December 14, 2008 -- Most executives responsible for managing product performance or warranty returns will tell you that the most common headaches in manufacturing come from suppliers or manufacturers. For example, a new, cheaper supplier used the wrong material, or a process went haywire for a day or two. These issues, which manufacturers often describe as “random” failures, are the primary drivers for the cost of quality. So, who cares about design? Well, you should. Designing for reliability plays a critical role in the ultimate success or failure of your product. Design plays an integral role in the manufacturability of your product. The easier the design is to manufacture, the greater its tolerance to the standard variation in all manufacturing processes. Design also plays an important role in component reliability, because designs that avoid the use of extended-value components and minimize the application of thermal and electrical stresses reduce the risk that marginal components will induce product failure.

You cannot overlook the degree of risk you incur by ignoring design-for-reliability issues. Component or manufacturing problems, as prevalent as they are, tend to affect a small percentage of products. For some manufacturers, however, a small percentage translates to costs of hundreds of millions of dollars. Design issues can kill every unit your customer uses. So, what are some of the most common mistakes in electronic design?

By Craig Hillman, PhD. (Hillman is Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of DFR Solutions.)