The challenge

A production electronics module for a defence-related consumer device was already in manufacture, but the design was proving unreliable under real-world conditions. Approximately 50% of units were failing temperature cycling tests and had to be scrapped.

The issue was causing significant production delays, increased costs, and knock-on effects across a larger system delivery programme.

The problem

While the module met its nominal electrical specifications, failures occurred intermittently during temperature testing. The design was sensitive to component tolerances in a way that had not been identified during initial development.

The challenge was to identify the root cause without a complete redesign — and to restore production confidence quickly.

The approach

We carried out a detailed audit of the electronics design, comparing failing units against a known good reference device. This process isolated the issue to the switching behaviour of specific transistors, where manufacturing tolerances around saturation characteristics were affecting performance.

Rather than attempting to tighten component specifications — which would have increased cost and supply risk — we introduced a small Schottky diode across the base–collector junction. This improved switching speed, stabilised behaviour across temperature ranges, and significantly increased long-term reliability.

The outcome

The modification resolved the temperature cycling failures and restored near-100% production yield.

Waste was reduced by approximately 50%, production throughput doubled, and delivery schedules were brought back on track. Importantly, the solution was simple, robust, and compatible with existing manufacturing processes — avoiding costly redesign or re-qualification.