Environmental Stress Screening Research Articles

Environmental stress screening strategies for multi-component systems with Weibull failure-times and imperfect failure detection : EDWARD A. POHL and DUANE L. DIETRICH. Proceedings of the Annual IEEE Reliability and Maintainablity Symposium, 223 (1995)

Environmental stress screening strategies for multi-component systems with Weibull failure-times and imperfect failure detection : EDWARD A. POHL and DUANE L. DIETRICH. Proceedings of the Annual IEEE Reliability and Maintainablity Symposium, 223 (1995)

Environmental Stress Screening for a Massively Parallel Vision Computer

A massively parallel vision computer system was having serious field reliability problems associated with CMOS Programmable Logic Array. The manufacturer's existing ESS program was ineffective for removing the product defects. The supplier of the devices was unable to identify the failure mechanism. The root cause of the problem was assumed based on the information from parts of similar technology. An ESS program was developed using available equipment and resources. The ESS process reduced field returns from a high of 45 percent to less than 1 percent. Quiescent current screening was developed and implemented as part of a part-level screening process. Long-term corrective actions were identified, and the system level screening process was further improved to reduce cost and increase effectiveness.

Planning environmental stress-screening based on DOD-HDBK-344 — A case study

Environmental stress screening (ESS) has been extensively used as a technique to improve electronic equipment reliability in the field by subjecting the equipment to temperature cycling, vibration and other environmental stresses during the manufacturing process. There are standards for ESS planning available. However, there are difficulties in establishing an optimum ESS regimen when using these standards for ESS planning. This paper intends to discuss these problems and at the same time, suggests a possible approach. The approach is illustrated by the development of an ESS program for a real life electronic system. The approach is especially suited for small-scale production for which opportunity for reiteration is reduced and hence, ESS has to be carefully designed from the beginning.

Environmental stress screening strategies for complex systems: A 3-level mixed distribution model

Environmental Stress Screening (ESS) is employed to reduce, if not eliminate, the occurrence of early field failures. In this paper, a three level ESS model is presented for a complex electronic system. Screening is performed at the component, board and system level. Components are screened for a specified duration before being assembled into printed circuit boards (PCBs). Defects introduced during the assembly of the PCBs are screened at the board level, while defects introduced during final assembly are screened at the system level. Components and connections are assumed to come from good and substandard populations and their times-to-failure distributions are modeled by mixed distributions. Mixed exponential distributions are used to model component timesto-failure and mixed Weibull distributions are used to model the times-to failure for board and system level connections. The mixed Weibull distributions are used to model wear-out characteristics at the board and system level. Optimal screen durations in the presence of wear-out are obtained by minimizing the systems life-cycle cost. ESS is shown to be a cost effective strategy when properly implemented. The optimal screening strategies are shown to be relatively robust to the system warranty period.

The ESS Muddle: Physics vs. Relics

This paper examines the history and evolution of environmental stress screening (ESS) to show how uncoordinated initiatives from each military service contributed to the current state of array in the ESS community. The lack of a common vision for ESS is examined as a continuing handicap in efforts to integrate ESS more fully into the hardware development process. Common areas of confusion regarding effective ESS procedures and facilities are discussed, including: temperature air change rate vs. hardware thermal response; the number of vibration axes needed; simultaneous vibration in combined axes vs. sequential vibration in each; and pneumatic vs. electrodynamic vibration facilities. A "checklist" of considerations to apply in developing a successful ESS program is presented. The June, 1994, DoD initiative regarding possible elimination or replacement of military specifications and standards with commercial standards is reviewed with respect to ESS.

A new framework for part failure-rate prediction models

This paper presents a framework for developing part failure-rate models. It is a partial result of an effort sponsored by the US Air Force for the development of reliability prediction models for military avionics. Published data show that the existing reliability prediction methods fall far short of providing the required accuracy. One of the problems in the existing methods is the exclusion of critical factors. The new framework is based on the premise that essentially all failures are caused by the interactions of built-in flaws, failure mechanisms, and stresses. These three ingredients contribute to form the failure distribution which are functions of stress application duration (eg, aging time), number of thermal cycles, and vibration duration. The Weibull distribution has been selected as the general distribution. The distribution is then modified by the critical factors such as flaw quantities, effects of environmental stress screening, calendar-time reliability improvements, and vendor quality differences, to provide the part failure-rate functions. To provide credibility for the framework, only well published data and information have been used. >

