When HALT and HASS are implemented correctly, they provide a fast, cost-effective path to greater product reliability and customer satisfaction, as well as reduced warranty costs.
Source: COTS Journal
Library Documents
Document Type: Article
Significant opportunities exist to reduce costs in the design, manufacture and operation of systems by allowing higher use specification temperatures. This paper shares the findings and observations of an experimental study where operating computers were subjected to high steady state temperatures and thermal syscling well beyond their design specifications. The reults sugges that significant cost savings can be realized without compromising reliability by abandoning the fundamentally flawed yet long held perception and belief that reliability is mainly temperature driven. This result could enable significant cost savings obtained by extending operating and environmental conditions for both testing and end-use.
COTS gear often needs to be modified to withstand pre-production thermal ramping and random vibration stimulation, collectively called HALT, and must be able to withstand post-production highly accelerated stress screening (HASS).
Source: COTS Journal
Document Type: Guideline
Qualmark's 2010 HALT Testing Guidelines were first released in 1998 to provide guidance in HALT standards development. The HALT Testing Guidelines define the process elements necessary to successfully implement and perform HALT testing. Adherence to the HALT Testing Guidelines will provide the fundamental reference for implementing and operating effective HALT testing in a HALT chamber. The document can be used as a basis for developing HALT standards for professional organizations and businesses seeking to define effective HALT testing practices.
Qualmark's HASS/HASA Testing Guidelines, define the process elements to successfully implement and perform HASS or HASA. It identifies equipment requirements, fixture design and qualification, functional and troubleshooting requirements, and Proof of Screen (PoS)development. Adherence to this document will provide the fundamental guidelines to implement and operate a successful HASS or HASA. The document can be used as a basis for developing standards for professional organizations and businesses seeking to define effective HASS practices.
Consumption of utilities (LN2, electricity and compressed air) over the usable life of a HALT\HASS
system is typically many times the initial purchase cost of the equipment. For this reason, utilities
cost are a key factor in determining the Total Cost of Ownership of a HALT\HASS system, and should
be carefully compared prior to purchasing a HALT\HASS System.
However, comparing utility consumption and costs are not easy. Different makers of systems use
different methods of specifying utility consumption; some firms reportedly don’t even accurately
measure consumption but rather provide simple estimates without substantiating data.
The purpose of this document is to define a method for accurately and consistently measuring utility
consumption of HALT\HASS chamber systems.
Document Type: Product and Services Collateral
Qualmark's 2010 product catalog explains how HALT and HASS/HASA technology provides optimum product reliability faster and better than traditional methods. It outlines Qualmark products, professional services. online training, maintenance offerings and lab facilities - all of which are designed to enhance product quality, your product testing process and ultimate return on investment.
Qualmark is the largest global manufacturer of accelerated reliability testing systems for performing HALT (Highly Accelerated Life Tests) and HASS (Highly Accelerated Stress Screens). Qualmark supports more HALT/HASS chamber systems, has conducted more HALT/HASS tests, and offers more HALT/HASS expertise than any other company in the world.
Qualmark’s latest data acquisition offerings present the test engineer with an array of options for flexibility and portability while providing a stable platform for high speed data export from Qualmark’s TyphoonTM and QFusionTM systems.
Qualmark offers four levels of service to help keep accelerated testing and production work on track - full maintenance, calibration and preventative maintenance service, extended parts warranty and technical support.
For application support, consider Qualmark’s Web Based Education, which is offered at a discount with all post-warranty service plans, or ask about Qualmark’s Professional Services programs.
Click to open the document below for more information regarding Qualmark's Post Warranty Support Plans.
Qualmark’s 2012 Introduction of QFusion™ (patent pending) represents a breakthrough in Accelerated Stress Test technology. It is the first ever production specific HASS/HASA (Highly Accelerated Stress Screen/Audit) system plus it fuses accelerates stress testing with the more traditional Burn-In, which it performs faster and less expensively than traditional chambers.
Document Type: Symposium Paper
A Case Study of HASA at Hewlett Packard; The early development process of designing Highly Accelerated Stress Auditing of circuit card assemblies at Hewlett Packard.
Source: Institute of Environmental Science and Technologies (IEST)
Document Type: Whitepaper
Describes how a well-executed HALT and/or HASS plan can increase your ROI.
Describes the theory and practice of using thermal stresses to accelerate aging in electrical and mechanical components.
This product reliability test study compares accelerated stress tests conducted at Qualmark labs 10 years ago, as measured against more recent results. The study yielded significant differences in the ratios and types of failures found.
Describes the techniques of HALT and HASS and their advantages over standard Design Verification Testing.
Describes the techniques of HALT and HASS and their advantages over standard Design Verification Testing.
Provides a formula that can be utilized to show Return on Investment for a well-executed accelerated reliability test program.
Describes the metric of gRMS, how it is calculated in both the frequency and time domains and what factors can cause variations in gRMS.
Provides a useful overview of HALT/HASS chamber systems, their specifications, why they are different from DVT, and how to know which specifications are important for your program.
Qualmark is often asked by those new to HALT and HASS test techniques, "how do I know that I am not damaging the field life of my product by performing HASS on my production units"?
The simple answer is, the stress levels for HASS are determined by appropriately guard-banding HASS screens based on the results of HALT. A Proof of Screen (PoS)is first perfomed to confirm the stresses that can be safely applied to production units without over-stressing good products, while still detecting latent defects in marginal products.
This paper provides a deeper discussion for determinig the effects of HASS on product field life.
