Defined Environment
Abstract
Kirk and Fred discuss that customers may use their products, such as washing machines, in more stressful environments than the design specifies or recommends.
Alternatives to a Long ALT
Alternatives to a Long ALT
podcast episode with speaker Fred Schenkelberg
Life testing a product or component, at times, involves months and months of testing. Even accelerated life testing can take a long time, given the limitation on our ability to cause the proper acceleration for meaningful results. So, what is one to do if waiting 3 months for test results is unacceptable?
Let’s explore a few alternatives along with the pros and cons. We examine using our knowledge and the knowledge of others to streamline the testing or avoid it altogether. We also need to consider why we need to estimate life in the first place. Sometimes, estimating the life of something is not all that useful or valuable. [Read more…]
RM 160: Opportunities and Challenges within the EV Industry
Opportunities and Challenges within the EV Industry
Today, we’re diving into one of the most transformative innovations of our time: electric vehicles and the vast infrastructure needed to support their growth.
Joining us is Brian O’Leary, Global Head of of e-Mobility & Infrastructure at Indium Corporation, a leading expert with deep insights into the electronic assembly industry and its critical role in the EV revolution.
As electric vehicles continue to redefine the future of transportation, the reliability and scalability of the infrastructure that powers them—particularly public EV charging stations—have become pivotal challenges.
The electronic assembly industry is at the heart of these systems, from the semiconductors enabling fast charging to the sensors ensuring safe and efficient operation. However, with nearly 26% of public EV charging stations estimated to be non-functional at any given time, reliability remains a significant hurdle.
This episode will explore the major reliability issues plaguing public EV charging stations, including power instability, component failures, and environmental challenges.
How innovations in electronics design and assembly can address these challenges, from improving thermal management to leveraging advanced materials like those developed by soldering materials manufacturers.
The exciting opportunities for the electronics industry to lead the charge in building a more resilient, reliable, and efficient EV infrastructure.
Brian O’Leary brings a wealth of knowledge on how advanced materials, smart assembly techniques, and innovative designs can solve these pressing issues and accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles.
Together, we’ll review the technical challenges, explore solutions, and look ahead to the bright future of electric mobility.
Brian O’Leary’s Contact Info:
boleary@indium.com
https://www.indium.com
SOR 1035 Lasting Just Long Enough
Lasting Just Long Enough
Abstract
Kirk and Fred discuss the subject of reliability and how appliance manufacturing companies may design for a limited life in order to sell new models.
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QDD 160 The Mighty Power of Mini Reports
The Mighty Power of Mini Reports
When you perform analysis and share it with others to make a decision, do you sometimes just send the file with a blurb in an email? Only to not quite remember what you did later, when you need it most.
There’s a simple, relatively fast thing to do: a Mini Report. And it provides so much more than just jogging a memory.
Mini reports are a valuable tool for communication in engineering. By using them, engineers can enhance team collaboration, streamline decision-making, and provide mentorship opportunities to junior colleagues.
We talk about:
- Importance of maintaining records for future reference
- How mini reports improve team communication
- Elements every mini report should contain
- Benefits of organized documentation for teams
- Role of mini reports in mentoring junior engineers
- Potential for using mini reports in professional presentations
SOR 1034 Make it Less Robust
Make it Less Robust
Abstract
Dianna and Fred discuss requests to engineers to make it less robust.
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SOR 1033 Conference Value
Conference Value
Abstract
Dianna and Fred discuss conference value: maximizing the benefits of conferences and assessing their value for participation.
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SOR 1032 Available Reliability Information
Available Reliability Information
Abstract
Chris and Fred discuss how to deal with trying to find ‘reliability characteristics’ when you don’t have a lot of information. Sound familiar?
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SOR 1031 Warranty Analysis for Repairable Systems
Warranty Analysis for Repairable Systems
Abstract
Chris and Fred discuss how we do warranty analysis … which usually means trying to understand how many things fail during a warranty period (before you need to start paying for it …) Where do you start?
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SOR 1030 Starting a Consultancy
QDD 159 Celebrating a Year of Insights
Celebrating a Year of Insights
Celebrating a year of insights and community growth, this episode reflects on key moments, popular episodes, and the future direction of the Quality During Design podcast.