Decision modeling for thermal stress screening of commercial electronics

Thermal stress screening (TSS) (a form of environmental stress screening) is being utilized at an increasing rate in the commericial industry. As a result, improvements in the useful life of electronic devices are being realigned. Unfortunately, manufacturing engineers are not well trained, nor do they have the tools necessary to make decisions assuring cost-effective commercial integration of TSS. We propose a decision approach and a cost modeling framework for use in evaluation and justification of TSS in commercial electronics.

A 2-level environmental-stress-screening (ESS) model: a mixed-distribution approach

Environmental stress screening (ESS) is used to reduce, if not eliminate, the occurrence of some types of failures from the field by fixing them before the product is deployed. This paper models a 2-level ESS program where screening is performed at the part and unit levels. The parts are screened for a specified duration before being assembled into a unit. Defects induced during the assembly process are screened at the unit level. These parts and connections are assumed to come from either a good or a substandard population, and their times-to-failure distributions are modeled by mixed distributions. The optimal screening durations are obtained by minimizing the life-cycle cost. The model is simple to use and its viability is illustrated using mixed exponential distributions. The implementation of screens at various levels depends on costs and failure distribution characteristics. >

A bayesian approach to environmental stress screening

The article presents a Bayesian analysis for the environmental stress screening problem. The decision problem of deriving optimal stress screen durations is solved. Given a screen duration, the optimal stress level can also be determined. Indicators of the quality of a screen of any duration are derived. A statistical model is presented which allows a posterior density for the rate of early failures of the production process to be calculated. This enables the user to update his opinion about the quality of the process. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

A Formulation of Product Reliability Through Environmental Stress Testing and Screening

Although hard defects may be detectable in factory tests, weak products may exhibit failures or degrade only under certain stress conditions. Without stress testing, these weak products may be shipped to customers and cause early failures in the field. These failures usually come from product weaknesses resulting in the presence of weak populations and the lower end of a broad main population for the product strength distribution. The requirements of the product strength distribution are determined by the reliability criteria and by the distribution of the lifetime maximum stress of the product. Environmental stress testing (EST), which includes corrective actions, aims at eliminating product weaknesses to achieve robustness. Enviromental stres screening (ESS) may augment EST, but is applicable only under certain conditions. Its applicablity also depends on whether the dominating failure may be stimulated by threshold stress, cumulative stresses, or their combination.

AGE-AND-TEST PROCEDURES FOR TRUE RELIABILITY IMPROVEMENT: FEASIBILITY AND ECONOMIC JUSTIFICATION

Abstract Manufacturers use a variety of age-and-test procedures, such as device burn-in and environmental stress screening, for purposes beyond that of simply ensuring that a product meets its functional specifications. These procedures were originally employed because many products have decreasing failure rate functions, and therefore products shipped after screening exhibit improved reliability. However, recent emphasis on quality and reliability has expanded the scope of age-and-test to a process for the early identification of the root causes of failure, leading to corrective action and true reliability improvement. We investigate the necessary and sufficient conditions on the failure distribution for the feasibility of using age-and-test as a means for providing ac curate identification of long term reliability problems. A study is presented that indicates the necessary conditions hold and die procedure is in fact feasible. In order to provide a means for the economic justification of age-and-test, we develop a cost-benefit model for general age-and-test procedures that includes the benefits from both screening and the early eradication of the root causes of failure.

An Updated Overview of: Environmental Stress Screening Standards and Documents for Electronic Assemblies

Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Hank Caruso; An Updated Overview of: Environmental Stress Screening Standards and Documents for Electronic Assemblies. Journal of the IEST 1 March 1992; 35 (2): 49–63. doi: https://doi.org/10.17764/jiet.2.35.2.yr47080nh5704100 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest Search

Cost-Effectiveness of Environmental Stress Screening (ESS): A Case History

AFLC Regulation 74-25 requires that all newly manufactured electronic hardware be exposed to an environmental stress screening (ESS) program. ESS is often viewed as "just another reliability program." However, the return on investment (ROI) and increased reliability that resulted from screening 20 circuit cards emphasized the need for ESS in Air Force applications at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center.

