No Fault Found events in maintenance engineering Part 2: Root causes, technical developments and future research

Abstract

This is the second half of a two paper series cover aspects of the NFF phenomenon, which is highly challenging and is becoming even more important due to increasing complexity and criticality of technical systems. Part 1 introduced the fundamental concept of unknown failures from an organizational, behavioral and cultural stand point. It also reported an industrial outlook to the problem, recent procedural standards, whilst discussing the financial implications and safety concerns. In this issue, the authors examine the technical aspects, reviewing the common causes of NFF failures in electronic, software and mechanical systems. This is followed by a survey on technological techniques actively being used to reduce the consequence of such instances. After discussing improvements in testability, the article identifies gaps in literature and points out the core areas that should be focused in the future. Special attention is paid to the recent trends on knowledge sharing and troubleshooting tools; with potential research on technical diagnosis being enumerated.

Zero-maintenance of electronic systems: Perspectives, challenges, and opportunities

“…In critical applications, failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) procedures may be employed at the system level to form predictive models for maintenance planning. This includes potential disruption caused by 'No Fault Found (NFF) scenarios and strategic provision of built-in test (BIT) logic [34]. Indeed, BIT logic is viewed as beneficial at board and system levels provided the additional complexity is feasible.…”

Autonomous Maintenance for Through-Life Engineering

“…It can then be extrapolated that equipment which fail on one aircraft, are more likely to fail on other aircraft of the same design, operated in similar conditions. But most importantly, many real-world faults are not [52] anticipated by the design engineers, and therefore the traditional diagnostic systems do not resolve them. In those cases, human experience and ingenuity may help solve the problem, but where is this innovative knowledge stored after its creation?…”

Humidity build-up in electronic enclosures exposed to different geographical locations by RC modelling and reliability prediction

“…Electronic components can fail in various stages of storage and applications due to errors in design or materials used, but failures can also be due to environmental conditions during the service life of the products. Temperature, moisture, and presence of dust or hygroscopic contaminations are high feasible causes of intermittent failures in electronic products and systems [1][2][3][4][5].…”