Mean Shear Force Research Articles

Meat tenderness in Australian lamb: Data editing, environmental variation and their effects in genetic parameter estimation

Breeding for meat quality increases the value of lambs and requires reliable genetic parameters to achieve balanced genetic progress. Meat tenderness, accomplished by selecting for lower shear force, is an important eating quality trait because of its relationship with consumer satisfaction. Factors influencing shear force, include the pH and temperature decline post-mortem which can contribute towards higher shear force values and increased variation across contemporary groups. This study explored if genetic parameters for shear force change when post slaughter covariates and heterogeneous variance are corrected for, using data from 32,223 animals from different sheep breeds. Results showed that removing extreme individuals and contemporary groups with high mean shear force values reduced residual variance, followed by a smaller reduction in additive genetic variance and little effect on heritability. Results show that edited data performed better at predicting progeny performance and reduced potential bias introduced in the genetic evaluation due to data quality. The effect of including post-slaughter covariates in the genetic analysis was tested by estimating different model predictability through regression of estimated breeding values against offspring performance, showing that the model including hot carcass weight performed better followed by the one including both carcass weight and C-site fat depth. Our results highlight that historic and current in-plant recording practices do not provide the capacity to account for non-genetic factors associated with abattoir environment that might be impacting the ability to accurately calculate shear force breeding values. In that sense, genetic evaluation can be improved by applying more rigorous data editing.

Improving market (cull) dairy cows carcass traits and meat quality

Despite a high volume of market (cull) dairy cows entering the food chain every year, beef from market dairy cows is largely considered insignificant when compared with beef from beef cattle in the market and is widely thought to be used for ground beef only. Our study aimed to evaluate the effects of feeding dairy market cows on a lactating TMR diet before slaughter on carcass and beef quality traits. Forty-three Holstein market cows were randomly assigned into 2 treatments: Fed or Direct. Fed cows (n = 22) were dried off, then fed a lactating cow TMR ration for approximately 60 d whereas Direct cows (n = 21) were sent directly to slaughter. Hot carcass weight (HCW) was used to calculate the dressing percentage (DP) together with the animals' body weight recorded when animals left the farm to go to the abattoir. At 24h post-mortem, the rib fat thickness (RFT) and rib eye area (REA) were measured by a certified grader. Afterward, rib samples were collected between the 12th -10th ribs from one side of the carcass and divided into 5 ribeye steaks. The first steak was used for intramuscular fat (IMF) content analysis by NIRS. The other 4 steaks were then aged for 7, 14, 21, or 28 d. Following aging, the steaks available were assessed for tenderness using the Warner-Bratzler Shear Force protocol. Data were analyzed by mixed linear regression to compare experimental groups for continuous outcomes. HCW of the Fed cows was higher than the Direct cows, with a mean HCW of 408.3 kg and 326.1 kg, respectively (SE ± 9.0). Average DP in Fed cows was 49.1%, compared with 42.5% in Direct cows (SE ± 0.69). The average percentage of IMF in Fed cows was 8.1% and in Direct cows was 5.0% (SE ± 0.43). Fed cows had a mean REA of 68.1 cm2 and Direct cows had a mean of 57.7 cm2 (SE ± 11.9). No differences were found for RFT. The steaks aged for 14 d resulted in meat with a mean shear force (SF) of 4.19 kg in Fed cows, while Direct cows had a mean SF of 6.28 kg (SE ± 0.29) Feeding market dairy cows for 60 d before slaughter enhanced carcass weight and yield, IMF content, and tenderness. These results indicate that approximately 60 d of feeding can improve the quality of market dairy cow meat and may help improve market cow value.

Dynamic analysis of the umbilical cable pull-in operation through J-tube under different wave directions

Pipelines and cables are widely used for transporting oil resources in offshore oil exploitation. J-tubes are a well-known means of placing small-diameter pipeline risers and umbilical connections on offshore platforms. In this paper, OrcaFlex develops a model of an umbilical cable J-tube pull-in installation based on an umbilical cable cross section design. The hydrodynamic response to various wave directions is studied using the lumped mass method. The results show that the longitudinal waves have little effect on the maximum effective tension of the section under water. The transverse waves will cause the cable to vibrate violently in the transverse direction. The mean shear force under the wave direction of 120° is the largest, followed by 60° and 75°, and finally 90° and 105°. In addition to the hydrodynamic response data, the mechanical characteristics of the umbilical cable and the factors that should be considered in the pull-in installation of the J-tube are provided with significance for practical application of engineering.

