Development of the accelerated stress testing process at Otis elevator company

摘要

Otis Elevator Company, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation (UTC), recognized the need for transition from a 'test-to-requirements' to a 'test-to-failure' philosophy for electronic and electromechanical products in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Products 'passing' relatively benign environmental tests (although similar to actual field conditions) exhibited unacceptable field reliability performance. New test methods, defend as accelerated stress testing (AST), were investigated and implemented. The performance of AST requires a two-step approach with Step 1 performed in product development and Step 2 in manufacturing.