A C-Suite Guide to the ROI of Reliability Testing Equipment.

In a modern reliability lab, the software that controls the reliability testing equipment and manages the resulting data is just as important as the hardware itself. Advanced control software, like that offered by WBE, allows engineers to easily program complex, multi-step test profiles and monitor the equipment's status remotely. This improves lab efficiency and ensures tests are run accurately and repeatably. Just as critically, the ability to centralize and analyze test data is key. Modern lab management software can collect data from various pieces of reliability testing equipment, track the status of different test projects, and generate comprehensive reports. This data-driven approach allows managers to spot trends, compare the reliability of different design iterations, and maintain a complete, auditable history of a product's validation process, turning raw test results into valuable business intelligence.

Using reliability testing equipment effectively often means testing to established industry standards to ensure consistency and comparability. For the electronics industry, standards from JEDEC (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council) are crucial, covering everything from temperature cycling (JESD22-A104) to highly accelerated stress testing (JESD22-A110). The IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) provides broad standards for environmental testing, such as the IEC 60068 series. For military and aerospace applications, MIL-STD-810 is the comprehensive standard for environmental engineering considerations and laboratory tests, covering a vast range of stresses. Automotive companies often use ISO standards, like ISO 16750, which details environmental testing for electrical and electronic equipment in road vehicles. WBE designs its reliability testing equipment to be fully capable of executing the test profiles required by these and many other international standards.

Accelerated life testing uses reliability testing equipment to speed up the aging process. One key type is accelerated temperature and humidity testing, often using a "85/85" test (85°C and 85% relative humidity) to accelerate failures in electronics caused by heat and moisture. Another is accelerated thermal cycling, performed in a rapid rate chamber, which stresses components through rapid expansion and contraction to find fatigue-related failures. Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT) is a more aggressive method where a product is stressed far beyond its operating limits until it fails, with the goal of quickly finding the weakest links in the design. Finally, accelerated vibration testing uses high-intensity vibration to simulate a lifetime of transport and operational stress in a matter of hours. WBE provides the equipment needed to perform all these critical accelerated tests.

Reliability testing equipment is a family of machines designed to simulate a wide range of real-world and accelerated stresses. The most prominent category is environmental testing equipment, which includes temperature and humidity chambers, thermal shock chambers, rapid rate temperature chambers, and salt spray chambers for corrosion tests. The second major category is mechanical testing equipment, which assesses physical durability. This includes universal testing machines for tensile and compression strength, vibration test systems (shakers) to simulate transport and operational vibration, and shock testing machines. For specific industries like electronics, this also includes specialized tools like push-pull bond testers. A comprehensive reliability lab, like one equipped by WBE, will have a mix of these systems to get a complete picture of a product's long-term durability.