Mechanical characterization of solder interconnections on functionalized, copper-containing polymer thick-film pastes for hybrid integration

In this work, on different substrate materials thermally cured polymer thick-film (PTF) pastes are connected to surface mount technology resistors using a SnBiAg solder alloy. The effect of substrate pre-treatment with atmospheric plasma and thermal cycling on the shear strength of these interconnections is investigated, and the shear forces obtained are graded using United States Defense Standard / Military Standard (MIL-STD) 883. In particular, the build-up of solder interconnections on conductive structures made of commercially available copper-containing PTF pastes and their mechanical characterization is novel. As well as the mechanical characterization of conductive structures, made of PTF pastes, on plasma-treated substrates and their grading using the MIL-STD 883. In addition, interconnections with silver-containing conductive structures are realized for comparison. Depending on the interconnection system, component mean shear forces of up to 31 N are achieved. While some systems meet the 1.25× criterion of MIL-STD 883, the majority of the systems investigated do not meet the 1.00× criterion. Hereby, the adhesion between the conductive structure and the substrate usually fails. Plasma pre-treatment shows an adhesion-increasing effect only for a proportion of substrate materials used, as does thermal aging. But thermal loads can also impair the adhesive strength.

Carcass Yields and Physical-Chemical Meat Quality Characteristics of Namibian Red Hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus) as Influenced by Sex and Muscle.

This study determined the carcass yields of red hartebeest from Namibia and compared the physical-chemical meat quality characteristics of six different muscles (biceps femoris, infraspinatus, longissimus thoracis et lumborum, semimembranosus, semitendinosus, and supraspinatus) for both males and females. Red hartebeest males were heavier (133.92 kg) than females (114.20 kg) but the average dressing percentage did not differ between the two sexes. Muscles from females had a lower mean shear force value of 3.59 kg/1.27 cm ø, compared to males (4.23 kg/1.27 cm ø). The most tender muscle was the infraspinatus of the female treatment group, while the semimembranosus of the male treatment group was the least tender muscle. Drip loss, cooking loss and L* (lightness) values were not affected by sex. The largest hue angle was observed in the semitendinosus muscle of the female treatment group (28.94°), and it was thus the lightest red muscle. The highest chroma values (17.3) were observed in the semimembranosus muscle. Muscle protein content averaged 20.5% over all treatment combinations, and the mean intra-muscular fat content for both male and female muscles was low (2.4%). The shoulder muscles, infraspinatus and supraspinatus, of the females had the highest fat content (2.7%). The results indicate that red hartebeest meat should be market according to specific muscles and that sex of the animals need not be considered during marketing.

Computed Tomography Images under Optimized Iterative Reconstruction Algorithm for Blood Flow Field Characteristics in Cerebral Aneurysm before and after Stent Implantation

In order to study the analysis of blood flow field characteristics of cerebral aneurysm patients before and after stent implantation based on CT images of ART-TV-PI, this paper firstly improved the ART-TV algorithm of algebraic reconstruction technology and obtained the ART-TV-PI algorithm, which was compared with the ART algorithm and ART-TV algorithm. Afterwards, the CT images based on the above three algorithms were used to analyze the changes of average blood flow velocity, average wall pressure, average wall deformation, and average shear force of 48 cases of cerebral aneurysm patients before and after stent implantation. The results showed that the mean square error and radiation dose of the ART-TV-PI algorithm (0.00012 and 1.65 mSv) were significantly lower than those of the ART algorithm (0.0031 and 3.09 mSv) and ART-TV algorithm (0.00082 and 2.52 mSv), and the signal-to-noise ratio (23.94) was significantly higher than those of the ART algorithm (11.32) and ART-TV algorithm (16.89), with statistically significant differences ( P < 0.05 ). The differences of mean blood flow velocity, mean wall pressure, mean wall deformation, and mean shear force before and after stent implantation among the three algorithms were not statistically significant ( P > 0.05 ), and the average index of the ART-TV-PI algorithm was the highest. Under the ART-TV-PI algorithm, the mean blood flow velocity (0.044 m/s), the mean wall pressure (71.7 Pa), the mean wall deformation (0.057 mm), and the mean shear force (889 Pa) after stent implantation were significantly lower than those before stent implantation (0.165 m/s, 160.8 Pa, 0.721 mm, and 2690 Pa), with average decreases of 73.3%, 55.4%, 92.1%, and 64.3%, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant ( P < 0.05 ). In conclusion, the images reconstructed by the ART-TV-PI algorithm have good image quality, which provides great convenience for surgical examination of cerebral aneurysm stent implantation and is worthy of clinical application.

