2001RM Accelerated Testing Tutorial

Copyright © 2001 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers. Reprinted from "2001 PROCEEDINGS Annual

RELIABILITY and MAINTAINABILITY Symposium," Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, USA, January 22-25, 2001.
This material is posted here with permission of the IEEE. Such

permission of the IEEE does not in any way imply IEEE
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ReliaSoft
ReliaSoft
Accelerated Life Test Analysis
Understanding
RAMS
RAMS 2001
2001
Accelerated
Life-Testing
Analysis
Pantelis Vassiliou and Adamantios Mettas
ReliaSoft
ReliaSoft
Corporation
Corporation
www.ReliaSoft.com
www.Weibull.com
ALTA 1
ReliaSoft Corporation Phone: 520-886-0366, Fax: 520-886-0399, www.ReliaSoft.com
RAMS 2001 ReliaSoft Corporation Phone: 520-886-0366, Fax: 520-886-0399, www.ReliaSoft.com
Accelerated Testing
ë No one can realistically wait years to see how things

really turn out.
ALTA 2
Types of Accelerated Tests
ë ESS and Burn-in

ë Qualitative Tests
ë Quantitative Tests
ALTA 3
ESS (Environmental Stress

Screening)
ë A process involving the application of
environmental stimuli to products
ë The goal of ESS is to expose, identify and
eliminate latent defects which cannot be
detected by visual inspection or electrical
testing but which will cause failures in the field.
ë ESS is performed on the entire population and
does not involve sampling.
ALTA 4
Burn-in
ë Burn-in can be regarded as a special case of ESS.
ë According to MIL-STD-883C, Burn-in is a test
performed for the purpose of screening or
eliminating marginal devices.
ë Marginal devices are those with inherent defects
or defects resulting from manufacturing
aberrations which cause time- and stress-
dependent failures.
ë As with ESS, Burn-in is performed on the entire
population.
ALTA 5
Accelerated Testing:
Qualitative Tests
ë An accelerated test that
yields Failure Information
(or Failure modes) only, is
commonly called a
Qualitative Test (or Shake &
Bake Test,
Test HALT,
HALT Elephant
Test,
Test etc.) .
ALTA 6
Accelerated Testing:
Qualitative Tests
ë Overstressing of products to “quickly”
obtain failures is perhaps the oldest form
of Reliability Testing.
No Life (Reliability)
Information is
usually obtained!
ALTA 7
What are Qualitative Tests?

Torture tests are performed on small sample sizes
and the specimens are subjected to a harsh
environment (i.e. severe levels of stress).
• If the specimen survives, it passes the test.
• Torture test data cannot usually be extrapolated to use
conditions.
ALTA 8
Qualitative Test
ë Benefits
• Increase Reliability by revealing probable failure
modes.
ë Unanswered Questions
• What is the Reliability of the Product?
• Are the failure modes the same as the ones that
will occur during the life of the product under
normal use?
ALTA 9
Quantitative Accelerated Life Testing
Qualitative or Torture Test
ë Quantitative Accelerated
Life Testing, unlike the
Qualitative Testing, is Accelerated Life Test*
designed to provide
Reliability Information on
the product, component
or system. *in the context of this tutorial
ALTA 10
Data Needed: Time-to-failure Data
ë Time-to-failure can be in any quantitative

measure, such as hours, days, cycles, miles,
actuations, etc.
ALTA 11
“Usage Rate Acceleration” or

“Continuous Use Acceleration”
ë Easiest and most common form of Accelerated
Life Testing is “Continuous Use Acceleration.”
Average Use = 10 hours a week!
1 Week = 168 hr
Possible Acceleration Factor = 16
ALTA 12
The Problem with