2024 included episodes focused on actionable insights, deep-dive series, expert interviews, and insightful book reviews.
With gratitude for listeners and a commitment to quality, we look ahead to new topics and collaborations for 2025.
RM 159: 2024 Season Wrap-Up of the Reliability Matters Podcast
2024 Season Wrap-Up of the Reliability Matters Podcast
Today we’re celebrating the end of another incredible year.
This isn’t just any episode—it’s a time to reflect on the journey we’ve been on together, highlight some milestones, and share a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has made this podcast such a success. Can you believe it?
Reliability Matters has now released 159 episodes! It feels like just yesterday we started this podcast with the mission to explore how industry experts and their knowledge contribute to the reliability of electronics. And here we are—growing, learning, and making a real impact in our field.
But here’s what blows me away the most: over 85,000 downloads. That’s not just a number—it’s a testament to you, our amazing audience.
Whether you’re listening in your car or on your morning jog, or watching this on our YouTube channel, you’ve made this podcast part of your journey. And for that, I’m deeply grateful.
This year alone, we’ve covered some fascinating topics. From ultra-high-density interconnects to post-reflow inspection, from thermal profiling to cutting-edge coating materials—we’ve explored it all. Along the way, I’ve had the privilege of sitting down with some of the brightest minds in the electronics industry.
Each guest has brought their unique insights, helping us all better understand the intricate science and art behind building reliable electronics.
To my incredible guests—thank you. Your willingness to share your expertise, stories, and even a few laughs has been the lifeblood of this podcast. Every episode is a reflection of your generosity and brilliance.
I also want to give a shout-out to you—yes, you. Whether you’re a long-time listener or you just discovered us this year, you’re the reason I do this. The messages, the comments, the emails—it’s all so inspiring. When you tell me how a particular episode helped solve a problem, spark a new idea, or simply make your day better, it reminds me why Reliability Matters matters.
As we wrap up the year, I’m reminded of something I say often on this show: reliability isn’t just a goal; it’s a journey. It’s a series of choices, processes, and innovations that, together, ensure the technology we rely on lives up to its promise.
And this podcast? It’s a part of that journey. It’s a space where we can learn together, challenge assumptions, and stay ahead of the curve in an ever-evolving industry.
Mike Konrad’s Contact Info:
mike@mikekonrad.com
https://www.reliabilitymatterspodcast.com
SOR 1029 Thermal HALT
Thermal HALT
Abstract
Kirk and Fred discuss a paper Kirk wrote about how thermal HALT can be a tool for finding marginal signal integrity issues.
Key Points
Join Kirk and Fred as they discuss Kirk’s paper on the use of thermal HALT, initially posted on Kirk’s website, acceleratedreliabilitysolutions.com, in 2018, and a re-edited version that Fred recently posted on Accendo Reliability’s website. You can find a link to the article in the show notes below.
Topics include:
- Kirk found little when he researched for information and data about how the physical electronics, especially the PWBA (printed wiring board assemblies) in high-speed digital systems, the variations in the board layers, and the surface roughness of the wiring traces affect the quality of the signal integrity (SI).
- As data bus speeds increase, effects causing errors in data transmission that were not significant at the time (when bus frequencies were in the megahertz range) became dominant at the gigahertz frequencies of today’s digital systems. Interconnect resistance, capacitance, and inductance are frequency-dependent, and as bus speeds increase and geometries continue to shrink, these variables may prove difficult– if not impossible– to model accurately.
- Thermal HALT and varying voltage and clock margins may simulate the lot-to-lot parametric variations in semiconductors and PWBA’s, resulting in SI errors, but since few companies disclose their most useful methodologies, published data remains scarce
SOR 1028 Dealing with Ongoing Changes
Dealing with Ongoing Changes
Abstract
Kirk and Fred discuss the challenge of adding changes to a product during the development process so that they can design and build the prototypes.
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SOR 1027 Executing the Plan
Executing the Plan
Abstract
Carl and Fred continue discussing the listener question about building an effective reliability program. After discussing some of the finer points about creating the reliability plan, the podcast focuses on execution of the reliability plan.
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