Pre-slaughter road transportation times: meat quality and sensory properties of Nellore bull meat

This study evaluated the effects of different pre-slaughter road transportation times on sensory evaluation and instrumental measurements of Nellore cattle meat quality. About 15 farms were classified according to transportation times (five farms per transportation time group) as follows: 1 — less than 2 h (<2), 2 — between 2 and 4 h (>2 and ≤4), and 3 — between 4 and 6 h (>4 and ≤6). The experiment was a completely randomized design with 15 replications and three treatments. Meat analyses were performed on steaks taken from the longissimus dorsi muscle from the 10th rib to the third lumbar vertebra. Road transportation times had no significant effects on pH and mean shear force values. Sarcomere length, myofibrillar fragmentation index, and creatine kinase levels were also not affected by transportation time. Furthermore, road transportation times had no effect on meat tenderness, flavour, odour, and overall acceptability when evaluated by consumers. Thus, a pre-slaughter road transportation time up to 6 h does not affect the sensory evaluation and instrumental measurements of Nellore cattle meat quality when raised using a grazing system.

Manufacture and Evaluation of an Alternative Feeds Production Machine

The main objectives of this research are to fabricate a machine for producing a special feed with an easy operating system, that is suitable for small breeders, with low operating costs and high productivity, as well as substitution of barley grains in the feed components by sprouted barley in order to reduce costs and to increase amount of green feed and percentage of protein. The fabricated machine consisted of four main units; power and power transmission unit; chopping unit; mixing unit and pelletizing unit. Experiments were conducted to test the fabricated machine under three levels of moisture content for sprouted barley (70.09, 79.71 and 81.35 %); three different die holes’ diameters (4, 6 and 8 mm); and three mixing times (10, 15 and 20 minutes). The results indicated that the mean bulk density was 443.3 Kg/m3.The mean shear force was 0.68 N. The mean vertical and horizontal rupture forces were 3.04 and 4.11 N, respectively. The mean machine productivity was 31.78 kg/hr. The mean mixing efficiency was 81.14 %. The mean pelletizing efficiency was 75.75 %. The mean specific energy requirement 74.47 Kw.hr/Mg. The chemical analysis of produced pellets indicated that ash content was 9.1 %, protein was 21.26 % and fat was 1.98 %, so it is recommended to use the fabricated machine for producing alternative feed.

Multifidelity Modeling for Efficient Aerothermal Prediction of Deployable Entry Vehicles

The objective of this work was to investigate a multifidelity modeling approach to accurately and efficiently predict the aerothermal response of a large-diameter deployable hypersonic entry vehicle in Mars entry. A cokriging-based multifidelity modeling approach was developed that used several refinements including lower–upper decomposition for parallelization, distance weighted root-mean-square error adaptive sampling, and surface distribution parameterization using Hicks–Henne bump functions. Several computational tools of varying fidelity were investigated to model the surface convective heat flux, shear stress, pressure, and radiative heat flux in the multifidelity modeling process. The multifidelity model was found to have a mean convective heat rate error of 4.6%, a mean pressure force error of 0.81%, a mean shear force error of 2.86%, and a mean radiative heat rate error of 11.1% when compared to high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics simulations. Compared to a single-fidelity model, the multifidelity model required approximately one-half the number of high-fidelity model evaluations to obtain the same accuracy level. The computational cost of constructing and evaluating the multifidelity model were approximately one and five orders of magnitude less, respectively, than one high-fidelity model simulation.