“Continuous Use Acceleration”
ë How do you accelerate “High Usage”
products?
• Many products have a very high (even continuous)
usage rate such as TV’s, computers, electronic
devices, etc.
ALTA 13
Accelerate High Usage Products?
ë Perform a life test in which stress levels

exceed the actual use conditions in order to
accelerate the cause(s) of failure. Use this
Accelerated Life Test data to extrapolate to
use conditions.
ALTA 14
Overstress Acceleration
-Acceleration Via Higher Stresses-
ë Accelerated tests can be performed
at elevated temperature, humidity,
voltage, pressure, vibration, etc., or
in a combination manner, in order
to accelerate the failure
mechanisms.
ALTA 15
Stress Levels
ë The test stresses should be chosen so that

they accelerate the failure modes under
consideration.
ë Test stress levels should be chosen so that
they do not introduce failure modes that would
never occur under use conditions (i.e. material
phase change).
ALTA 16
No Free Lunch
ë Stress levels must be high “enough” so that
enough failures are observed within the
allowable testing time.
ë The higher the accelerated stress from the
operating stress, the greater the uncertainty of
the extrapolation.
ALTA 17
Stress Levels
Destruct Limits
Design Limits
Stress
Specification Limits
Design Limits
Destruct Limits
ALTA 18
Understanding Accelerated Life

Test Analysis
ë Estimate life distribution of the product in a
shorter time.
•Percent failing under

warranty
•Assess risk
•Compare designs
•Determine wear-out
period (product
performance
degradation)
ALTA 19
Understanding ALT
-Looking at a Single Constant Stress ALT-
f(t)
ss s
Stre Stres
e h
Us Hig
Life (t)
Stress
ALTA 20
Determine a Relationship between “Test

Stresses” and the “Use Stresses”
ë Use a Mathematical Model to describe the
relationship (Y=mx+b is a simple Linear Model).
A L in e a r R e la tio n s h ip A n E x p o n e n tia l R e la t io n s h ip
Life=exp(a/stress)
ALTA 21
ë The more points we have, the better off we are

in correctly determining the Life-Stress
relationship (fitting the model to our data).
ALTA 22
Overview of the Analysis Steps

Accelerated Life Models usually consist of:
ë A Life Distribution (i.e. Weibull)
ë Life-Stress Relationship(s).
Probability Plot
99.00
Unreliability, F(t)
50.00
10.00
5.00
1.00
0.01 0.10 1.00 10.00 100.00 1000.00 10000.00
Time, (t)
ALTA 23
pdf vs. Time vs. Stress Relationship
ALTA 24
Data
ë Life (times-to-failure) data is obtained from in-

house accelerated testing.
ë Obtain data on the stress(es) used.
ë Obtain data on the stress(es) the product will
encounter under normal use conditions.
ALTA 25
Probability Plot
Life Distribution
100.00
50.00
Reliability, R(t)
10.00
5.00
ë Choose an appropriate 1.00
Life Distribution
0.50
0.10
Probability Plot • Exponential (rarely 0.05
appropriate but easy to use!)

99.90
0.01
10.00 68.00 126.00 184.00 242.00 300.00
Time, (t)
50.00
Unreliability, F(t)
• Weibull (appropriate for

Probability Plot
99.90
10.00
most uses)
5.00
Unreliability, F(t)
1.00
0.50
0.10 50.00
0.05
0.01
• Lognormal (appropriate for 10.00
most uses)
5.00
10.00 100.00 1000.00
Time, (t) 1.00
0.50
0.10
0.05
0.01
10.00 100.00 1000.00
Time, (t)
ALTA 26
Stress-Life Relationship
ë Select (or create) a model that describes a
characteristic of the distribution from one
stress level to another.
ALTA 27
What Distribution Characteristic?

