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PurposeThis paper seeks to introduce a set of key practices that can be used to assess whether an organization has the ability to design, develop and manufacture reliable electronic products.Design/methodology/approachThe ability to design, develop and manufacture reliable electronic products is defined in the paper in terms of a reliability capability maturity model, which is a measure of the practices within an organization that contribute to the reliability of the final product, and the effectiveness of these practices in meeting the reliability requirements of customers.FindingsThe paper presents a procedure for evaluating and benchmarking reliability capability. Criteria for assigning different capability maturity levels are presented. The paper also presents a case study corresponding to reliability capability benchmarking of an electronics company.Originality/valueThe paper provides a set of practices for evaluating and benchmarking reliability capability.

Dents in buried pipelines can occur due to a number of potential causes; the pipe resting on rock, third party machinery strike, rock strikes during backfilling, amongst others. The long-term integrity of a dented pipeline segment is a complex function of a variety of parameters, including pipe geometry, indenter shape, dent depth, indenter support, pressure history at and following indentation. In order to estimate the safe remaining operational life of a dented pipeline, all of these factors must be accounted for in the analysis. The paper discusses the full-scale dent testing being completed to support the development of pipeline integrity management criteria and is a continuation of the work discussed in previous IPC papers [1,2]. The material and structural response of the pipe test segments during dent formation and pressure loading has been recorded to support numerical model development. The full scale experimental testing is being completed for pipe test specimens in the unrestrained and restrained condition using different indentation depths and indenter sizes. The dents are pressure cycled until fatigue failure in the dent. This paper presents typical data recorded during trial including indentation load/displacement curves, applied pressures, strain gauges along the axial and circumferential centerlines, as well as dent profiles. The use of the full-scale mechanical damage test data described in this paper in calibrating and validating a finite element model based integrity assessment model is outlined. The details of the integrity assessment model are described along with the level of agreement of the finite element model with the full scale trial results. Current and future applications of the integrity assessment model are described along with recommendations for further development and testing to support pipeline integrity management.

Résumé -Facteurs de risques dans le secteur des équipements électroniques pour puits de pétrole et de gaz, comparés à d'autres industries électroniques -Le secteur des équipements électroniques pour puits de pétrole et de gaz est une industrie à faible volume, dans laquelle les temps de développe-ment et d'exploitation des produits sont considérablement plus longs que ceux des composants commerciaux utilisés pour leur fabrication. Les systèmes électroniques utilisés, en particulier pour le contrôle permanent des puits de pétrole, doivent fonctionner de façon fiable durant toute la vie du puits. Cela impose des contraintes particulières pour l'électronique utilisée. La garantie de fiabilité dans un environnement sévère et pendant une vie plus longue nécessite des dessins, techniques de qualification et d'essai, et contrôles de qualité adaptés. Tous ces facteurs génèrent des risques considérables pour les fournisseurs et les producteurs d'équipements électroniques destinés aux puits de pétrole et de gaz. Cet article présente une étude de ces facteurs de risques à prendre en compte dans la réalisation de produits destinés à la complétion et au contrôle continu de puits. Une comparaison avec d'autres industries électroniques à faible volume est présentée. Abstract -Risk Factors in Oil and Gas Well Electronics Compared to Other Electronic IndustriesThe oil and gas well electronics industry is a low volume industry in which the development and the operating life cycles of the electronic products used is considerably longer than those of the commonly available commercial parts used to build them. Oil and gas well electronic systems, especially the ones that are used for permanent monitoring of oil wells are required to function reliably at all times through-

The globalisation of supply chains has made electronics manufacturers dependent upon worldwide suppliers who provide them with parts or subassemblies. Currently, many manufacturers have to wait until they get the products to assess if they are reliable. This can be an expensive iterative process. As an alternative, it is necessary to define what key processes should comprise the product and process development efforts of suppliers to assure customers that they can supply reliable products. Identification of these key processes can help manufacturers to assess their potential suppliers and/or suppliers to assess themselves. This paper presents a set of key processes and practices that can be used as benchmarks to assess whether an organization has the ability to design, develop and manufacture reliable electronic products. It defines this ability as the reliability capability of an organization.