Estimating the Vibration Fatigue Life of Quad Leaded Surface Mount Components

This paper discusses the assumptions and details of the fatigue life calculations required to predict the fatigue life of quad leaded surface mount components operating in a vibration environment. A simple approximate stress analysis is presented that does not require complex finite element modeling, nor does it reduce the problem to a simple empirical equation or rule of thumb. The goal of the new method is to make PWB vibration solder joint reliability information available to the designer as early as possible and in an easily understood and implemented manner.