THE NEED FOR CONSISTENCY ACROSS CONNECTOR RELIABILITY TESTS

• By: iNEMI
• On: 04/04/2016 15:33:00
• In: iNEMI Blog

It's no news to anyone how quickly technology of all shapes and sizes is moving in the modern era. The increased pace at which technology develops increases end user expectations that these products will function exceptionally well under any circumstance. To this end, the parts which comprise key technologies must be tested rigorously to ensure that they will perform under pressure, with high reliability.

Test capabilities across connector suppliers has typically been inconsistent. This means a connector with the same physical characteristics manufactured by Supplier A would be tested differently and ultimately, could have a completely different reliability level than a connector manufactured by Supplier B. This poses critical issues for organizations purchasing and depending on connectors for the functionality of their own products. This dependency magnifies in industries that require ultra-precise measurements and reliability in order to produce products of the highest quality.

The problem with the differences in connector reliability testing between OEMs is that the level for a “passing” connector also varies and thus if your organization were sourcing this part for a new product, you would not be able to accurately make an apples-to-apples comparison. What does this mean for your organization when sourcing connectors? Non-standardization leads to:

Quality Risk

If your team lacks the ability to compare connectors accurately, it risks purchasing a type which may not meet the technical reliability specifications your products require. This poses a risk that your own products will be of poor quality, risking brand image.

Increased Time to Completion

With non-standardized testing, evaluating different connectors to the utmost degree of certainty is a cumbersome process and could impede your project deadlines which impact other tasks. For the introduction of new products, this could mean delaying or even missing the launch date.

Additional Incurred Costs

Multiple pieces of this process can lead to your organization incurring higher costs. First of all, your staff will be focusing their attention on accurate comparison. This can lead to inefficient use of staffing funds or more funds spent on resources. Additionally, in the event that your product suffers in quality due to connector reliability, your organization could face costs associated with brand damage, or even recalls.

Operational Headaches

At the very least, the effort it takes to compare connector reliability based on different passing requirements produces a large amount of frustration for those evaluating the parts and anyone downstream of any inefficiencies stemming from inaccuracy.
 

The need to develop industry-standard approaches for connector reliability testing was real, and iNEMI heard that feedback in 2013 through their connector industry survey. The iNEMI Connector Reliability Test Recommendations project group set out to solve this problem, leading to the development of a connector standard list of levels for each package connector type. Learn more about how the group worked together to solve this problem and their findings by registering for the end-of-project webinar (registration is exclusive to iNEMI members).