Reliability qualification of semiconductor devices based on physics‐of‐failure and risk and opportunity assessment

Qualification frequently is a time‐critical activity at the end of a development project. As time‐to‐market is a competitive issue, the most efficient qualification efforts are of interest. A concept is outlined, which proactively integrates qualification into the development process and provides a systematic procedure as a support tool to development and gives early focus on required activities. It converts requirements for a product into measures of development and qualification in combination with a risk and opportunity assessment step and accompanies the development process as a guiding and recording tool for advanced quality planning and confirmation. The collected data enlarge the knowledge database for DFR/BIR (designing for reliability/building‐in reliability) to be used for future projects. The procedure challenges and promotes teamwork of all the disciplines involved. Based on the physics‐of‐failure concept the reliability qualification methodology is re‐arranged with regard to the relationships between design, technology, manufacturing and the different product life phases at use conditions. It makes use of the physics‐of‐failure concept by considering the potential individual failure mechanisms and relates most of the reliability aspects to the technology rather than to the individual product design. Evaluation of complex products using common reliability models and the definition of sample sizes with respect to systematic inherent product properties and fractions of defects are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reliability as an added‐value factor in an automotive clutch system

In the present competitive scenario, companies face the challenge of developing new products in a short time period, with superior technology in relation to prior developments and reduced costs to guarantee the survival of their business. Success is directly coupled with client requirements where quality and reliability should be the highest feasible, whereas deadlines and price have to be the lowest possible. This paper discusses tools and methods applied to planning and assurance of quality, which have to be taken into account at the product conception project, which concerns the phase in which quality, reliability and the final price of a product are technically defined. A methodology is presented for this purpose, and it can be extended to any product or system with few adaptations concerning quality, reliability and cost models. The product selected for the case‐study analysis in this work is an automotive clutch. The methodology proposed for the analysis is a combination of the KANO method, target cost and value analysis with respect to the assessment of client requirement compliance levels and the determination of the choice of functions—whose relative costs are above relative needs, therefore offering optimization or elimination potential. Thus, the reliability concepts of statistical distributions and fault tree analysis are employed to locate critical components and quantify design temporary performance. To provide life tests results to the highest failure risk in the system, the planning and deployment of accelerated tests are carried out. The final goal of this paper is the reliability assessment based on critical levels for the analysis of components to be improved or optimized and, mainly, to create a methodology for the development of optimized products. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of Neural Computing in Pharmaceutical Product Development: Computer Aided Formulation Design

Abstract

Most pharmaceutical products are complex systems designed to meet several compendial or other performance standards simultaneously. Ideal or ‘optimum’ product composition and the manufacturing process variables are generally established after extensive experimentation. Artificial Neural Networks are pattern recognition tools that allow the development of ‘expert’ systems without having to write computer programs. With this technology it may be possible to develop formulation ‘expert’ systems to predict the formulation composition and the manufacturing process conditions necessary to achieve the desired performance standards. This report introduces the concept of a formulation expert system to predict the in vitro drug release profile from hydrophilic matrix tablets. Formulation expert systems or Computer Aided Formulation Design has the potential to reduce the time and cost of the product development process.     

Development of a Special Machine Rotating Cutter Based on Virtual Prototyping

We first describe the fundamental concept of virtual prototyping(VP)technology and discuss the differences among VP,computer aided design,computer aided engineering and computer aided manufacture.Then we present the application flow of virtual prototyping technology to the development of mechanical products.Based on ADAMS/VIEW,a new kind of special machine rotating cutter has been developed.The simulation results show that the rotating cutter meets the design requirements.Is is concluded that virtual prototyping technology is quite valuable in designing and manufacturing mechanical product.     

Grouping and selecting products: the design key of Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems (RMSs)

A Reconfigurable Manufacturing System (RMS) is a new paradigm that focuses on manufacturing a high variety of products at the same system. Having specified a design strategy for an RMS as the first design step at the tactical level, products must be grouped to identify and allocate corresponding manufacturing facilities. An interface between market and manufacturing called reconfiguration link is presented to specify and arrange products for manufacturing. The reconfiguration link incorporates the tasks of determining the products in the production range, grouping them into families and selecting the appropriate family at each configuration stage. The proposed approach of (re)configuring products before manufacturing facilitates assigning product families to the required manufacturing facilities in terms of (re)configuring manufacturing systems. This paper contributes an overall approach of grouping products into families based on operational similarities, when machines are still not identified. Since the problem of product family selection consists of quantitative and qualitative objectives, the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) is then used while considering both market and manufacturing requirements. The AHP model is verified in an industrial case study through using Expert Choice software. The solutions take advantage of monitoring sensitivity analysis while changing the priorities of manufacturing and/or market criteria. The concept of the proposed model is generic in structure and applicable to many firms. However, the model must be adapted according to the specific nature of the company under study. For instance, product family choices may differ from one company to another because of the available technology and the volume and type of existing products in the production range.     

