Output performance reliability

A failure modes and effects analysis is a systematic analytical technique for identifying potential failures in a design or a process, assessing the probability of occurrence and likely effect, and determining the measures needed to eliminate, contain, or control the effects. Action taken on the basis of an FMEA will improve safety, performance, reliability, maintainability and reduce costs. The outputs are essential to balanced and effective quality plans for both development and production as it will help focus the controls upon those products, processes, and characteristics that are at risk. It is not the intention here to give a full appreciation of the FMEA technique and readers are advised to consult other texts. 

Products are bmlt on a series of processes, each with its own impact on the overall performance. The purpose of this step is to determine which processes need to be characterized. A process includes the combination of people, equipment, materials, methods, and environment that produces products or services. Any process whose inputs and outputs ate measured, monitored, controlled, or observed should be evaluated. Designs and processes for characterization are typically identified based on their overall impact to the business. A critical design and process is one that has major impact on cost, quality, manufacturability, performance, reliability, or customer satisfaction. Some of the methods and tools available for determining this are given below ... 

The process of calibration consists of linking an instrumental response or readout to performance. To calibrate instruments and devices, a trustworthy, traceable standard, procedure, or comparison is mandatory. Forensic laboratories calibrate equipment such as balances and pipets, as well as instruments, via calibration curves. All calibrations are transitory and must be repeated at intervals defined by standard operating procedures (SOPs) or known performance limitations. For example, an analytical balance might be calibrated weekly via NIST-traceable weights, while a calibration curve from a gas chromatograph might require recalibration or a calibration check every 12 hours. Calibration and calibration checks ensure that the device s output is reliable. Typically, the more complex the device, the more often and more detailed the calibration checking must be. 

Centrifugal-pump performance follows its hydraulic curve (i.e., head versus flow rate). Therefore, any variation in the total backpressure of the system causes a change in the pump s flow or output. Because pumps are designed to operate at their Best Efficiency Point (BEP), they become more and more unstable as they are forced to operate at any other point because of changes in total system pressure, or head (TSH). This instability has a direct impact on centrifugal-pump performance, reliability, operating costs, and required maintenance. 

Reliable operation of the system is ensured by the ability of the Detonator Module to continuously monitor the input circuits and the detonator output circuits, to supervise the coil and wiring of the solenoid valve or squib, as well as to perform a self-test procedure to allow verification of other critical circuits. 

The first practical silver—zinc battery was developed more then 60 years ago. Since then, primary and secondary silver—zinc batteries have attracted a variety of applications due to their high specific energy, proven reliability and safety, and the highest power output per unit weight and volume of all commercially available batteries. However, they find very limited use in commercial applications, because of their high price and limited cycle life. Development of a battery separator which will improve the performance and life of zinc based alkaline cells has been... 

This comprehensive approach allows for efficient integration between processes, different phases of product life cycle, and integration between different sites in the supply chain. This integration provides opportunity for efficiency in that process owners are integrated with each other s needs and expectations. Duplication of effort is avoided and efficiencies gained. Quality outputs from one process become reliable inputs into the next process. Management and leadership will have access and insight into compliance, infrastructure, and performance metrics of all processes on a comparable basis. This provides leadership the opportunity for risk-based resource allocation to appropriate areas of the enterprise. 

Commonly when a pharmaceutical industry purchases a new compression machine, a PQ is conducted. First, the company must select some of its well-known products and prepare them until the compression phase as usual. The product must be compressed by the new equipment using the same compression conditions, such as compression force and tablet output. The obtained tablets must meet all the specifications of that product. The parameters specified could be aspect, hardness, thickness, diameter, average mass and uniformity of mass, friability, and tablet output. If the tablets obtained comply with specifications, the compression machine is considered reliable to obtain a product with good quality and in a reproducible manner and the equipment is considered performance qualified. 

Different computer designs are used. As an example there are computer coordinator controllers. These groups of controllers are connected together so that they may all be changed at the same time from a single point. Also used are multi-zone microprocessors that monitor temperature, pressure, output rate, etc. that send either independently or coordinated signals from several sensors to achieve a more reliable and efficient performance. The microprocessor has to carry out control and monitoring functions such as ... 

Figure 3.4 shows subsystems and related materials in a CMP system. In addition to a polisher and post-CMP cleaning station, a CMP system encompasses slurry supply, waste treatment, monitors, slurry, and pad. The performance of a CMP system is measured by its output in (a) wafer uniformity, (b) polishing rate, (c) planarization efficiency within chip, and (d) defect count. From a mechanistic point of view, the tool uptime, throughput, and reliability of the system are also very important [16]. In order to satisfy these requirements, all subsystems described in Fig. 3.4 are considered as one total system of CMP and should be upgraded as a whole whenever needed. 

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