Solution and mechanical mixing of metal powder and polymeric binder compared: J.W. O'Connor et al, (Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst, Troy, New York, USA)

Customers of high-technology industrial process control instrumentation systems are demanding that these systems provide enhanced functionality, features, and flexibility. Examples are: an integrated system with a distributed architecture, user-friendly configuration and reconfiguration control and monitoring from an operator's console, supervisory and optimizing contiol through the use of Computer Interfacing, trend and other historical recording, built-in diagnostics and error message handling, and other Management Information Systems capabilities.Customers are also demanding that these systems give improved performance, including reliability, maintainability, and availability (RMA). To ensure that these RMA performance characteristics are met during the design, development, manufacture, and deployment (use) of the equipment requires Reliability, Quality Control, and Quality Assurance Programs be put in place. The Design and Development Program must include redundancy and back-up operating modes for any critical functions, methods of operating around any single, critical hardware failure (this may include software methods) and, in cases of critical control loops, the back-up operating modes also need to include continuous automatic control even for the unusual case of the operator losing all communication to the control process instrumentation. This also would need to allow repair by replacement of the local primary Controllers while operating online in a back-up mode. These capabilities plus built-in diagnostics will improve maintainability, reduce downtimes, and thereby improve availability.Improving reliability will then reduce required maintenance actions, which will also improve availability. The entire Reliability Program is aimed at assuring and improving reliability. The Reliability Program includes the following major parts:Component QualificationsIC Screening to the Equivalent of MIL-STD-883 Quality Level B-2Component Design Derating RequirementsDesign Reviews, including Stress and Application AnalysesHardware and Software Reliability Growth TestingThe Reliability Growth Testing consists of:Board Level TestingSubsystem TestingSoftware Integration TestingSystem Functional and Hardware TestingThis paper describes the Reliability Growth Testing that has taken place for the Taylor™ MOD 300™ System product line, the advantages that are being experienced from that testing for that 3rd-generation microprocessor-based control instrumentation equipment, and also some of the improvement results. In the manufacturing area the expected results of getting further Reliability Growth (reducing infant mortality failures from getting into the field) by applying an all-equipment Environmental Stress Screening (consisting of a powered and monitored temperature cycling test) is also described.

Cost effective production of metal injection moulded parts: R.C. Drewes, (Advanced Forming Technologies Inc, Longmont, Colorado, USA)

Customers of high-technology industrial process control instrumentation systems are demanding that these systems provide enhanced functionality, features, and flexibility. Examples are: an integrated system with a distributed architecture, user-friendly configuration and reconfiguration control and monitoring from an operator's console, supervisory and optimizing contiol through the use of Computer Interfacing, trend and other historical recording, built-in diagnostics and error message handling, and other Management Information Systems capabilities.Customers are also demanding that these systems give improved performance, including reliability, maintainability, and availability (RMA). To ensure that these RMA performance characteristics are met during the design, development, manufacture, and deployment (use) of the equipment requires Reliability, Quality Control, and Quality Assurance Programs be put in place. The Design and Development Program must include redundancy and back-up operating modes for any critical functions, methods of operating around any single, critical hardware failure (this may include software methods) and, in cases of critical control loops, the back-up operating modes also need to include continuous automatic control even for the unusual case of the operator losing all communication to the control process instrumentation. This also would need to allow repair by replacement of the local primary Controllers while operating online in a back-up mode. These capabilities plus built-in diagnostics will improve maintainability, reduce downtimes, and thereby improve availability.Improving reliability will then reduce required maintenance actions, which will also improve availability. The entire Reliability Program is aimed at assuring and improving reliability. The Reliability Program includes the following major parts:Component QualificationsIC Screening to the Equivalent of MIL-STD-883 Quality Level B-2Component Design Derating RequirementsDesign Reviews, including Stress and Application AnalysesHardware and Software Reliability Growth TestingThe Reliability Growth Testing consists of:Board Level TestingSubsystem TestingSoftware Integration TestingSystem Functional and Hardware TestingThis paper describes the Reliability Growth Testing that has taken place for the Taylor™ MOD 300™ System product line, the advantages that are being experienced from that testing for that 3rd-generation microprocessor-based control instrumentation equipment, and also some of the improvement results. In the manufacturing area the expected results of getting further Reliability Growth (reducing infant mortality failures from getting into the field) by applying an all-equipment Environmental Stress Screening (consisting of a powered and monitored temperature cycling test) is also described.