基于数字化设计制造协同的飞机计量保障体系架构探讨

在国家科技创新,数字化设计制造高速发展的背景下,先进的数字化制造与传统的"先制造后检测再校准"的计量保障模式的矛盾愈发突出。以几何参数的数字化计量保障能力为例,通过分析对比国内外航空数字化设计制造工程中的几何参数计量保障工作现状,提出在飞机全生命周期内要保证产品数字化制造的几何尺寸精度,应依据新的产品几何规范,从产品的数字模型定义出发,面向数字化设计制造协同的关键过程和关键参数的测量溯源性要求,研究架构新的数字化计量保障技术体系,并就体系架构展开探讨。     

Distributed product and facility prototyping in extended manufacturing enterprises

In order to reduce the cost at the early product development stages, the planners need methodologies and tools that would allow them to judge upon the implications of the product design on the required manufacturing processes and facilities for their production. This paper reports on a new theoretical platform and a pilot implementation of a decision-making environment for distributed product and facility prototyping in an extended enterprise. The approach is based on an exchange of requests and information between collaborative autonomous agents that support the design, manufacturing planning and facility formation activities. The decision-making is formalized as iterative matching of design, process and facility attributes using multilevel resource capability representation within the extended enterprise. The system is implemented as an XML/CORBA-based environment for conveying design and manufacture messages across traditional technology boundaries. The reported research aims to provide the designers with a rapid manufacturing feasibility assessment tool to be used at different design and planning stages in extended manufacturing enterprises.     

System reliability and system resilience

1 Introduction With the development of new technology,engineering systems are becoming more complex in structure and possessing more advanced functions.Customers are setting higher quality requirements for new products.Reliability must be considered in all aspects of the product life cycle.Inadequate reliability considerations may cause civil aviation disasters,nuclear power plant accidents,spacecraft launch failures,power system shutdowns,and other major accidents.Since the emergence of the reliability discipline in the 1950s,reliability theory has been developing rapidly,which has played an irreplaceable role in promoting the progress of major industries such as aviation,aerospace,and nuclear energy.It has also greatly improved the quality of daily necessities such as computers,appliances,and automobiles.The capability of manufacturing high-end equipment with high reliability and long life has become an important strategic indicator of a country's global strength and competitiveness.     

Integration of efforts for the reliability of microelectronic devices

The expected levels of product reliability will no longer be measurable at product qualification. The control of reliability must be completely changed to proactive measures. This requires close customer-vendor relationships in early phases of specification and qualification, basic solutions by robust design and tough manufacturing engineering with zero defect targets. This changing situation is illustrated by some examples in the very diverse field of contributions to reliability. Improved cooperation is required for more efficient reliability progress.     

Quality by design compliant analytical method validation

The concept of quality by design (QbD) has recently been adopted for the development of pharmaceutical processes to ensure a predefined product quality. Focus on applying the QbD concept to analytical methods has increased as it is fully integrated within pharmaceutical processes and especially in the process control strategy. In addition, there is the need to switch from the traditional checklist implementation of method validation requirements to a method validation approach that should provide a high level of assurance of method reliability in order to adequately measure the critical quality attributes (CQAs) of the drug product. The intended purpose of analytical methods is directly related to the final decision that will be made with the results generated by these methods under study. The final aim for quantitative impurity assays is to correctly declare a substance or a product as compliant with respect to the corresponding product specifications. For content assays, the aim is similar: making the correct decision about product compliance with respect to their specification limits. It is for these reasons that the fitness of these methods should be defined, as they are key elements of the analytical target profile (ATP). Therefore, validation criteria, corresponding acceptance limits, and method validation decision approaches should be settled in accordance with the final use of these analytical procedures. This work proposes a general methodology to achieve this in order to align method validation within the QbD framework and philosophy. β-Expectation tolerance intervals are implemented to decide about the validity of analytical methods. The proposed methodology is also applied to the validation of analytical procedures dedicated to the quantification of impurities or active product ingredients (API) in drug substances or drug products, and its applicability is illustrated with two case studies.     

