2012 EVENTS: JANUARY - MARCH

Click here for our public Google Calendar at Calendar of Events

Course: Design for Reliability
Date(s): January 30-31, 2012 and again February 3-4, 2012
Time: 9am-5pm
Instructor: :Mike Silverman, Ops A La Carte
Length: 2 Days
Cost: Rs.12000 (US $225). We offer a Rs.2000 discount for AeSI Members / Academia
Location: India - Jan 30-31 in Bangalore and Feb 3-4 in Pune

Description: Reliability is no longer a separate activity performed by a distinct group within the organization. Product reliability goals, concerns and activities are integrated into nearly every function and process of an organization. Each organization must factor reliability into every decision in order to ensure produce a successful product.  The old Test-Analyze-and-Fix philosophies no longer have a place in today’s design process due to continuous cost reduction pressures and reduced design cycles.

In this seminar, we will teach you the proper techniques to achieving Design for Reliability (DfR).  We will take you through the four key phases of the product life cycle and how to integrate reliability within each phase:
1) Concept Phase
2) Design Phase
3) Prototype Phase
4) Manufacturing Phase

In the Concept Phase, you will learn how to assess your reliability program and how to benchmark against competitors in order to properly set the goal.  You will also learn how to set metrics so that you can measure where you are against your goal at various stages in the product development process. Then you will learn how to write a Reliability Program Plan that encompasses your goals as well as all of the reliability activities that you will use to achieve your goals.

In the Design Phase, you will learn the best design analysis techniques to both improve and measure your product reliability while it is still being designed. These techniques include Reliability Predictions, FMEAs, Thermal Analysis, and Design of Experiments.

In the Prototype Phase, you will learn the best testing techniques to both discover any residual product weaknesses and to demonstrate your product reliability before it is released to production.  These techniques include HALT, Accelerated Life Testing, and Reliability Demonstration Testing.

In the Manufacturing Phase, you will learn the best manufacturing reliability techniques to screen products for defects before shipping to customers and how to measure product performance in the field and feed it back into the product development process to improve the process for future iterations of the product.

Course Brochure: DFR Course, India

FREE WEBINAR on Design of Experiments (DOE) and Its Many Uses within Reliability, February 1, 2012, 8:30am-9:30am
Click here to REGISTER

This is part of our monthly FREE Webinar series

Experimental design activities will be discussed including orthogonal matrix selection (with modification), factor selection, factor assignment, measurement system selection, objective(s) definition, and the process of planning and implementing experiments. Special attention will be give to experiments with reliability/robustness improvement objectives. Webinar is intended for practitioners, engineers, and engineering managers who have testing and experimentation responsibilities.

. For more info or to register, please

FREE Seminar on Gaining Control over Cost and Quality in Global Manufacturing – State-of-the-Art Approaches from Design to Sourcing to ProductionFebruary 7, 2012, 8:30am-1pm, Agilent, Santa Clara, CA
Click here to REGISTER
Date(s): February 7
Time: 8:30-1pm
Speakers: Mike Silverman of Ops A La Carte, Duane Lowenstein of Agilent, Nader Fathi of Camstar, Jason Ruppert of Harmonic
Cost: FREE
Location: Agilent Technologies, 5301 Stevens Creek Blvd., Santa Clara, California 95051
Description: Global competition is accelerating the pace of innovation and development of complex electronics systems, while forcing down price to consumers. Product life cycles are shrinking, shortening the time required for new products to ramp to volume production, while trying to ensure highest quality to avoid brand erosion. As Brand Owners look to reduce manufacturing costs and focus on core competencies, outsourcing (be it domestic or offshore) all or part of manufacturing has become an imperative. New challenges are in play for many Brand Owners: Retaining control of product quality which has often been “transferred” to the contract manufacturer. To retain control, leading manufacturers are taking a holistic view of their manufacturing supply chain and turning to cloud computing technologies to ensure real-time multi-tier supply chain visibility while fostering an ongoing collaboration with suppliers.

