Key Life Testing

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Key Life Testing is part of Visteon's Useful Life Reliability Process, which is based on a set of standard processes and practices that are applied with local knowledge. This allows us to replicate our testing and analysis activities globally, yet tailor the program to the particular part of the world where the customer challenge exists. The process is designed around the following factors:

Identify Opportunities for Reliability Improvement

• The reliability of current products and systems is established through warranty analysis (consumer experience) or test-to-failure results (design testing) that identify the predominant failure modes. Robustness disciplines are then applied and corrective actions validate through customer-focused Key Life Testing.

Develop Key Life Tests

• The consumer experience is captured by defining the stresses induced by consumer usage patterns and environmental conditions, and their contribution to each failure mode noted above. Profiles for these stresses are used as inputs for identifying appropriate reliability validation duty cycles.
• Customer reliability requirements (years, miles, % reliability) are converted into engineering parameters based on the aforementioned profiles and usage patterns.
• Test procedures are developed that simulate how the consumer uses the product (door slams, for example) when subjected to realistic usage stresses (environment, loads, etc.) demonstrating wear out beyond the useful life.

Demonstrate Reliability

• Subsystems and components are tested to failure, and the results are compared to customer reliability targets for the components and interfaces that make up the end product.

Robustness Methods and Design and Process Changes

• Throughout the process, robustness disciplines are incorporated to overcome stresses from all real-world sources. All design and manufacturing changes must result in reliability levels agreed to by the customer.

Benefits:

• Systems solutions at the component, subsystem or system level
• Reduced warranty costs
• Improved customer loyalty
• Improved vehicle resale value
• Competitive advantage
• Identification and elimination of overdesigned systems and components