ë Life Characteristic, Distribution Parameter,
etc. (Mean, Median, R(x), F(x), λ,β,η,µ,σ)
Weibull Distribution with η(s) as a function of stress
ALTA 28
Parameters commonly used

as a Function of Stress for different
life distributions
ë Exponential (Mean or Failure Rate)
ë Weibull (Scale Parameter)
• Shape parameter usually* assumed to be constant!
ë Lognormal (Ln-Mean or Median)
• Ln-Std parameter usually* assumed to be constant!
*Makes mathematics more palatable!
ALTA 29
Reliability vs. Time vs. Stress Relationship

Using a Weibull Distribution and an Exponential Life Relationship
Reliability vs Stress Surface
ALTA 30
Overview of some Simple Stress-Life

Relationships
ë Arrhenius Relationship
• Commonly used for analyzing data for which
temperature is the accelerated stress.
L(V ) = C ⋅e V
ALTA 31
ë Eyring Relationship
• Commonly used for analyzing data for which
temperature is the accelerated stress.
 B
1 −  A− 
L(V ) = ⋅e  V
V
ë Inverse Power Law Relationship
• Commonly used for analyzing data for which the
accelerated stress is non-thermal in nature.
1
L(V ) =
K ⋅V n
ALTA 32
ë Temperature-Humidity Relationship
φ b 
 + 
L(U ,V ) = A ⋅e V U 
ë Temperature-Humidity Relationship
C
L(U , V ) = B
−
n V
U e
ALTA 33
Parameter Estimation
ë Parameter estimation can vary from being

trivial (with ample data, a single constant stress, a simple
distribution and simple model) to being an impossible
task.
• Available Methods
– Graphical
– Least Squares
– MLE
ALTA 34
Reliability Information
ë Once the parameters of the underlying life distribution
and stress-life relationship have been estimated, a
variety of reliability information about the product can
be derived such as:
• Warranty time.
• The instantaneous failure rate, which indicates the number of
failures occurring per unit time.
• The mean life which provides a measure of the average time
of operation to failure.
ALTA 35
Stress Loading
ë Must be Able to Quantify the Stresses Applied
ë The application of stresses must be done in
some logical and controlled fashion.
ë Accurate data on the stresses applied as well
as the observed behavior of the test
specimens must be kept.
ALTA 36
Types of Stress Loading
ë Two possible stress loading schemes.

• Stress is Time Independent.
• Stress is Time Dependent.
– Stress is Quasi-Time Independent
– Stress is Continuously Time Dependent.
ALTA 37

Time-Independent
s ≠ f(t)
Stress is time independent!
ALTA 38

Time-Dependent (Quasi Time-Dependent )
Stress is time dependent!

(Quasi time independent) s = f(t)
ALTA 39

Time-Dependent (Continuously Time-
Dependent )
Stress is time dependent!
s = f(t)
ALTA 40
An Introduction to the Arrhenius

Relationship
ë The Arrhenius model (or relationship) was
originally formulated for accelerated life
testing, where the acceleration variable (or
stress) is thermal (i.e., temperature). It can also
be used for other stress variables.
ë The life at use stress level is estimated from
life data obtained at different stress levels.
ALTA 41
The Arrhenius model is given by,

B
L(V ) = C ⋅e V
(1)
where,
ë L represents a quantifiable life measure, such as mean
life, characteristic life, median life, or B(x) life, etc.
ë V represents the stress level,
ë C is one of the model parameters to be determined, (C>0)
ë B is another model parameter to be determined.
ALTA 42
Arrhenius Relationship, cont.

ë The Arrhenius relationship can be linearized
and plotted on a life vs. stress plot, also called
the Arrhenius plot. The relationship is
linearized by taking the natural logarithm of
both sides in eq (1) or,
B
ln( L(V )) = ln(C ) +
V
ALTA 43
Arrhenius Plot
ALTA 44
A Look at the Parameter B
ë Depending on the application (and

where the stress is exclusively
thermal), the parameter B can be
replaced by,
EA activation energy activation energy
B= = =
K Boltzman's constant 8.623 ×10 − 5 eV ⋅K − 1
ALTA 45
A Look at the Parameter B,

cont.
ë Note that in this formulation, the activation
energy must be known apriori.
ë If the activation energy is known then there is
only one model parameter remaining, C.
ë Because in most real life situations this is rarely
the case, all subsequent formulations will
assume that this activation energy is unknown
and treat B as one of the model parameters.
ALTA 46
Behavior of the
parameter B
ë B is a measure of
the effect that the
stress (i.e.,
temperature) has
on the life.
ALTA 47
Arrhenius Weibull
β
β− 1 t 
β t  −
η 

