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Tolerance and Worst Case Analysis

Tolerance / Worst Case Analysis

DEFINITION

Tolerance / Worst Case Analysis is the method of analyzing a piece of a design using the high and low end of the tolerance spread for each parameter.

SITUATION

Tolerance / Worst Case Analysis is used whenever we need to evaluate critical parameters within a design and the effects of these parameters in worst-case conditions.

OBJECTIVE

If sensitive areas of the design are discovered during the analysis, a Tolerance Analysis can be performed to design in safety margins.

VALUE TO YOUR ORGANIZATION

A Tolerance / Worst Case Analysis has value whenever tolerance issues and tolerance stacking can effect a design, especially in circumstances in which testing will not be able to catch the issues due to low sample size.

RELIABILITY INTEGRATION

An example of Reliability Integration during Tolerance / Worst Case Analysis is as follows:

Tolerance / Worst Case Analysis Used with HALT

If a part of the design has a wide tolerance spread, then issues related to tolerance may not be picked up in HALT due to the low sample size being used. For these cases, then worst-case design practices may need to be employed. Many mechanical assemblies fall into this category. If issues can arise due to tolerance stacking of dimensions, designing for worst case is the best approach.

METHODOLOGY

A tolerance analysis shall provide detailed calculations showing tolerance, temperature, and life effects on the performance of the product.

The critical circuitry shall be analyzed for component variation effects. For example, each circuit specific (voltage, current, etc) for a given node will be analyzed in terms of component tolerance, component temperature effects, and component life effects.

These will include elements such as resistance, capacitance, and inductance. Component parasitics such as e.s.r. of the output capacitors will be included and analyzed as to temperature and life effects.

The circuitry shall be analyzed for circuit design criteria conformance. Maximum variations in input voltage and frequency shall be considered in the analysis.

In addition, the most unfavorable (worst case) combination of realizable conditions to be considered in the parts/circuits tolerance analyses shall be presented in this report. This is typically performed using computer simulation techniques.

CASE STUDIES/OPTIONS

The following case studies and options provide example approaches. We shall tailor our approach to meet your specific situation.

  1. Mechanical Tolerance Analysis

    A Medical Device company was designing a mechanical assembly with tight tolerances. In this situation, we used a Tolerance Analysis rather than HALT because HALT would likely not have been able to find mechanical tolerance issues due to low sample size.

  2. Electrical Tolerance Analysis

    A Military Power Supply manufacturer was required to perform a tolerance analysis on all critical electrical parameters. We linked this analysis to a Spice model and simulated these worst case conditions.

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OPS A La Carte, Engineering Success with Reliable Products. We are a leading reliability engineering consulting firm since 2001. We have helped many companies create robust products and elevate them to great success, even become the leader in their industry. We are known for providing the whole gamut of reliability lab testing, consulting, and training. With over 25 reliability engineer-experts around the world, with diverse backgrounds and experience, we serve both domestic and global businesses in all areas of reliability, in depth and width. Hi, my name is Jay Muns, owner and CEO. I have more than 30 years of experience in engineering and business operations.

OPS A La Carte have produced very high-quality results for us, with fast turnaround times. Their engineers are the best in their field, are a pleasure to work with, and their work is of the highest standards available. This has helped us obtain critical product approvals…” We help companies see from outside of their forest and understand what they didn’t know before. Companies come to us out of three scenarios: First, when their products fail. We help put out the fire by identifying problems and providing solutions. Second, after a product is designed, to check the box and move on with getting their product into the marketplace. The best is third: to get engaged early, by including reliability as a part of their initial product design goals. This will save time, money and energy. It is much better to have a worry-free product that addresses reliability issues upfront, than dealing with deficiencies after a product is developed, or worse, already manufactured and sold to the end users. Being proactive with reliability engineering will save a business tons of money and trouble. In all scenarios, you receive professional expertise with integrity and at a fair price. Many of our clients are repeat customers for years because of the value we consistently deliver.

Our ENGINEER-consultants each have over 20 years of experience and perform lab testing, consulting and training based on actual reliability science. They follow well established industry standards, such as “HALT” (highly accelerated life test,) and “HASS” (highly accelerated stress screen.) These engineers evaluate, make recommendations and validate results based on highly relevant lab data, co-relating to real world data. Whether your company has a reliability department or not, you can take advantage of our entire testing-consulting-training package, or any portion of it. We also offer Failure analysis and safety certification services such as UL, CE, and other environmental testing services, like solar, UV, SALT spray testing, ESD (electro-static discharge,) and EMC (electro-magnetic compatibility.)

“Ops A La Carte trained us to use HALT methodology as a proactive tool, to root out key failures in our early and advanced prototypes, and that made it possible for us to deliver dependability that our customers demand, in pilot and production units."“...OPS has played a key role in our evolution from a research company to a manufacturer of ‘mission-critical’ components.” A couple of companies describe our HALT/HASS training as “highly informative, engaging and exciting.” “The benefit far exceeds the price."

Our mission is to enable companies to create their happy customers, with a well-engineered product. By helping our clients understand the real problems and the real solutions, we help improve their careers and reputations. Achieving the win-win-win results for our clients and their customers is our ultimate satisfaction. We have a family-like company culture with positive energy and great teamwork. An improved and reliable product is our own small way to contribute to a better humanity and a slightly better world. Call us at (408) 654-0499, or email us at info@opsalacarte.com, or visit our website www.opsalacarte.com. Thank you!

A couple of our clients' testimonials:

"The expert team at OPS assisted us in evaluating the available reliability testing possibilities, and with their help, we crafted a customized test program precisely sized to meet the needs of our project. The resulting program proved to our team, our customers, and our regulatory auditors that our product was robust, met its reliability goals effectively, and satisfied all safety risk factors."

"...Ops A La Carte worked with us to develop a testing program based on HALT and HASS to effectively assess low-temperature operation capability and screen the boards for assembly and component defects. They then facilitated and supported the HALT and HASS testing effort. It was quicker and more efficient than we had expected. The boards for the first four strings have been delivered. We are looking forward to working with them through completion of the project."