Accelerated Test Methods for Ground and Aerospace Vehicle Development

Engineers and managers involved with product development are constantly challenged to reduce time to market, minimize warranty costs, and increase product quality. With less and less time for testing, the need for effective accelerated test procedures has never been greater.

This course covers the benefits, limitations, processes, and applications of several proven accelerated test methods including accelerated reliability, step stress, FSLT (Full System Life Test), FMVT® (Failure Mode Verification Testing), HALT (Highly Accelerated Life Testing), and HASS (Highly Accelerated Stress Screening). It is designed for anyone involved in product design, life testing, reliability testing and validation for passenger cars, light trucks, heavy duty, off-highway or aerospace vehicles, including reliability engineers, validation engineers, design engineers and their managers. Users or purchasers of testing or engineering services will also find this course to be valuable.

Based on the popular classroom seminar, this course offers more than 10 hours of instruction divided into fourteen modules; a coordinated handbook; and a copy of the instructor's book, Accelerated Testing and Validation Management, which includes numerous hands-on exercises and a CD with analytical spreadsheets.

Major topics include:

• Statistical Limitations and Innovation vs. Commodity[Total Run Time: 36 minutes]
  • Identify the fundamentals of a statistical reliability test
  • Recognize the limits of statistical analysis and the effects of product types
• Product Availability and Supply Chain Effects[Total Run Time: 29 minutes]
  • Identify the impact of product availability and the relationships within the supply chain
  • Recognize the effects of the transportation supply chain
• Terms and Definitions for Accelerated Testing[Total Run Time: 24 minutes]
  • Summarize the definitions for goals, methods and limitations of test methods
  • Summarize the classification and differentiation of accelerated test methods
  • Summarize the definition of key terms
• Full Life System Testing [Total Run Time: 44 minutes]
  • Restate the goal of a full system life test
  • Explain the basic methods of a full system life test
  • Discover how to reduce test time by cycling faster
  • Discover how to reduce test time by eliminating non-damaging conditions
  • Discuss the limitations and assumptions inherent in this method
• Step Stress[Total Run Time: 49 minutes]
  • Explain why achieving failure is successful
  • Demonstrate one life in a mandated test while finding failures
  • Examine the limitations and assumptions of the test method
• Accelerated Reliability[Total Run Time: 34 minutes]
  • Distinguish the stress vs. life vs. probability relationship
  • Determine when to use the accelerated reliability technique
• Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT)[Total Run Time: 47 minutes]
  • Understand why to test to multiple failures
  • Demonstrate when to test in the stress axis instead of the time axis
  • Predict the operational and destruct margins
  • Relate the importance of vibration
  • State the importance of vibration frequency range on strain
• Failure Mode Verification Testing (FMVT) [Total Run Time: 1 hour, 19 minutes]
  • Identify stresses
  • Identify failure
  • Summarize the definition of failure
  • Discuss the service to destruct limit
  • Describe failure mode progression analysis
  • Perform Design Maturity Analysis
• Reliability, Warranty and Maturity [Total Run Time: 14 minutes]
  • Recognize the interaction between statistical reliability estimates, warranty rates and failure modes
• Data Analysis Techniques [Total Run Time: 52 minutes]
  • Analyze non-statistical data for maturity, potential for improvement
  • Accommodate uncertainty and large systems
• Overcoming Life Prediction Limitations in HALT and FMVT [Total Run Time: 39 minutes]
  • Review the details of setting up an accelerated test for multiple stress sources with an eye towards life prediction
  • Determine a life estimate from an accelerated test to failure such as HALT and FMVT using several different methods
  • Understand when each method for life prediction can be used
• Program Acceleration [Total Run Time: 6 minutes]
  • Recognize the importance of accelerating a whole program and not just an individual test
• Hybrid Test Methods [Total Run Time: 50 minutes]
  • Combine two or more tests based on the strengths and weaknesses of the tests
• Synthesis [Total Run Time: 59 minutes]
  • Synthesize a concise set of tests that traceably satisfy the hypothesis that must be true for the product to work, while meeting timing

About the Instructor: Alexander (Alex) J. Porter
Alexander J. Porter is the Chief Engineer for Programs, Performance, and Durability for Intertek, and has been with the company since 1992. Since 1996, he has been developing accelerated testing methods for mechanical components and systems. Mr. Porter has three patents relating to accelerated testing equipment and has authored over 40 articles and technical papers on accelerated testing. Alex is the author of the book Accelerated Testing and Validation, Elsevier 2004. His work in the past has included implementation of FEA in a laboratory setting and development of a thermal management system for an advanced data acquisition package developed by NASA's Drydon Flight Research Facility. Alex is a member of SAE and IEEE. He holds a B.S. in aircraft engineering and an M.S. in mechanical engineering, both from Western Michigan University.

Is this e-Seminar for You?
This e-Seminar is designed for anyone involved in product design, life testing, reliability testing and validation for passenger cars, light trucks, heavy duty, off-highway or aerospace vehicles, including reliability engineers, validation engineers, design engineers and their managers. Users or purchasers of testing or engineering services will also find this course to be valuable. There are no prerequisites for this course although a technical background is helpful.

About e-Seminars
SAE "e-Seminars" are electronically delivered seminars featuring full-motion video illustrated with synchronized presentation slides. e-Seminars are based on some of SAE's most highly attended and rated classroom seminars.

Convenient & Portable Learning
Convenient and portable, SAE e-Seminars offer a new way to receive the same instruction as live classroom learning without the expense of travel and time away from the workplace. Using a laptop or PC with a CD-ROM drive or Internet connection, you can view individual modules at your own pace, at times convenient to you.

What Will You Receive?

CD-ROM Delivery	Online Delivery
Three (3) CDs Course Handbook (bound, paperback)	365 days of access from date of purchase Links to streaming video modules Course Handbook (downloadable, .pdf's, subject to DRM)
Both
The book, Accelerated Testing and Validation Management by Alexander J. Porter Online Pre-test (self-test, immediate results) Online Post-test (submit to SAE) 1.0 CEUs*/Certificate of Achievement (with satisfactory post-test score)

*SAE e-Seminars award the IACET CEU.

Equipment Requirements

CD-ROM Delivery	Online Delivery
Pentium PC 200 MHZ 32 MB RAM 32X CD-ROM Drive	Pentium III PC Minimum 128 MB RAM; recommended 256 MB RAM IE 6 & above browser recommended Macromedia Flash Player 8.0 & above Broadband-128Kbps and above
Both
Windows 2000, XP (Not currently supported by Windows Vista) 1024 X 768 Screen Resolution Sound Card/Speakers

Available in Single-User packages. Quantity discounts for three or more students and Site License options also are available - complete a Corporate Learning Solutions Request Form for a quote.

For more detail, email CustomerService@sae.org; or call
1-877-606-7323 (U.S. and Canada) or 724-776-4970 (outside US and Canada).

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