The Needs and Benefits of Applying Textual Data Mining within the Product Development Process

As a result of the growing competition in recent years, new trends such as increased product complexity, changing customer requirements and shortening development time have emerged within the product development process (PDP). These trends have added more challenges to the already‐difficult task of quality and reliability prediction and improvement. They have given rise to an increase in the number of unexpected events in the PDP. Traditional tools are only partially adequate to cover these unexpected events. As such, new tools are being sought to complement traditional ones. This paper investigates the use of one such tool, textual data mining for the purpose of quality and reliability improvement. The motivation for this paper stems from the need to handle ‘loosely structured textual data’ within the product development process. Thus far, most of the studies on data mining within the PDP have focused on numerical databases. In this paper, the need for the study of textual databases is established. Possible areas within a generic PDP for consumer and professional products, where textual data mining could be employed are highlighted. In addition, successful implementations of textual data mining within two large multi‐national companies are presented. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The optimisation of maintenance service levels to support the product service system

The dematerialising concept has formed a new management model: the product service system (PSS). PSS means that enterprises have changed the management concept of ‘product foremost and service second’ to ‘service-based product’ in design products, and the products are the tools produced and innovated for service. Therefore, the physical logistical service replaces the virtual service. However, during the transformation, the product service system also needs to emphasise cost, customers’ satisfaction and environmental protection. This study analysed different types of integrated maintenance service and used multi-attribute utility analysis to discuss the overall utility of maintenance service. The operation cost, CO ₂ emission and service satisfaction indicators of different maintenance service models were used as decision variables to determine the optimal maintenance system. Finally, a case study is described to demonstrate this research.     

3D打印技术对产品的影响

目的研究3D打印技术性因素对产品从内在概念到外在结构与形式的影响,科学地认知该技术在设计方面的价值。重点研究在3D打印技术背景下产品属性及价值、生产与制造、设计、结构与形态等诸方面呈现出新的变化趋势。方法通过对"商品"与"产品"概念变迁的阐述,揭示3D打印技术影响下产品价值与内涵的变迁形式。分析3D打印技术对产品生产制造、造型与结构等方面的影响,进一步理清3D打印技术对产品、产品设计与生产、产品结构与形态等方面影响的形式与程度。结论 3D打印技术在设计范畴、设计观念、设计核心问题等方面突破了传统的设计认知藩篱。通过梳理新技术对产品多方面的影响,从而建立起新技术背景下的设计认知,以实现技术价值与创新设计价值的进一步融合。     

Green Remanufacturing Engineering and Its Development Strategy in China

Made in China 2025 proposes that “develop the remanufacturing industry vigorously, implement high-end remanufacturing, smart remanufacturing, and in-service remanufacturing, advance the identification of remanufacturing products, and promote sustainable and healthy development of the manufacturing industry”. Remanufacturing is an extension of the manufacturing industry chain, and it is an important part of advanced manufacturing and green manufacturing. The product function, technical performance, greenness and economy of the remanufacturing products are no worse than those of the new products. The cost of remanufacturing products is only about 50% of new products. Remanufacturing can save energy 60%, and material 70%, so the adverse impact on the environment is significantly reduced. At present, China’s remanufacturing industry is developing rapidly, and the manufacturing pilot has been in full swing. Meanwhile, the policies and regulations, basic theory, key technology, and industry standards of remanufacturing have been continuously innovated and completed.     

A methodology for evaluation of metal forming system design and performance via CAE simulation

In the current metal forming product development paradigm, product cost, time-to-market and product quality are three overriding issues, which determine the competitiveness of the developed products. In the up front design process, the first 20% of design activities commits to about 80% of product development cost and product quality issues. How to conduct ‘right the first time’ design is critical to ensure low development cost, high product quality and short time-to-market. To address these issues, state of the art technologies are needed. Traditionally, computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) technologies provide solutions for representation of design intent and realization of design solution physically. However, it is difficult to address some critical issues in the design of forming process, tooling structure, material selection and properties configuration, and finally the product quality control and assurance. Computer-aided engineering (CAE) technology fills this gap as it helps practitioners generate, verify, validate and optimize design solutions before they are practically implemented and physically realized. In this paper, a methodology for evaluation of metal forming system design and performance via CAE simulation is developed. The concept of metal forming system and its design is first articulated and how the CAE technology helps design and design solution evaluation is then presented. To assess and evaluate the performance of metal forming systems, quantitative design evaluation criteria are developed. Through industrial case study, how the developed methodology helps metal forming system design and evaluation is illustrated and its efficiency and validity is finally verified.     

