There are several reasons why manufacturers need an automotive burn in test before they sell a batch of their products to the public. For example, this assessment checks components for potential failure due to heat and humidity. Selling an item prone to this error can cause trouble to the reputation of the company.
The reputation of a company is at stake every time they sell its products. While there are disadvantages like an increase in production cost, its advantages outweigh them. However, customers like you may not know the full extent of the benefits that an automotive burn in test provides its manufacturers.
Read this article to learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of an automotive burn in test and how it benefits customers like you.
What Consumers Need to Know About Automotive Burn In Test
Before learning about the benefits that an automotive burn in test brings to customers, you need to know about its definition.
An automotive burn in test is a process in which manufacturers detect earl failures in their products. During this assessment, they expose an item to extreme operating conditions, which is typically a higher temperature and voltage. Dormant defects in a batch will manifest, therefore, manufacturers eliminate these products.
Now that you know what an automotive burn in test is, continue reading to learn more about its advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages
Early Detection of Defective Components
One of the primary reasons manufacturers conduct an automotive burn in test is it helps them determine faulty products before they reach the market. There are numerous potential sources of failure that an item can have due to mistakes during the manufacturing or production process. As devices get more complex over time, the need for an automotive burn in test increases.
Additionally, manufacturers may employ an environmental chamber to simulate various conditions. Some of these are listed below:
- Extreme temperature
- Humidity
- Thermal shock
- Air pressure
- Corrosion
- Radiation
These simulations provide stress on products, which increases the likelihood of dormant defects showing up. While traditional testing can detect some of these faults, it is not as reliable as an automotive burn in test.
Higher Reliability
Detecting dormant defects in products through an automotive burn in test allows manufacturers to ensure that the overall quality of their batch of goods remains high. However, they don’t throw away faulty items. They take them and determine the reason behind their failure. The information they receive from analysing them provides insight into possible adjustments that manufacturers can apply to their production process.
Estimates the Useful Lifespan of a Product
Aside from determining faulty products, an automotive burn in test allows manufacturers to get an estimate on the useful life period of their goods. While this assessment reduces the lifespan of a device, there is no impact on its useful life.
Disadvantages
Higher Cost
Since an automotive burn in test will use special burn in boards to conduct the assessment, manufacturers are spending more to ensure the quality of their products. However, these items degrade over time, requiring companies to replace them when the time comes.
Non-Uniform Distribution of Stress
There is a chance that manufacturers place their components improperly during an automotive burn in test. Doing so results in an uneven distribution of stress, which can have a significant impact on the results of the assessment. Therefore, companies must hire a professional company to conduct the procedure for them.
How Does an Automotive Burn In Test Benefit You as a Consumer?
Now that you are aware of what an automotive burn in test is and its pros and cons to manufacturers, you might be asking how it benefits you as a consumer.
Quality is one of the primary factors that consumers consider when purchasing goods. While it may not be the most significant contributor to why they buy a product, customer satisfaction mainly comes from this aspect. An item can be expensive, but if it has an excellent quality, people tend to support the manufacturer. Trust forms between customers and the manufacturer.
Therefore, the following are some of the benefits that customers like you get when purchasing products that underwent an automotive burn in test.
Quality Assurance
Since manufacturers utilise an automotive burn in test and an environmental chamber to weed out faulty products, customers have the assurance that the items they purchase are of excellent quality. You wouldn’t worry about buying goods with defects as the assessment ensures it exposes dormant faults.
Furthermore, manufacturers will utilise the faulty products they acquire from an automotive burn in test for possible adjustments to their production process.
Fewer Complaints
A product with excellent quality ensures that you will have little to no complaints when you purchase it. You wouldn’t have to worry about the item failing at extreme temperatures or exposure to high moisture levels since an automotive burn in test and environmental chamber checks for its performance under these conditions.
Conclusion
An automotive burn in test does not only benefit manufacturers. Consumers like you get the assurance that the components you purchase are of excellent quality. While there are risks of faulty products sneaking through the assessment, the likelihood of a substandard item reaching the market is slim.
However, an automotive burn in test has disadvantages that manufacturers should consider before beginning. An increase in cost and human error are some downsides that companies need to review before taking the assessment. Despite these cons, manufacturers can determine defective components, increase the overall reliability of their products, and estimate their useful life period.
Through these pros and cons that manufacturers face, consumers enjoy high-quality products, which minimises their complaints.
Aside from an automotive burn in test and boards, Trio-Tech International offers HAST and HTRB system. Visit their website if you are interested to learn more about their services.