Most companies perform Failure Analysis/Failure Investigation (FA) during production and Returned Materials Authorization (RMA) analysis for products that are returned from the field. What can be difficult is linking the test results from the FA and RMA analyses to what happened during normal testing.

One of our customers uses the IntraStage Failure Analysis software and has the exact same testing equipment in their FA lab as they have in their manufacturing facility, and replicate the same testing procedure that was performed during manufacturing for anything that is returned from the field. By bringing in BOTH results to IntraStage, they can correlate the data and get a better idea of what test results from Manufacturing factor into failure in the field.  Identifying the most common attributes of failure (even if the measurements of the failed component in question passed their specified limits) provides actionable intelligence on improving design and process.

Perhaps more importantly, by identifying those attributes of failure, we can build a predictive analytics engine which can tell key personnel which serial numbers share those same attributes-whether they’re in the field, in a warehouse, or still on the production line- and give them the key information they need to proactively prevent further field failures.  And when you’re manufacturing medical devices or aerospace products, preventing product recalls and field failures from ever happening saves engineers far more than just headaches and time. It can save lives.

IntraStage software delivers a 360 degree view of quality, turning any test data into actionable information, allowing our customers to improve product quality, avoid recalls, reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction.