Can You Predict the Future? Try Sherlock: Intelligence Accelerated!

SAVE THE DATE: March 31, 2011, 1-2 pm EDT Learn how you can predict product failure earlier in the design process allowing you to improve overall product performance. Attend this free webinar presented by DfR Solutions, a leading provider of quality, reliability, and durability research & services for the electronics industry, and learn about Sherlock, an innovative new Automated Design Analysis tool that will help you: • Design better, more reliable products • Speed time to market • Enhance customer satisfaction and brand loyalty • Improve profitability Don't miss out! Early Bird Registration here. To learn more about Sherlock, the new software tool, click here. To learn more about DfR Solutions, click here.

DfR to Present at MEPTEC's "The Heat is On" Symposium

In recognition of our understanding of the tradeoffs between temperature and reliability for multiple technologies (hard drives, fans, integrated circuits, etc.), DfR Solutions has been invited to present "Reliability of Electronic Systems in Telecom Environments" at MEPTEC's "The Heat is On" Symposium held on March 21st in San Jose, CA. The Symposium is part of the Electronics Thermal Week. For more information, please contact Greg Caswell, gcaswell@dfrsolutions.com.

How to Choose a Reliable Package on Package (PoP)

One company's solution can be another company's nightmare, especially in component packaging. A desire to maximize functionality and fit space constraints can result in something like this monster (25mm x 50mm) package on package (PoP). While likely satisfying a market need, this component will be challenging from a manufacturability and reliability perspective. For example, the package weight will likely reduce solder ball height to less than half the diameter, increasing the likelihood of pad cratering and thermo-mechanical fatigue. If you are looking for real solutions to PoP challenges, contact Craig Hillman, chillman@dfrsolutions.com.

DfR's Walt Tomczykowski will be in Boston, MA March 8th and 9th

Walt Tomczykowski, Vice President at DfR Solutions, will be in Boston, MA Tuesday, March 8th and Wednesday, March 9th.

While Walt is in the area, he will be available to visit interested companies to make presentations on a variety of topics including system level reliability and availability analysis, root cause analysis, corrective action, test and evaluation (including environmental testing), reliability improvement, supply chain management (proactive obsolescence management), life cycle cost analysis, life cycle management, readiness based spares, supplier benchmarking, counterfeit parts mitigation and our brand new Expert Reliability Analysis Software. He would be more than happy to include your company in his visit.

As you may know, DfR Solutions can lend a guiding hand regarding quality, reliability, and durability (QRD) issues. DfR not only helps you solve your problems — we can prevent them from happening in the first place! Find out how to reduce development costs and time to market while creating a more reliable product.

If you are interested in arranging an onsite complimentary presentation, please contact June Caswell at jcaswell@dftsolutions.com. If you would like more information regarding DfR’s services, please contact Walt at wtomczykowski@dfrsolutions.com.

Manufacturability & Reliability Challenges with QFN: Mar. 10 ASQ RS Webinar

ASQ Reliability Society Webinar Series

Thursday March 10, 2011 noon-1:00 pm EDT

DESCRIPTION: The quad flat pack no lead or quad flat non-leaded (QFN) is one of the fastest growing package types in the electronics industry today. While the advantages of QFNs are well documented, concerns arise with its reliability and manufacturability. Acceptance of this package, especially in long-life, severe-environment, high-reliability applications, is currently limited. One of the most common drivers for reliability failures is inappropriate adoption of new technologies, such as the case with QFN. In this presentation, we will review and discuss QFN related reliability concerns and challenges, and propose Physics-of-Failure (PoF) based approaches to allow the confident introduction of QFN components into electronics products.

PRESENTER: Cheryl Tulkoff has over 15 years of experience in electronics manufacturing with an emphasis on failure analysis and reliability. She has worked throughout the electronics manufacturing life cycle beginning with semiconductor fabrication processes, into printed circuit board fabrication and assembly, through functional and reliability testing, and culminating in the analysis and evaluation of field returns. She has also managed no clean and RoHS-compliant conversion programs and has developed and managed comprehensive reliability programs.

Cheryl earned her Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree from Georgia Tech. She is a published author, experienced public speaker and trainer and a Senior member of both ASQ and IEEE. She holds leadership positions in the IEEE Central Texas Chapter, IEEE WIE (Women In Engineering), and IEEE ASTR (Accelerated Stress Testing and Reliability) sections. She chaired the annual IEEE ASTR workshop for four years and is also an ASQ Certified Reliability Engineer.

She has a strong passion for pre-college STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) outreach and volunteers with several organizations that specialize in encouraging pre-college students to pursue careers in these fields.

To Register click here

DfR Welcomes Walter Tomczykowski, CRE, CQE, Vice President

DfR Solutions is proud to announce the hiring of Walter Tomczykowski. Walt has over 29 years of life cycle product support and reliability experience in the aerospace, defense, and transportation industries. He excels in improving reliability in new designs, reducing life cycle cost, and extending the life of aging systems while minimizing the risk of obsolescence and counterfeit parts. Prior to joining DfR he was Director of the Life Cycle Management Department at ARINC, responsible for strategic planning, financial control, and operations. He started his reliability career at Raytheon performing vendor source inspections and failure analysis.

• M.S., Reliability Engineering (University of Maryland)
• B.S., Electrical Engineering Technology (Northeastern University)

• Areas of expertise: System level reliability analysis, root cause analysis, corrective action, test and evaluation, reliability improvement, supply chain management (proactive obsolescence management), life cycle cost analysis, readiness based spares, supplier benchmarking, and counterfeit parts mitigation.

Email: wtomczyk@dfrsolutions.com

Solderability and Long-Term Storage

With shorter product life cycles and longer extensions of existing products, electronic OEMs are increasingly relying on storage to mitigate the risks of part availability. As explained in this white paper, solderability is a major issue that must be proactively assessed before any long-term storage plan is implemented. For more information, contact Greg Caswell, gcaswell@dfrsolutions.com.