reliability test Archives - Quality During Design

Next Steps after Surprising Test Results

We use test to learn more about the product in order to make design decisions. What do we do when we get surprising test results?

Choose Reliability Goals for Modules

We have a reliability target for our system. But we’re not meeting it. To avoid this scenario, what is something we can do in early development? When we’re figuring out our concept, we can better learn about our options. We can work with Reliability Engineers to understand what we know, the risk in what we…

Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Supplements Test

Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is not a substitute for product test. It can be used as a supplement to design and test. We talk about when to work with Quality Engineers and Reliability Engineers for next steps.

ALT vs. HALT

Reliability engineers may suggest environmental stress tests. There are many types of tests in an RE’s toolbox. We compare two types of commonly known tests that are used for design: ALT vs. HALT. What are the important distinctions between these two methods? What value do they each bring to design engineering? And how do they…

HALT! Watch out for that weakest link.

HALT (Highly Accelerated Life Test) uses the weakest link mentality. We apply stresses beyond what our designs would normally see in the environment to make something fail. It’s meant to be an iterative test program where you are testing, analyzing the results, determining the root cause, fixing the design, and then testing it, again.

This blog reveals more about its roots, why you should perform HALT (or not), when in the design process it’s best (hint: really early), and who likely needs to be involved. Also understand how HALT is different from ALT.