Meat and sensory quality of major muscles from Angus, Charolais, and Angus crossbred steers with high and low residual feed intake

Effects of residual feed intake (RFI) and genetic group on growth, carcass, and meat quality characteristics of bovine longissimus lumborum (LL), triceps brachii (TB), semimembranosus (SM), and gluteus medius (GM) muscles were investigated using 72 purebred Angus, purebred Charolais, and Angus crossbred steers (n = 24 per genetic group) classified as either high (inefficient) or low (efficient) RFI (n = 12 high and low RFI steers within genetic group). There was no RFI effect (P > 0.05) on growth, carcass, and meat quality measurements except high RFI steers had the highest dry matter intake (P < 0.05), and low RFI TB was rated as having reduced beef flavour intensity and sustained juiciness (P < 0.05). Purebred Angus and Charolais LL and GM had lower shear force values (P < 0.05) than Angus crossbreds and ageing reduced mean shear force values except in TB. For TB, SM, and GM, Angus crossbred steers had the highest mean beef flavour intensity scores, and Charolais SM and TB were less tender than those of Angus crossbred (P < 0.05). Overall, RFI did not influence most meat quality traits; therefore, low RFI animals may contribute to reducing feed costs or environmental impact without compromising meat quality and palatability.

Dietary mulberry leaf powder affects growth performance, carcass traits and meat quality in finishing pigs.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of mulberry leaves as an alternative source of protein on growth performance, carcass traits and meat quality in finishing pigs. A total of 180 Xiangcun Black pigs were randomly assigned to five treatment groups with six pens of six pigs per pen. The pigs were provided with a basal diet or a diet contained 3%, 6%, 9% or 12% of mulberry leaf powder during a 50-day experiment period. The results showed that dietary mulberry leaf powder had no negative effect on growth performance in Xiangcun Black pigs, except in the 12% mulberry group, where final body weight and average daily gain decreased (p<.05) and feed to gain ratio of the pigs increased (p<.05). Dietary mulberry inclusion decreased (quadratic, p<.05) the back fat thickness, fibre mean cross-sectional area (CSA) in the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle and mRNA expression levels of myosin heavy chain (MyHC) IIb in LD and biceps femoris (BF) muscles, while increased (linear or quadratic, p<.05) the plasma concentration of albumin, levels of crude protein (CP), inosine monophosphate (IMP) and several amino acids in muscle tissues. When compared with the other groups, the 9% mulberry diet increased (p<.05) loin-eye area and contents of CP and IMP in muscles, while decreased (p<.05) plasma activity of cholinesterase and concentrations of uric acid and urea. The 6% mulberry diet had the lowest fibre mean CSA and shear force and increased total fibre number of the LD muscle, when compared with the other groups. These results suggest that including mulberry in the diet at <12% is an effective feed crop to improve meat quality and the chemical composition of muscle without negatively affecting growth performance.

Carcass traits and meat quality of steers on pasture submitted to different dietary supplementation

This study aimed at evaluating carcass traits and meat quality of Nellore steers on pasture submitted to different dietary supplementation strategies. The 32 Nellore animals tested (8 ± 0.6 months) were raised under rotational grazing on Brachiaria brizantha cv. Piatã (syn. Urochloa brizantha cv. Piatã) pasture and distributed in four treatments: supply of mineral salt ad libitum in the growth and finishing phases (MSGF); concentrate supplementation only during the growth phase (CG); concentrate supplementation only during the finishing phase (CF) and concentrate supplementation the growth and finishing phases (CGF). The concentrated supplement was supplied at 0.5% of body weight and mineral ad libitum. The steers were slaughtered when more than 50% of the lot of each treatment reached 450 kg body weight. The mean the hot and cold carcass weight and subcutaneous fat thickness did not differ between treatments (P &gt; 0.05). The calves the treatment CF and CGF showed a larger rib-eye area and higher ether extract levels in the Longissimus dorsi muscle than in MSGF and CG (P &lt; 0.05). Mean shearing force was similar between treatments (P &gt; 0.05). The use of feeding strategies on pasture with concentrate supplementation in the growth and finishing phases of Nellore cattle anticipates slaughter in 92 days and produces carcasses and meat with satisfactory traits.

Comparison of Single and Double Combination of Temperature-time in Sous Vide Treated Semitendinosus Muscle from Cattle and Goat.

