Component reliability

[iranu]

Peterb makes an excellent case in point with the PSU example. It's worth saving that post for when someone queries whether spending £50 rather than £25 on a 500W PSU.

One of the reasons I went for the IP35 Pro over the IP35-E is it's solid state capacitors. I'm sure I wouldn't have issues with the cheaper board but I think it's worth spending the extra for the quality (within reason) especially as I am overclocking.

It's a while since I was actively involved in QA and batch testing of components for the satellite industry but iirc there are certain specifications that we would hold the manufacturer to with regard the number per 100 to be tested, either by us, them, or a 3rd party. If the components had passed this continually for a given period then the AQL is dropped. I'm sure British Standards or

There will be various standards required by various industries and as has been mentioned, critical parts for things like aircraft require higher standards. The thing is it's not just batch testing that is required but a whole Quality Management System that has to be in place. Some companies ask suppliers to be ISO 9000 compliant etc. Big companies will have produced their own internal documentation that will then be audited to comply with EU/US legislation.

QA can be a minefield and I've got a story or two. Anyway off to watch England v France.

[badass]

I noticed the surge in faulty electrical goods seems to have come after the ROHS legislation was proposed and later made into law. Apparently lead free solder just isn't as good.
If this is a factor, then failure rates will drop again as manufacturers learn better how to make reliable parts with the new restrictions.

[TheAnimus]

acutally, i think things have got a fair bit better lately.

go back to the 2000-2003 erea, i was RMA'ing all sorts. Leadteck wrote on graphics cards resolutions they simply couldn't achive.

Some people 'borrowed' ideas on how to make capacitors only to find out they didn't work well for long. etc.

Seriously, things are much better now, the last 3 builds i've done all worked perfectly, with no hickups what so ever.

[Blitzen]

I noticed the surge in faulty electrical goods seems to have come after the ROHS legislation was proposed and later made into law. Apparently lead free solder just isn't as good.
If this is a factor, then failure rates will drop again as manufacturers learn better how to make reliable parts with the new restrictions.

Bang on.
But im not sure things will improve alot from here on in.
Lead free solder and the cross over from Lead solder a few years back, and it didnt have the transition that most wanted.

Once a PCB is populated, the solder goes through an oven at a high temperature to 'cure' it off.
Unfortunately, everyone had to 're-profile' their ovens at the end of SMT lines as the lead free solder simply didnt act like anyone expected it too.

Not only ROHS was involved either.
On the back of that there is the ELV Directive and the WEEE Directive.

(Bloody hell ...... I thought i got away from all this stuff in September when i moved to the Chemical Industry)

[iranu]

Oh christ I remember when Matra Marconi Space (Now Astruim) were looking into lead free solder for satellite applications when I was there in '97 and I've no doubt that it cost them a bundle in development even though they routinely had solder development programs. The main issue was thermal cycling and not knowing how any of these new alloys would perform during a -55 to +125°C (2 degrees a minute iirc) cycle for 100+ hours. Then there were the metallurgical considerations with regard to alloy phases and there stability in the cycle and what effect this had on strength along with the formation of tin whiskers.

It was bad enough getting all the garb on for a class 2 cleanroom and then spending the next 4 hours staring down a microscope whilst lining up tiny capacitors under a machine that would then break the join and measure the force applied for a normal project let alone the amount of work for a whole new series of solders.

Whilst I've been out of that game for a while it seems that the Mil-Aerospace industry still has problems and at the time I remember our lead PCB designer who had 40+ years experience tell us how much nonsense it was for the satellite industry. She was most annoyed.

Military & Aerospace Electronics - Electronics designers grapple with lead-free solder guidelines

[Agent]

I meant to post about the ROHS in the opening post.

I've fixed *2* ATI graphics cards that were artifacting by using the heat gun method and a MSI 939 board which is next to me. The MSI is still flackey and randomly decides not to work, but every time I give it another heat gun blast, it'll come to life again for a bit. The graphics cards have both been fine.

BGA fitted components seem to have been hit really hard by ROHS.

Its also one of the main causes of the Xbox 360 failures!