f (t ) = ⋅
 
 e  
η η 
B
η = L(V ) = C ⋅e V
ë Therefore: β− 1

 t


β
  − 
β  t 
B
 
f (t , V ) = ⋅
B   e  C ⋅e V 
 
B
C ⋅e C ⋅e V
V

ALTA 48
Generated by: ReliaSoft's ALTA - www.ReliaSoft.com - 888-886-0410
Pdf vs Time
0.01
Pdf vs Stress
8.00E-3
Generated by: ReliaSoft's ALTA - www.ReliaSoft.com - 888-886-0410

Reliability vs Time
6.00E-3 1.00
426 K
Pdf
4.00E-3 0.80
416 K
426 K
2.00E-3 0.60
Reliability
406 K
416 K
0 0.40
0 400.00 800.00 1200.00 1600.00 2000.00
Time
406 K
0.20
0
0 320.00 640.00 960.00 1280.00 1600.00
Time
ALTA 49
Acceleration Factor
ë The ratio of the life (or acceleration characteristic)
between the use level and a higher test stress
level or,
LUSE
AF =
L Accelerated
ë For the Arrhenius model this factor is,

B B
B B 
LUSE C ⋅e Vu
e Vu  −
V V 

AF = = B
= B
=e  u A 
L Accelerated
C ⋅e VA
e VA
ALTA 50
Example
ë The MLE
estimates
obtained
using [10]
are:
)
β= 4.291
)
B = 1861.618
)
C = 58.984
ALTA 51
Example, cont.
ë Once the parameters of the model are estimated,
extrapolation and other life measures can be directly
obtained using the appropriate equations.
ë Using the MLE method, confidence bounds for all
estimates can be obtained.
ë The more distant the accelerated stress from the
operating stress, the greater the uncertainty of the
extrapolation. The degree of uncertainty is reflected in
the confidence bounds.
ALTA 52
Effects of Extrapolation
ALTA 53
Other Single Constant Stress Models
ë The same formulations can be applied to other

models such as the
• Eyring Relationship (exponential relationship).
• Inverse Power Law Relationship (power relationship).
• Coffin Manson Relationship (power relationship
utilizing a ∆V for stress).
ALTA 54
Other Single Constant Stress

Models,cont.
ë One must be cautious in selecting a model. The
physical characteristics of the failure mode under
consideration must be understood and the selected
model must be appropriate.
ë As an example in cases where the failure mode is
fatigue the use of an exponential relationship would be
inappropriate since the physical mechanism is based on
a power relation, thus a power model would be more
appropriate (i.e., Inverse Power Law model).
ALTA 55
Introduction to Two-Stress Models

ë Temperature-Humidity
φ b 
 + 
L(U ,V ) = A ⋅e V U 
ë Temperature-Non Thermal
C
L(U , V ) = B
−
n V
U e
ALTA 56
Effect of each stress on product life

Generated by: ReliaSoft's ALTA - www.ReliaSoft.com - 888-886-0410 Generated by: ReliaSoft's ALTA - www.ReliaSoft.com - 888-886-0410
Life vs Stress Life vs Stress

1000.00 10000.00
Life
Life
100.00 1000.00
10.00 100.00
358.00 368.40 378.80 389.20 399.60 410.00 0.20 1.00
Temperature Relative Humidity
ALTA 57
Note on Two-Stress Type Testing
ë When using two-stress relationships, the

effect of both stresses on life is sought.
ë For this reason, the test must be performed in

a combination manner between the different
stress levels of the two stress types.
ALTA 58
Note on Two-Stress Type Testing,

