Why Your Business Can't Afford to Ignore Reliability Testing.

The key difference between reliability testing and quality control (QC) lies in their focus and timeline. QC is typically a production-focused activity that asks, "Did we build the product correctly according to the specifications?" It's a snapshot in time, usually at the end of the manufacturing line. Reliability testing, on the other hand, is a design and engineering-focused activity that asks, "Did we design the product correctly to survive its expected lifetime?" It uses reliability testing equipment to project performance far into the future. For example, a QC test might check if a phone turns on, while a reliability test would put the phone in a chamber for 500 hours of heat and humidity to see if it still turns on, simulating years of use.

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.

Reliability testing is a critical component of a successful New Product Introduction (NPI) process. During the early design and prototyping phases, reliability testing equipment is used to perform discovery testing (like HALT) to quickly identify the weakest points in the new design. This allows engineers to make improvements when the cost of change is lowest. As the design matures, the equipment is used for design verification testing (DVT), where the product is tested against its specified reliability goals to ensure it is ready for launch. Finally, during initial production, ongoing reliability testing (ORT) is performed on a sample of products to ensure that the manufacturing process is stable and that the product's reliability has not drifted. Integrating reliability testing equipment throughout the NPI cycle is the best way to ensure a smooth, successful product launch and avoid costly post-launch failures.

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.