New IPC Initiative Focuses on E-mobility Quality & Reliability

Estimated reading time: 1 minute

From battery fires to non-functional charging stations, from dendrites to poor cable connections, electronic system failures have caused massive recalls. Failures are increasing significantly, not because of quality, but because of usage and implementation of technology. As the expected lifetime usage of parts increases and technology applications change, materials, approaches, and test parameters must change as well.

Inspired by the opportunities to collaborate on solutions, a representative group of suppliers to the automotive industry formed the IPC EV (Electric Vehicle) Quality and Reliability Advisory Group to assure design, materials, and process optimization and qualification to achieve reliability and quality in electronics for e-mobility and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) applications while protecting innovation. Issues under discussion include current surface insulation resistance (SIR) standards, higher voltage, board density, cleaning, bare board materials, and power.

“A failure in a consumer electronics product like a game console or control board on a dishwasher is an inconvenience. A failure in a critical system in an EV can be catastrophic,” said Brian O’Leary, global head of e-mobility and infrastructure, Indium Corporation and Chair of the EV Quality and Reliability Advisory Group.

The newly formed advisory group is already preparing presentations for upcoming automotive industry events, including The Battery Show in Novi, Mich. on September 14, 2022. As part of these presentations, the group will share current problems and best practices toward higher reliability and protection against future field failures. Through presentations and panel discussions the group aims to create open discussions about process issues and further improve supply chain communication to allow a solid base for solution creation as new issues arise.

“IPC has a long history of helping deliver quality, reliability, and consistency in the design and manufacturing of products and we’re excited to be able to work with the industry to do the same for automotive, especially with the new demands of electrification,” said Tracy Riggan, IPC senior director, Solutions. “We look forward to growing the community of people invested in high-reliability electronics.” 

In addition to Indium Corporation, companies on the EV Quality and Reliability Advisory Group include Robert Bosch, Continental Automotive, Kyzen, TCLAD, Aqueous Technologies, Semikron Elektronik GmbH, MicroTek Laboratories, Custom Interconnect, Dow Chemical, and HumiSeal.