology and failure analysis.

Some of the training courses are listed below:

• Laboratory Measurement Techniques
• Electronic Circuit Troubleshooting Techniques
• Root Cause Analysis
• 8 Discipline Problem Solving
• Electronics Reliability
• Passive Component Basics
• MOSFET Basics
• Basic Switching Circuit Topologies
• Counterfeit Component Mitigation

Please contact us for a full list of training courses and price list