Aging refers to applying environmental stress to the product by means of high temperature, while environmental stress screening not only includes high-temperature stress but also many other stresses, such as temperature cycling, random vibration, etc., to test power adapters.
Why must electronic products undergo 100% aging tests before leaving the factory?
Because during the processing of electronic products, due to the complex processing and the extensive use of component materials, various defects will be introduced (even for the best designed products). Both processing defects and component defects can be classified into obvious defects and potential defects. Obvious defects refer to those that prevent the product from functioning properly, such as short circuits or open circuits. Potential defects allow the product to function temporarily, but the defects will be exposed quickly during use, causing the product to malfunction, such as insufficient soldering. Obvious defects can be detected through conventional inspection methods (such as ICT: In-Circuit Test, which is a standard testing method for checking manufacturing defects and component failures by testing the electrical performance and electrical connections of components on the board. It mainly checks the open and short circuit conditions of individual components and circuit networks online, and has the characteristics of simple operation, rapidity, and accurate fault location, etc., FT, etc.). Potential defects, however, cannot be detected by conventional inspection methods and are eliminated through aging methods. If the aging method is ineffective, the undetected potential defects will eventually manifest as early failures (or faults) during product operation, leading to an increase in the product's repair rate and maintenance costs.
If electronic products undergo 100% aging tests before leaving the factory, the defect rate of the products can be greatly reduced to a large extent.
In fact, there is an even more important purpose for aging (similar to testing): to continuously improve the manufacturing process and the quality of components through aging until aging is no longer necessary. After aging, circuit boards must be tested. If a certain component is frequently found to be damaged during testing, it indicates that the component has potential defects.