Austin Reliability Labs

10/14/2026

Whether in the field or in a factory, enclosure durability matters. Enclosure designers should test their device's IK rating to ensure electronic component safety and optimal survivability.

Learn how IK ratings define impact resistance for electronics and enclosures. This engineering guide covers test methods, real-world equivalents, and how materials like ToughONE™ play a role in protection.

10/06/2026

When it comes to designing safety systems, design engineers typically research failure modes, effects, and diagnostics analyses to provide device-level failure rate, automatic diagnostic function effectiveness, IEC compliance and more.

Failure modes, effects, and diagnostics analysis (FMEDA) is one of the available safety analysis tools that assesses safety-related system design against the requirements of a...

09/24/2026

When it comes to testing ESD and EMC immunity at the system level, automotive ESD designers should familiarize themselves with relevant standards and partner with an experienced reliability partner that thrives in compliance interpretation.

09/15/2026

We often talk about the bathtub curve and how it relates to product reliability over time. The best way to ensure a product does not fail before it's expected to is by conducting rigorous reliability testing.

This article discusses the three most common reliability prediction techniques for the failure rates of ICs and how safety application notes provide such failure-rate information...

09/10/2026

iRex understands that visual inspections aren't always enough to guarantee perfection. That's why they've implemented rigorous continuity tests into their QA processes.



https://irexmfg.com/news-events/continuity-testing-cables-how-why-we-do-it/

09/02/2026

Today's automobiles are becoming smarter and shifting towards electrification, giving designers a number of challenges in ESD and EMC reliability at the system level.

The trend of progressively migrating both ESD and EMC immunity from the system/board to the component level is creating unprecedented challenges for the component ESD designer.

08/20/2026

Testing 3D-printed parts can uncover hidden design flaws and help you make the best material selection for your product.



https://austinrl.com/news/why-test-your-3d-print-materials/

08/12/2026

When incorporating complex power management technologies into electronic devices, product designers must conduct thorough reliability testing to analyze product performance and understand its limitations.

This brief tutorial explains how the “Wiegand effect” can be used as a reliable, low-cost, energy-harvesting system to power a variety of IoT applications.

08/04/2026

Knowing how your product will perform in its intended environment is the center of what environmental testing is all about. To get the best design possible, engineers should run tests that simulate sudden and extreme changes to their product's environment.

Heavy rain in the Phoenix and Scottsdale areas of Arizona brought chaos to the roads and Waymo vehicles to a standstill. At the end of September, heavy

07/30/2026

Knowing the level of ingress protection provided by a product’s enclosure is important for several reasons, especially in mechatronics.



https://austinrl.com/news/dust-ingress-testing-what-to-know/