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May 14, 2025 | Barry Matties, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Ensuring the reliability of printed circuit boards (PCBs) has become increasingly difficult and critical, yet the development of advanced testing methodologies is essential to meeting industry demands and addressing persistent challenges. One significant innovation is the High Acceleration Thermal Shock (HATS²) test system, which transforms how reliability testing is conducted. After 40 years in the testing business at Microtek, Bob Neves is beginning a new journey with his company, Reliability Assessment Solutions Inc. (RAS). He has been instrumental in developing the HATS² test system, channeling his decades of expertise into what could be considered the perfect machine. Bob is working with Andrew Naisbitt, CEO of GEN3, to bring this powerful tool to market. In this interview, Bob and Andrew share the origin of this technology, its impact on the reliability testing landcape, and how it better addresses specific failures encountered with microvia structures during component attachment. They acknowledge that after testing the same way for 50 years, change in this industry is hard. But they believe the time for change is now. You’ll find out why in this compelling conversation.
Barry Matties: Bob, it’s always good to see you. You are a recipient of IPC’s Hall of Fame Award for your contributions to the industry over the years and have been involved in the test and measurement area for a long time. Now you have been essential in the development of some new technology. How did the development of the HATS² test system come about?
Bob Neves: In 2001, a need arose for a faster reliability test that cycled from cold to hot and would speed up the one-hour dual chamber run cycle. I received a patent and developed the first HATS tester, which cycled PCB board coupons from -55°C to +160°C. Twenty-four years ago, that was pretty novel because people were doing one-hour cycles in a dual chamber, and it took 42 days to do a thousand cycles. We were successful at compressing that down to about a week. Then some military projects went away, and it never really took off because it was a bit ahead of its time. A few years ago, the industry had a problem: Microvias failing during exposure to the high temperatures were associated with the components being attached to and replaced on the boards, but when they cooled down, they made a mechanical connection again. Even if you cycled at lower temperatures, they would always pass testing, get into the field, and have early-life failures.
To read the entire interview, which originally appeared in the May 2025 issue of SMT007 Magazine, click here.
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