What is Physics of Failure (PoF)?
Physics of Failure is an engineering approach focused on understanding the root causes of product and material failures by studying their physical, chemical, thermal, and mechanical behavior under real-world conditions.
Instead of waiting for failures to happen, PoF aims to predict, model, and design against them — increasing reliability and reducing life-cycle costs.
🛠️ Why PoF Matters
- Shifts failure analysis from reactive to proactive.
- Enables early detection of critical vulnerabilities.
- Reduces warranty costs, recalls, and brand risks.
- Informs smarter materials selection and design decisions.
⚙️ Common Failure Mechanisms
Mechanism | Example |
Thermal Fatigue | Solder joint cracking from temperature cycling |
Creep | Deformation under constant stress over time |
Corrosion | Metal degradation due to chemical exposure |
Delamination | Layers separating in PCBs or composites |
Mechanical Shock | Cracking or fracturing due to impact |
🧠 How Engineers Use PoF
- Develop accelerated life tests (ALT) based on real failure physics.
- Create failure models (thermal, vibration, mechanical stress).
- Simulate mission profiles to predict dominant failure modes.
- Improve Design for Reliability (DfR) from Day 1 of development.
🛤️ Example: PoF in Action
In electronics, thermal fatigue is a leading cause of solder joint failures.
By understanding fatigue mechanisms early, engineers can modify designs (e.g., change materials, add underfill) to extend life by 5x–10x without expensive rework later.
🚀 Why I'm Studying PoF
As a mechanical engineer passionate about reliability, simulation, and AI-driven product design, Physics of Failure provides a scientific backbone to build intelligent, resilient systems — not just functional ones.
This is a key pillar of my work at Vignya.build.
📚 Coming Soon in Lab Notes
- Introduction to Design for Reliability (DfR)
- Thermal-Mechanical Simulation for Lifetime Prediction
- Case Studies: Electronics Reliability and PoF