Hardware Preventative Maintenance: Eliminating issues, extending longevity, and ensuring quality hardware.

The Project, and what it is.  The Preventative Hardware Maintenance process is a standard that will be put in place to ensure hardware is in full working order on a periodic review.  Through this process hardware that is being utilized on the test floor will go through a screening process to alleviate any concerns in regards to the functionality of the hardware itself.  In doing so we are eliminating potential for yield loss, and wasted setup time due to bad components.

The Project contd.  The Project is not only saving time for production, but also saving time for Engineering and their support teams.  Instead of waiting for JIRA tasks to be generated due to a failed setup, the issues will present themselves during the screening process.  The screening process will also alleviate requests for the repair queue since they will be addressed at the time the failure is produced allowing more time for new program builds.

The Project contd.  Through the screening process we will not only ensure robust hardware, but instill confidence in the users that they are receiving a known good setup. Verify outgoing hardware is good. Screening Eliminates issues before they happen. Mechanical components have a lifespan, and will ultimately fail. Life Cycles Tolerances and values may drift over time. Takes away intermittent issues with pass/fail ratio. Stability Allows for tight tolerances to be met, and stay within guidelines.

The Project contd.  The Hardware screening routine will be established by dissecting the life span of the components, in comparison to the redundancy of use per device.  One example is the throw counts for mechanical relays during testing.

The reasoning for screening hardware. Components are prone to fail over time. There could be potential for contact resistance. Parasitic structure may also occur which is outside of normal operating conditions.

Reasoning contd.  The continuous use of a relays contacts during the open and close routine produces wear which may eventually break down the component.  Opens or even shorts may present themselves during link tests.  Deterioration of dielectric material may cause shifts in values.  Resistor and solder cracking may occur over time.

Reasoning contd. Higher running devices will have a greater tendency for failure due the amount of use received in comparison to the lower running devices. Through Screening the amount of time invested in setups, and down events will be lowered. Legacy devices need to be ran to ensure when the product is needed the hardware will be available and in active condition.

The role, and contributions. TSE will be assigned to run hardware based off the lifecycles established from the data gathered. PM cycles will be entered on all product specific hardware in Indy Soft. Maintenance will be performed on hardware using the Flying Prober test system. Necessary repairs, or passing results will be recorded as necessary.

The role, and contributions contd. Once the PM process has been implemented TSE training will take place for all TSE to have the ability to run the Flying prober and make repairs. Once TSE has been trained SPA’s will then be given the same training to give greater bandwidth to the PM process. Equipment will then be assigned for all individuals on a PM cycle that will be logged into Indy Soft.

Change Initiation Establish a PM timeline for all product specific hardware. Only hardware that has a released program will be put on a PM cycle. As programs are developed the hardware will be added to the PM process. Assign hardware accordingly to individuals that have received training on the system and process.

Change Initiation contd. Create tasks to be completed. The main Target would be establishing the frequency of the PM. Secondary would Training TSE/SPA. Third would be entering PM per hardware and assigning ownership.

Change Initiation contd. Once all hardware has received a PM schedule failure mechanisms will be recorded. Data can be gathered to dissect highest failure rate, and areas prone to fail. Issues will be tracked to find problem areas with particular hardware, and products.

The Future.  The future will have more robust hardware.  Provide education for everyone so issues can be addressed on the fly.  Create a PM process that will prevent issues form arising.

The Future contd. To remove uncertainty with hardware. To remove disparity of low yields, and unknown cause. Creating repeatable results, and sustainability.