Ongoing Reliability Testing (ORT)

Ongoing Reliability Testing is performed to monitor product reliability throughout manufacturing. A comprehensive ORT will provide ongoing life data for the product, along with advance warning of dangerous shifts in manufacturing quality.

Comprehensive Test Plan

A comprehensive test plan that ties all aspects of ORT together is essential to ensure that test performed are repeatable, acceptable, and provide useful data for accept and reject conditions. Testing should be performed in a sequence, and in conjunction with a well defined FRACAS.

The following steps are included in an ORT plan:

• ORT Planning
  • Sample size and plan.
  • Define the reliability goal.
  • Define functional tests to conduct.
  • Define Environmental testing to conduct.
    • Define acceleration and confidence levels.
    • Define acceptable life data

Determining Test Types and Failure Characterization

HALT & HASS Consulting will determine which tests to conduct, and how each result should be judged. Specifying failure modes for each test wil ensure that any failures identified are efficiently characterized and put into a corrective action process. Test types that may be used include:

• Functional operation tests.
  • Typically more complex than standard production test processes.
• Pre conditioning of samples.
  • Either temperature, power cycling, or voltage margining.
• Specification check.
  • Determine whether samples meet development specifications.
  • Consider audio, visual, life data, and product specific information.
• Electro Static Discharge.
  • Test units to ensure ESD does not effect unit functionality.
• Environmental Test.
  • Thermal, humidity, altitude testing to gather life data.
• Cosmetic Inspection.
  • Check for scratches, poorly fitted mechanical assembly, labelling, etc.
• Tear down inspection.
  • The product is dis-assembled methodically.
    • Check for torque settings on fasteners.
    • Check for soldering issues.
    • Check stamping requirement.
• RoHS Check
  • Scan circuit for traces of banned substances.

Approximate Cost

Costs for implementing an ORT program vary according to your requirements, and unit types. For general equipment there are usually two scenarios:

• ORT Plan:
  • NZ$500 - 2,000+
  • Includes tests, sample sizes, failure characterization, acceleration models and basic FRACAS
• Result Monitoring and Management:
  • NZ$300 - 1,000+ per month.
• Dependant upon sample quantity and customer reporting requirements.