In this seminar, experts will address global manufacturing strategies that have proven results improving product quality while reducing costs. The speakers will share best practices from industry leaders who have successfully implemented collaborative, state-of-the-art solutions with their suppliers and contract manufacturers and achieved results in cost and quality.

8:30 AM – 9:15 AM: Registration/Breakfast/Introductions
9:15 AM – 9:45 AM: Using Design for Reliability to Reduce Product Life Cycle Costs – Mike Silverman, Managing Partner, Senior Reliability Consultant, Ops A La Carte
9:45 AM – 10:15 AM: The Economics of Diagnostics and Repair in Development, Production, and Support – Duane Lowenstein, Business Development Manager, Agilent Technologies
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM: Break
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM: A Holistic View of Quality – Nader Fathi, General Manager, Supply Chain Quality, Camstar
11:00 AM – 11:45 AM: The Necessity of Real-Time Product Quality Visibility in an outsourced High Mix/Low Volume Mfg Operation, Harmonic
11:45 AM – 1:00 PM: Lunch and Follow-Up Discussion
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MD&M West - February 13-16, 2012, Anaheim, CA

On Feb 16, we will be giving a one day seminar called "Medical Device Reliability Testing".  Register at: MD&M

For more info, please

IPC APEX - February 26 to March 1, 2012, San Diego, CA

On Sunday February 26th from 9am-12pm Vijay Prasad of Ops A La Carte will be presenting a 3 hour seminar on "Reliability Program Planning: Optimizing Analysis and Testing in a New Product Development Environment"

For more info, please

Warranty Chain Management (WCM) Conference - March 6-8, 2012, Orlando, Florida

Ops A La Carte's Fred Schenkelberg will be presenting a workshop on "Five Ways To Reduce Warranty Costs".

For more info, please

FREE WEBINAR on Tribology and Reliability, March 7, 2012, 11:30am-12:30pm
Click here to REGISTER

This is part of our monthly FREE Webinar series

Tribology is the science and engineering of interacting surfaces in relative motion.  In this seminar, we will introduce the basics of Tribology, their impact on reliability and do so from the perspective of machine applications. Lubrication, film thickness, loads and Hertzian contact types effect the reliability of a design.  Weibull is frequently used to model wear characteristics, but is this always the best distribution for characterizing the reliability of machine elements?  All of these areas will be explored.

. For more info or to register, please

International Reliability Innovations Symposium (IRIS) - March 16, 2012, San Jose, CA and via WEBINAR

The IEEE Reliability Society of Silicon Valley is sponsoring a conference specifically devoted to innovation. We have just opened the "Call for Papers". Deadline for submission is January 20, 2012.

For more info, please

Interdisciplinary Engineering Design and Education Conference (IEDEC) - March 19, 2012, Santa Clara, CA

Ops A La Carte's Fred Schenkelberg will be giving a presentation at this conference.

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SMTA Solar Conference - March 21-23, 2012, San Jose, CA

Ops A La Carte's Fred Schenkelberg will be giving a presentation at this conference on the reliability of solar panels.

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MONTHLY TALKS

IEEE Reliability Society Talks - 1st Thursday of every month 7-9pm PST

About Event: IEEE Reliability Soceity holds meetings once a month. The link to the events is at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/r6/scv/rl/index.htm. The next event is on Feb 2nd entitled "Best of RAMS" where we highlight the best papers presented at the 2012 Reliability and Maintainability Symposium.

For more info, please

ASQ Statistics Talks- 2nd Wednesday of every month 6:30-8:30pm PST

About Event: ASQ Statistics Society holds meetings once a month. The link to the events is at: http://www.asq-silicon-valley.org/discussion-groups/statistics-and-reliability

For more info, please

2012 Lunch and Learn Series - Quarterly Event

About Event: Once a quarter, we will hold a topical event in the area of product realization. The next event is on Feb 16 entitled "New Product Introduction - Launching Success!"

For more info, please