Agile manufacturing: Enablers and an implementation framework

Tougher competitive situations have led to increasing attention being paid to customer satisfaction, of which timely and customized services are the key concepts. As the product life cycle becomes shortened, high product quality becomes necessary for survival. Markets become highly diversified and global, and continuous and unexpected change become the key factors for success. The need for a method of rapidly and cost-effectively developing products, production facilities and supporting software, including design, process planning and shop floor control system has led to the concept of agile manufacturing. Agile manufacturing can be defined as the capability to survive and prosper in a competitive environment of continuous and unpredictable change by reacting quickly and effectively to changing markets, driven by customer-designed products and services. This article details the key concepts and enablers of agile manufacturing. The key enablers of agile manufacturing include: (i) virtual enterprise formation tools/metrics; (ii) physically distributed manufacturing architecture and teams; (iii) rapid partnership formation tools/metrics; (iv) concurrent engineering; (v) integrated product/production/business information system; (vi) rapid prototyping tools; and (vii) electronic commerce. A conceptual framework for the development of an agile manufacturing system and future research directions are presented in this paper. This framework takes into account the customization and system integration with the help of business process redesign, legal issues, concurrent engineering, computer-integrated manufacturing, cost management, total quality management and information technology.     

Integrated predictive maintenance strategy for manufacturing systems by combining quality control and mission reliability analysis

Predictive maintenance (PdM) is an effective means to eliminate potential failures, ensure stable equipment operation and improve the mission reliability of manufacturing systems and the quality of products, which is the premise of intelligent manufacturing. Therefore, an integrated PdM strategy considering product quality level and mission reliability state is proposed regarding the intelligent manufacturing philosophy of ‘prediction and manufacturing’. First, the key process variables are identified and integrated into the evaluation of the equipment degradation state. Second, the quality deviation index is defined to describe the quality of the product quantitatively according to the co-effect of manufacturing system component reliability and product quality in the quality–reliability chain. Third, to achieve changeable production task demands, mission reliability is defined to characterise the equipment production states comprehensively. The optimal integrated PdM strategy, which combines quality control and mission reliability analysis, is obtained by minimising the total cost. Finally, a case study on decision-making with the integrated PdM strategy for a cylinder head manufacturing system is presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The final results shows that proposed method achieves approximately 26.02 and 20.54% cost improvement over periodic preventive maintenance and conventional condition-based maintenance respectively.     

What's new in reliability engineering?

Reliability engineering is responding to the trend to computer-aided design (CAD), and the current emphasis on improving competitiveness through quality. Islands of automation addressing reliability for both hardware design and software engineering exist which are not yet connected, though government–industry teams are developing integrated software packages of reliability (and maintainability) tools. TQM (total quality management) principles are being adopted in many industries, and the U.S. Qualified Manufacturers List (QML) programme, which requires qualification of a process rather than a product, is now used for procuring microcircuits. However, government regulations remain a barrier to creating a ‘quality culture’. ISO 9000 is seen by industry as a requirement for international competitiveness, but criticized by some as counterproductive. Research and development of reliability engineering tools reflect the need for implementation in CAD frameworks, and fuzzy logic analysis has attracted the attention of the theorists.     

Development of an AI-based Rapid Manufacturing Advice System

The purpose of this paper is to assess the possibility of using Rapid Manufacturing (RM) as a final manufacturing route through a comparison of RM capabilities vs. conventional manufacturing routes. This is done by means of a computer-aided system intended to guide the designer in the selection of optimum production parameters according to general product requirements proper of the first design stages. The proposed system makes use of a number of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, namely: fuzzy inference, relational databases and rule-based decision making to reach an optimum solution. A pilot application developed in Matlab® is presented to illustrate the system application on a real mechanical part used as a case study. In the article it is shown how the proposed model may be useful for presenting feasible RM alternatives for parts and products not originally intended for additive manufacture. It also indicates when no RM alternatives are suitable for the given tasks, thus indicating those areas of knowledge which are necessary to expand in order to have at disposal comprehensive and reliable info on RM to compete with conventional processes.     

Redesign methodology for mechanical assembly

Design for assembly is the concept of carrying out critical thought early in the design stage to create assembly easement at the production stage. In the aerospace industry, products have very long lives, frequently being optimised rather than introducing new products. This has meant older products, which are stable income generators, have not benefited from the latest design for assembly methods and manufacturing technology suffers from obsolescence. It has been established that a large percentage of overall product cost is determined at the design stage; thus, existing products suffer from preloaded costs. This paper takes existing design for assembly methodologies and analyses them with respect to the unique challenges involved in legacy product redesign. Several novel factors that contribute to redesign analysis are identified such obsolescence impact and a holistic operation difficulty assessment. A tool is developed to identify potential redesign for assembly projects. The tool is demonstrated through the application of real data and comparing against business decisions. The tool was found to provide a strong indication of where profitable projects may be launched.