This study observed the effects of the double combination of temperatures-times (2 temperatures: 2 times combination, 2T2T) in sous vide cooking method on the physicochemical properties and collagen solubility (CS) of semitendinosus muscle from cattle and goat as a comparison to common sous vide treatment (1 temperature: 1 time combination, 1T1T). The new invention of sous vide cooking method (2T2T) cooked at the first temperature at 45°C for 3 h, and the second temperature at 60°C, 65°C, and 70°C for 3 h, and labeled as N45-60, N45-65, and N45-70, respectively. While, common sous vide treatment (1T1T) were cooked directly for 6 h at 60°C (T60), 65°C (T65), and 70°C (T70). Results revealed that cooking with 2T2T treatment improved the water-holding capacity and reduced the cooking loss of both beef and goat meat. The L* values have no apparent changes between treatment in beef and goat meat, while a* values of N45-60 treated goat presented markedly higher values than other treatments but an only slight increase in beef at the same treatment (p>0.05). Again, 2T2T treatment tended to decrease mean shear force (SF) values for beef and goat meat with the lowest SF values recorded at N45-60, and the CS no or less influenced this value. Therefore, the application of innovative sous vides cooking method (2T2T) presented comparable values in the treated beef and goat meat as compared to common sous vide method (1T1T).

Performance of non-linear seabed interaction models for steel catenary risers, part II: global response

Fatigue response of steel catenary risers (SCR) in the touchdown zone (TDZ) is significantly affected by riser-seabed interaction. Non-linear hysteretic riser-seabed interaction models have been recently developed to simulate the SCR cyclic embedment into the seabed. Despite the advancements achieved in the prediction of non-linear hysteretic riser-seabed interaction, several inconsistencies have been recently identified in the nodal performance of some of the popular models. These limitations need to be resolved by proposing new models or improving the existing models. However, it is necessary to evaluate the influence of the identified shortcomings of the existing models on the global performance of the riser. In this paper, the influence of nodal inconsistencies observed in a popular riser-seabed interaction model on the global performance of the riser was comprehensively examined in the TDZ. The riser embedment profile, cyclic contact stress, contact stress envelop, mean shear force, cyclic bending moment, and consequently the cumulative fatigue damage was investigated. The study showed that the soil model overestimates the riser embedment and other global responses. Recommendations were made to overcome the identified shortcomings of the existing models in future developments.

Bar force measurement in low consistency refining: the effect of plate pattern

Abstract The effect of plate pattern on forces applied to pulp fibers by refiner bars in low consistency refining is investigated in an AIKAWA 16-inch single-disc refiner. These forces are measured using a custom-built piezoelectric sensor. Trials are conducted using SPF softwood thermomechanical pulp, northern bleached softwood kraft pulp, and aspen hardwood thermomechanical pulp at 3.3 to 3.6 % consistency at rotational speeds of 1200 and 1400 rpm. The pulp is sampled at regular intervals, and the length-weighted fiber length, freeness, tear index, and tensile index are measured for each sample. The results show that the plate with higher bar edge length results in lower mean peak normal and shear forces. The mean peak normal and shear forces at the onset of fiber cutting depend on rotational speed, pulp furnish and plate pattern, and these parameters are lower for a plate pattern with higher bar edge length. In addition, the mean coefficient of friction is a function of plate gap, pulp furnish, and plate pattern. The plate having higher bar edge length results in higher mean coefficient of friction.

Effects of Soil Profile Variation and Scour on Structural Response of an Offshore Monopile Wind Turbine

This paper presents an engineering approach to study the effects of soil profile variation and scour on structural response of an offshore monopile wind turbine. A wind-wave model for finite water depth is proposed to obtain the corresponding sea-state based on the incident wind. Different wind, wave, and current loads on the wind turbine for the operational conditions are considered. The interaction between the foundation and the soil is simulated by nonlinear springs, for which stiffness properties are obtained from the axial load transfer curve, the tip load–displacement curve, and the lateral load–deflection curve. Four types of soil conditions are considered, i.e., 100% sand layer, 50% sand layer (top) and 50% clay layer (bottom), 50% clay layer (top), and 50% sand layer (bottom), as well as 100% clay layer. For a given current speed, the variations of the structural response of the wind turbine due to the effects of different wind–wave load combinations, soil conditions and scour have been investigated. Different wind–wave load combinations directly affect the mean internal bending moment and mean displacement vertically along the support structure. Different soil conditions change the eigenfrequency of the structure significantly. The top layer of the soil appears to have a strong influence on the mean internal bending moment and the mean shear force distribution along the foundation. Moreover, the effect of scour alters the eigenfrequency of the structure significantly. The maximum mean bending moment and displacement increase for the cases with a scour hole as compared to the cases with scour protection.

