safeguarding quality standards in automotive manufacturingThermal Risk Evaluated After Climate Stress Testing
How ZESTRON supported a supplier in evaluating technical anomalies and developed new PCB procurement specifications to safeguard production.
— Failure mitigation When Anomalies in Climate Stress Testing Put Supply Capability at Risk
In the automotive industry, anomalies identified during reliability testing can quickly create significant pressure to act. This becomes particularly critical when electronic assemblies show anomalies under humid climate stress and potential risks to quality, safety, or supply capability are derived from these findings.
In this case, a leading automotive manufacturer identified anomalies on an electronic assembly during a routine climate stress test. The affected supplier had to clarify at short notice whether the requirements had been met, how the potential risk should be assessed from a technical perspective, and which measures were required to safeguard ongoing production.
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— FAILURE MITIGATION & RISK ASSESSMENTThe Case at a Glance
Initial Situation:
Anomalies identified on an electronic assembly following a routine climate stress test.
Customer Requirement:
Clarify the suspected inadequate surface insulation resistance of the electronic assembly and improve its moisture resistance.
Risiko:
Potential delivery hold, claims for damages, and disruption of the entire production chain.
Support Provided by ZESTRON:
Technical assessment of the anomalies and development of new procurement specifications for the PCBs used.
Objective of the Specifications:
Improve flame resistance and dielectric strength.
Result:
The potential thermal risk was addressed from a technical perspective. Production was able to continue without interruption.
— challenge Climate Stress Test Triggers Critical Need for Clarification
The immediate need for action arose from anomalies identified by a leading automotive manufacturer during a routine climate stress test on an electronic assembly. From the customer’s perspective, it was necessary to clarify whether the surface insulation of the electronic assembly remained sufficient under humid climate stress.
This assessment was particularly important for the supplier because the automotive manufacturer derived a potential thermal risk from the anomalies. The issue was therefore not limited to a test result, but concerned whether the electronic assembly could continue to be used in ongoing production.
Without a technically sound and traceable clarification, the supplier faced a potential delivery hold, possible claims for damages, and impacts on the entire production chain. It was therefore essential to technically classify the anomalies, evaluate the existing delivery specifications, and derive suitable measures to safeguard production.
— analysis Technical Assessment of a Potential Thermal Event
To clarify the customer complaint, the supplier turned to ZESTRON. The key question was whether the anomalies identified during climate stress testing could indicate a potential thermal event and how this risk should be assessed within the framework of the existing delivery specifications.
The assessment showed that the anomalies were within the existing delivery specifications. This meant that the formal requirement had been met. From the automotive manufacturer’s perspective, however, it remained unclear whether the existing requirements were sufficient to adequately and demonstrably address the potential thermal risk under humid climate stress.
For this reason, the individual finding from the climate stress test was not assessed in isolation. The decisive factor was the technical classification in relation to the suspected inadequate insulation on the surface of the electronic assembly, the required improvement in moisture resistance, and the requirements for the PCBs used. On this basis, suitable measures could be derived.
— solution New PCB Procurement Specifications to Address the Thermal Risk
Based on the technical assessment, ZESTRON developed new procurement specifications for the PCBs used. The aim was to refine the requirements for the printed circuit boards in such a way that the potential thermal risk could be addressed in a technically sound and traceable manner from the automotive manufacturer’s perspective.
The focus was on relevant material and insulation properties of the PCBs, particularly flame resistance and dielectric strength. These properties were specifically incorporated into the new specifications in order to translate the assessment of the anomalies identified during climate stress testing into concrete requirements for PCB procurement.
This provided the supplier with a robust basis for clarifying the complaint from a technical perspective, addressing the automotive manufacturer’s concerns, and safeguarding ongoing production.
How can we support you?
Anomalies in reliability testing or customer complaints require a technically sound assessment and targeted measures.
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