TS EN IEC 61163-2

TS EN IEC 61163-2 is a guidance standard for reliability stress screening (RSS) techniques and procedures for electrical, electronic, and mechanical components. It provides a process-oriented framework for manufacturers, users, and subcontractors involved in RSS, with the aim of helping plan screening activities that support reliability requirements.

The standard does not provide ready-made test plans for specific component types, and it is not intended as a document for issuing conformance certificates for component batches. Instead, it offers general guidance on how to plan an RSS process, how to negotiate RSS requirements between users and manufacturers, and how to support re-qualification for specific or upgraded environments. In practical terms, it is more about process design and decision support than a fixed acceptance test.

RSS and the bi-modal Weibull approach

In general technical context, RSS is a screening method that applies controlled stress conditions to reveal early-life failures in components. In electronics and related fields, the goal is not simply to measure performance, but to expose latent weaknesses and remove outliers caused by manufacturing variation. This document also describes the use of bi-modal Weibull analysis to select and optimize an RSS process without having to estimate the reliability and lifetime of every item individually; that is particularly useful when more than one failure behavior may be present.

• Provides guidance for manufacturers defining RSS requirements.
• Helps users and suppliers negotiate practical RSS expectations.
• Supports in-house RSS planning and possible re-qualification work.
• Serves as a guideline for subcontractors offering RSS as a service.

This second edition replaces the 1998 first edition and is a technical revision with a complete rewrite and restructure. Its value lies in offering updated technical guidance on how RSS is conceived and organized, rather than in prescribing a single fixed test programme for every component.