Topography measurement of porous surfaces: P. Kjelsteen, (Danfoss AS, Nordborg, Denmark)

Customers of high-technology industrial process control instrumentation systems are demanding that these systems provide enhanced functionality, features, and flexibility. Examples are: an integrated system with a distributed architecture, user-friendly configuration and reconfiguration control and monitoring from an operator's console, supervisory and optimizing contiol through the use of Computer Interfacing, trend and other historical recording, built-in diagnostics and error message handling, and other Management Information Systems capabilities.Customers are also demanding that these systems give improved performance, including reliability, maintainability, and availability (RMA). To ensure that these RMA performance characteristics are met during the design, development, manufacture, and deployment (use) of the equipment requires Reliability, Quality Control, and Quality Assurance Programs be put in place. The Design and Development Program must include redundancy and back-up operating modes for any critical functions, methods of operating around any single, critical hardware failure (this may include software methods) and, in cases of critical control loops, the back-up operating modes also need to include continuous automatic control even for the unusual case of the operator losing all communication to the control process instrumentation. This also would need to allow repair by replacement of the local primary Controllers while operating online in a back-up mode. These capabilities plus built-in diagnostics will improve maintainability, reduce downtimes, and thereby improve availability.Improving reliability will then reduce required maintenance actions, which will also improve availability. The entire Reliability Program is aimed at assuring and improving reliability. The Reliability Program includes the following major parts:Component QualificationsIC Screening to the Equivalent of MIL-STD-883 Quality Level B-2Component Design Derating RequirementsDesign Reviews, including Stress and Application AnalysesHardware and Software Reliability Growth TestingThe Reliability Growth Testing consists of:Board Level TestingSubsystem TestingSoftware Integration TestingSystem Functional and Hardware TestingThis paper describes the Reliability Growth Testing that has taken place for the Taylor™ MOD 300™ System product line, the advantages that are being experienced from that testing for that 3rd-generation microprocessor-based control instrumentation equipment, and also some of the improvement results. In the manufacturing area the expected results of getting further Reliability Growth (reducing infant mortality failures from getting into the field) by applying an all-equipment Environmental Stress Screening (consisting of a powered and monitored temperature cycling test) is also described.

Classical and Bayes approaches to environmental stress screening (ESS): a comparison : Richard E. Barlow, Igor Bazovsky Sr and Sergio Wechsler. Proc. A. Reliab. Maintainab. Symp., 81 (1990)

Classical and Bayes approaches to environmental stress screening (ESS): a comparison : Richard E. Barlow, Igor Bazovsky Sr and Sergio Wechsler. Proc. A. Reliab. Maintainab. Symp., 81 (1990)

Demonstrating reliability and reliability growth with environmental stress screening data : Kam L. Wong. Proc. A. Reliab. Maintainab. Symp., 47 (1990)

Demonstrating reliability and reliability growth with environmental stress screening data : Kam L. Wong. Proc. A. Reliab. Maintainab. Symp., 47 (1990)

Stress Screening of Electronic Modules: An Investigation of the Effects of Temperature Rate of Change

A study was conducted to investigate the effects of temperature rate of change on the environmental stress screening (ESS) of printed wiring assemblies (PWA). The related effects of chamber air velocity and temperature dwell time on module temperature response also were evaluated. Tests were conducted to investigate the effects of varying thermal cycling parameter levels. The effects of various chamber air temperature rates of change and velocity levels on the temperature responses of two vastly different PWAs were measured. A thermal cycling analysis of a PWA of the same construction as one of the two PWAs tested in the present investigation also was performed. Results from a portion of the test were compared with the analytical predictions.

Executive Panel Discussion on ESS: 5th National Conference and Workshop on Environmental Stress Screening of Electronic Hardware

Executive Panel Discussion on ESS: 5th National Conference and Workshop on Environmental Stress Screening of Electronic Hardware