IEC 61163-2-2020 PDF

Full title and description

St IEC 61163-2-2020 — Reliability stress screening — Part 2: Components. Guidance and procedural recommendations for planning, selecting and applying reliability stress screening (RSS) techniques to electrical, electronic and mechanical components. The document is intended as a guideline for manufacturers, users, procurement agents and subcontractors who provide RSS as a service; it is procedural in nature and not a catalogue of test plans for every component technology.

Abstract

IEC 61163-2:2020 (second edition) describes methods to set up, optimize and negotiate reliability stress screening programmes for components. It explains programme definition, selection of stress types and levels, sequence planning, duration determination and analysis techniques (including use of bi‑modal Weibull analysis) to help select and optimise RSS without needing full lifetime estimates for every item. The edition is a technical revision and a complete rewrite of the earlier edition, updating procedures to reflect current component technologies and reliability practice.

General information

• Status: Published (current edition, replaces IEC 61163-2:1998)
• Publication date: 11 March 2020
• Publisher: IEC — International Electrotechnical Commission (TC 56 Dependability)
• ICS / categories: 03.120.01 (Quality in general); 31.020 (Electronic components in general)
• Edition / version: Edition 2.0 (Second edition, 2020)
• Number of pages: 60 (approx.)

Scope

This part of IEC 61163 provides guidance on reliability stress screening (RSS) techniques and procedures specifically for components. It covers the planning and negotiation of RSS requirements between component users and manufacturers, guidance for component manufacturers on implementing RSS, processes to plan in‑house RSS or re‑qualification for upgraded environments, and guidance for subcontractors offering RSS services. It does not supply detailed test plans for every specific component type nor is it intended as a means to issue batch certificates of conformance.

Key topics and requirements

• Overview of RSS objectives, benefits and limitations for components.
• Programme definition: requirements capture, roles and responsibilities, and contractual negotiation points between users and manufacturers.
• Selection of stress types (electrical, thermal, mechanical, vibration, humidity, etc.), stress levels and stress sequences to precipitate relevant failure modes.
• Determination of RSS duration, staging and throughput considerations for production and qualification runs.
• Data analysis and evaluation methods, including the use of bi‑modal Weibull analysis to optimise screening without full lifetime estimates.
• Guidance on when RSS is appropriate versus other reliability improvement methods (quality control, reliability growth programmes).
• Documentation, reporting and acceptance criteria for screened components.
• Limitations: procedural guidance rather than prescriptive test plans; not exhaustive across rapidly evolving component technologies.

Typical use and users

Primary users include component manufacturers, reliability engineers, procurement specialists, quality engineers, test houses and contractors who design or supply RSS services. The standard is used to define supplier contracts, to design in‑house screening programmes for production or re‑qualification, and to establish acceptance and reporting practices for screened components. It is particularly relevant in industries with high dependability requirements (aerospace, defence, medical, automotive and industrial electronics).

Related standards

Relevant related documents and series items include IEC 61163-1 (Reliability stress screening — Part 1: Repairable assemblies manufactured in lots), the withdrawn IEC 61163-2:1998 (earlier edition), and other dependability and test standards referenced for vocabulary and environmental tests (for example, IEC vocabulary and IEC environmental test methods such as IEC 60068 series). Users typically consult these and other IEC documents when implementing an RSS programme.

Keywords

Reliability stress screening, RSS, components, screening programme, Weibull analysis, dependability, TC 56, stress selection, stress sequencing, re‑qualification, component manufacturers, test houses.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: IEC 61163-2:2020 is the second edition of the international guideline for reliability stress screening of electrical, electronic and mechanical components. It provides procedural guidance for planning and executing RSS programmes.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers programme definition, selecting stress types and levels, sequencing, determining duration, analysis methods (including bi‑modal Weibull), documentation and how to negotiate RSS requirements between users and manufacturers. It does not provide prescriptive test plans for specific component models.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Component manufacturers, reliability and quality engineers, procurement specialists, test laboratories and subcontractors offering RSS services—especially in high‑reliability sectors such as aerospace, defence, medical devices, automotive and industrial electronics.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The 2020 edition (Edition 2.0) is the current edition and cancels and replaces the 1998 edition. It is a technical revision and complete rewrite of the earlier version.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes. IEC 61163 is published as a multi‑part series. Part 1 addresses repairable assemblies manufactured in lots (IEC 61163-1), while Part 2 covers components. Implementers often use the parts together where applicable.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Reliability stress screening, RSS, components, Weibull analysis, stress selection, dependability, screening programme, re‑qualification.