cont.
ë For example, assume that an accelerated test is to be
performed at two temperature and two humidity
levels. The two temperature levels were chosen to be
300K and 343K. The two humidity levels were chosen
to be 0.6, and 0.8. It would be wrong to perform the
test at (300K, 0.6) and (343K, 0.8).
ë Doing so would not provide information about the
temperature-humidity effects on life.
ë This is because both stresses are increased at the
same time and therefore it is unknown which stress is
causing the acceleration on life.
ALTA 59
A Very Simple Tutorial Example
ALTA 60
Analysis
Probability Lognormal
99.00
IPL/Log
Data 2
90
F=6 | S=0
180
F=6 | S=0
Unreliability
50.00
10.00
5.00
ë Use the Coffin-Manson
Relationship
Adamantios Mettas
ReliaSoft Corp.
10/9/00
2:19:18 PM
1.00
1.00 10.00 100.00
Number of Cycles
Std=0.1459, K=1.1264E-5, n=1.8740

ALTA 61
100.00
At 45o
Life vs Stress
IPL/Log
Analysis, cont.
At 45º Cycles
Mean Life=71.6 Data 2
Median
Mean Life
45
F=12 | S=0
Acceleration Factor vs Stress

20.00
IPL/Log
Life
10.00 Data 2
45
F=12 | S=0
16.00
Acceleration factor
12.00
ReliaSoft Corp.
10/9/00
2:24:48 PM
1.00
10.00 100.00 1000.00 8.00
Stress
Std=0.1459, K=1.1264E-5, n=1.8740 4.00
ReliaSoft Corp.
Note that the base 45° data 0
10/9/00
2:21:02 PM
10.00 48.00 86.00 124.00 162.00 200.00
yielded an MTTF estimate of Stress
70.33 cycles (utilizing a Std=0.1459, K=1.1264E-5, n=1.8740

lognormal distribution). ALTA 62

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Copyright © 2001 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics

Engineers. Reprinted from "2001 PROCEEDINGS Annual

This material is posted here with permission of the IEEE. Such

By choosing to view this document, you agree to all provision of the

ë No one can realistically wait years to see how things

Types of Accelerated Tests

ë ESS and Burn-in

ESS (Environmental Stress

What are Qualitative Tests?

Quantitative Accelerated Life Testing

Qualitative or Torture Test

Data Needed: Time-to-failure Data

ë Time-to-failure can be in any quantitative

“Usage Rate Acceleration” or

Average Use = 10 hours a week!

Possible Acceleration Factor = 16

The Problem with

Accelerate High Usage Products?

ë Perform a life test in which stress levels

ë The test stresses should be chosen so that

Understanding Accelerated Life

•Percent failing under

Determine a Relationship between “Test

ë The more points we have, the better off we are

Overview of the Analysis Steps

pdf vs. Time vs. Stress Relationship

ë Life (times-to-failure) data is obtained from in-

ë Choose an appropriate 1.00

Probability Plot • Exponential (rarely 0.05

appropriate but easy to use!)

• Weibull (appropriate for

What Distribution Characteristic?

Parameters commonly used

*Makes mathematics more palatable!

Reliability vs. Time vs. Stress Relationship

Overview of some Simple Stress-Life

ë Parameter estimation can vary from being

Types of Stress Loading

ë Two possible stress loading schemes.

Types of Stress Loading

Stress is time independent!

Types of Stress Loading

Stress is time dependent!

Types of Stress Loading

Stress is time dependent!

An Introduction to the Arrhenius

The Arrhenius model is given by,

Arrhenius Relationship, cont.

A Look at the Parameter B

ë Depending on the application (and

A Look at the Parameter B,

Generated by: ReliaSoft's ALTA - www.ReliaSoft.com - 888-886-0410

Generated by: ReliaSoft's ALTA - www.ReliaSoft.com - 888-886-0410

ë For the Arrhenius model this factor is,

Other Single Constant Stress Models

ë The same formulations can be applied to other

Other Single Constant Stress

Introduction to Two-Stress Models

Effect of each stress on product life

Life vs Stress Life vs Stress

Note on Two-Stress Type Testing

ë When using two-stress relationships, the

ë For this reason, the test must be performed in