QUALIDADE DA CARNE DE AVES DA RAÇA RODHE ISLAND RED CRIADAS EM SISTEMA ALTERNATIVO

Resumo Objetivou-se caracterizar a qualidade da carne de aves da raça Rodhe Island Red em função da diferença do tipo de corte e sexo. Foram utilizadas 30 aves em delineamento inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial (2 x 2), sendo dois cortes (peito e coxa) e dois sexos, com cinco repetições por tratamento. As aves foram abatidas aos 105 dias para realização das análises físico-químicas, composição centesimal e perfil lipídico do peito e coxa. A coxa apresentou maior média de pH final, teor de vermelho (a*) e força de cisalhamento (FC). Para luminosidade (L*), o peito obteve a maior média e as fêmeas maior média de FC. A coxa apresentou maior teor de extrato etéreo (EE) e umidade. O peito apresentou maior média de ácidos graxos saturados. As fêmeas obtiveram maior quantidade de ω3 e menor relação ω6/ω3. Foi observado maior índice de trombogenicidade no peito. A coxa mostrou menor conteúdo de ácidos graxos saturados e menor índice de trombogenicidade. As fêmeas apresentaram maior teor de ω3. O tipo de corte demonstrou maior influência que o sexo sobre os parâmetros estudados e a coxa apresentou melhores aspectos físico-químicos e de perfil lipídico para carne de aves neste sistema de produção relacionados à qualidade de carne desejável pelos consumidores.

Component Attachment with Pressureless Ag Sintering for 300°C Applications

With an increased demand for high-power and high-temperature electronics, Ag sintering paste has been considered a promising Pb-free die-attach material candidate for these applications. Extensive research has been carried out investigating pressure and pressureless Ag sintering for die attach. In this work, passive component (chip resistor) attachment with Ag sintering was explored. Due to termination geometry differences between resistors and dies, different processing procedures and parameters were developed. For PtAu terminated resistors, the mean shear force of as-built samples on thick-film Ag metallized substrates was 90 N, but dropped to 18.6 N after 1,500 h at 300°C. Formation of a dense Ag layer near the PtAu resistor termination and a void region near the thick-film metallization was observed in cross sections after 1,000 h at 300°C. For PdAg terminated resistors with a plated Ni/Au finish, the initial shear force results were low due to Ag diffusion along Au metallization surface. For PdAg terminated resistors with Ag thick-film substrates, the initial shear force was ~60 N and remained in the range of 50–70 N during aging at 300°C for 1,500 h. A new thick-film metallization (Au + Ag) was developed to enable the use of thick-film Au interconnect metallization.

The relation between net power, gap, and forces on bars in low consistency refining

The objective of this study is to experimentally investigate the relationships between local bar forces, plate gap and fiber length in a single-disc low consistency refiner. Piezoelectric sensors are used to measure normal and shear forces applied to pulp fibers by the refiner bars. It is shown that there is a non-linear relationship between measured bar forces and length-weighted fiber length that mirrors the established relationship between length-weighted fiber length and the inverse of plate gap. As the plate gap is reduced, the length-weighted fiber length remains relatively constant while net refiner power and the mean peak normal and shear forces increase. These trends continue up to a threshold values of mean peak normal and shear forces of approximately 8 N and 2.4 N, respectively. Above this threshold, mean peak normal and shear forces continue to increase but the length-weighted fiber length exhibits negative linear relationships with these forces. These results can be used as the initial study for onset detection of fiber cutting and that these sensors have promising potential to be used as the basis for advanced refiner control strategies.

Component Attachment with Pressureless Sintering for 300°C Applications

Abstract With an increased demand for high power and high temperature electronics, Ag sintering paste has been considered a promising Pb-free die attach material candidate for these applications. A large amount of research has been performed investigating pressure and pressureless Ag sintering for die attach. In this work, passive component (chip resistor) attachment with Ag sintering was explored. Due to termination geometry differences between resistors and die, different processing procedures and parameters were developed. For PtAu terminated resistors, the mean shear force of as-built samples on thick film Ag metallized substrates was 90 N, but dropped to 18.6 N after 1500 hours at 300°C. Formation of a dense Ag layer near the PtAu resistor termination and a void region near the thick film metallization was observed in cross-sections after 1000 hours at 300°C. For PdAg terminated resistors with a plated Ni/Au finish, the initial shear force results were low due to Ag diffusion along Au metallization surface. For PdAg terminated resistors with Ag thick film substrates, the initial shear force was approximately 60 N and remained in the range of 50–70 N during aging at 300°C for 1500 hours. A new thick film metallization (Au+Ag) was developed to enable the use of thick film Au interconnect metallization.