Failure analysis, a process that relies on collecting failed components for subsequent examination of the cause or causes of failure, is considered as one critical discipline in many branches of manufacturing process because it can effectively help in the following:
Refinement of an existing product -- many products found in the market today can still be refined with the help of failure analysis; this is with the help of several procedures including collecting data of their failed components, which are brought to a laboratory for analysis in order to determine the cause and act accordingly.
New products development -- in a number of cases, a discovery of the cause of failure does not only give an opportunity to refine existing product but it opens a portal to develop a new/other products as well, which can be advantageous to both manufacturers and costumer.
Cost reductions -- failure analysis, which helps in determining the cause of failure, reduces costs as manufacturing companies can use better materials and avoid unnecessary spending and wasting, which therefore can help reduce materials and operational costs and improves profits.
Failure analysis is carried out with the help of two popular methods and these are the following:
Electrical failure analysis -- The mechanisms utilized as part of electrical failure analysis could include Analytical Probe Station, Curve-Trace (which is either manual or automated), Emission Microscopy (near infrared), Florescent Micro-Thermal Imaging (with Lock-in), Laser Stimulation Microscopy. Example of failures where electrical failure analysis can be done to are dielectric breakdown, component failure, contamination of circuit boards, arc tracking/conductive path tracking, poor quality solder joints, floating neutrals and high voltage transients, and oxidation and corrosion of electrical connections.
Physical failure analysis -- this becomes increasingly important for process optimization for situations like when there is a continued shrinking of materials used in a certain manufacturing process. In cases like the one specified, a particular manufacturing facility can do the analysis (or hire a third party to do it) such as 3-D X-ray Tomography, C-scanning acoustic Microscopy, De-Capsulation, Deprocessing, FIB-SEM Cross Sectioning, Mechanical Cross-Sectioning, Real-time X-ray - among other physical failure analysis procedures.
More and more companies in the manufacturing sector have recognized the importance of failure analysis and have incorporated this procedure in their own system for new product development or refinement of existing ones.
Refinement of an existing product -- many products found in the market today can still be refined with the help of failure analysis; this is with the help of several procedures including collecting data of their failed components, which are brought to a laboratory for analysis in order to determine the cause and act accordingly.
New products development -- in a number of cases, a discovery of the cause of failure does not only give an opportunity to refine existing product but it opens a portal to develop a new/other products as well, which can be advantageous to both manufacturers and costumer.
Cost reductions -- failure analysis, which helps in determining the cause of failure, reduces costs as manufacturing companies can use better materials and avoid unnecessary spending and wasting, which therefore can help reduce materials and operational costs and improves profits.
Failure analysis is carried out with the help of two popular methods and these are the following:
Electrical failure analysis -- The mechanisms utilized as part of electrical failure analysis could include Analytical Probe Station, Curve-Trace (which is either manual or automated), Emission Microscopy (near infrared), Florescent Micro-Thermal Imaging (with Lock-in), Laser Stimulation Microscopy. Example of failures where electrical failure analysis can be done to are dielectric breakdown, component failure, contamination of circuit boards, arc tracking/conductive path tracking, poor quality solder joints, floating neutrals and high voltage transients, and oxidation and corrosion of electrical connections.
Physical failure analysis -- this becomes increasingly important for process optimization for situations like when there is a continued shrinking of materials used in a certain manufacturing process. In cases like the one specified, a particular manufacturing facility can do the analysis (or hire a third party to do it) such as 3-D X-ray Tomography, C-scanning acoustic Microscopy, De-Capsulation, Deprocessing, FIB-SEM Cross Sectioning, Mechanical Cross-Sectioning, Real-time X-ray - among other physical failure analysis procedures.
More and more companies in the manufacturing sector have recognized the importance of failure analysis and have incorporated this procedure in their own system for new product development or refinement of existing ones.
About the Author:
Paul Drake writes a wide array of industry-related topics and his work experience in a high tech company helps in doing the job. To learn more about failure analysis, visit Nanolab Technologies official website.
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