Train your Mind and your Body - Hard work pays off

I read this on my Linked In Feed this morning. This is so apt for me and for my readers. There is a centuries old African proverb which goes like this. 

A lion and a gazelle wake up to a new dawn.

The lion knows he must run faster than the slowest gazelle if he is to get a meal and not starve, so he has go get up, train his hunting prowess day in day out, lie low in wait, surprise the pack and hopefully track and bring down a gazelle.

The gazelle knows he must run faster than all the lions, else he would be the lion's lunch for the next few days. He has to run faster, be smarter and eat where there are no hungry lions on the Savannah. He has to be swifter, smarter and more prescient else he is someone else's meal(s).

Its a daily struggle for survival. 

The lion chases and just misses the gazelle - he will go hungry.

The gazelle looks up upon hearing the approaching lion and darts away - he lives for another day.

The sun is up - its another day.

Life dosen't reward those who sit idle. Whether you are chasing a dream or fighting to live, motion is NON NEGOTIABLE.

Stop waiting for the perfect conditions, the stars are all aligned in your favour, your 4D numbers look good. 

Stop waiting for permission.

The sun is up.

Start Running. 

 

Environmental Simulation Testing - Why Do It ?

In my previous post, I stated that Environmental Simulation Testing of a product is ESSENTIAL  for a product to be tested in the factory before it even sees the light of day in the first customer's hands.

Environmental Simulation Testing. Why Do It ?

Well, let me give you a fictional (maybe real) story.. 

Nowadays its very common for practically 80% of people in Singapore to travel out of the country at least once a year for work or holidays, so the obvious travel companion they bring along apart from their passport, wallet, smartwatch is their smartphone. 

So lets say Mr. Tan Boon Yang and his wife embark to a Japan 8 days trip which includes Osaka Universal Studios, Tokyo Disneyland, the usual onsen with gorgeous views and of course Mount Fuji.

Lets say Boon Yang and wife depart during the December holidays without their grown up children. 

At the mid point, the highlight of the tour is the walk up to Mt Fuji's 5th station, and it is a must do and everybody wants to take their pictures for lifetime memories, and bragging rights of "been there done that" etc.

Its snowing, and the outside temperature is a chilly -10 C. No matter, they brought their winter coats, thermal underwear, extra thick socks, the works. There are so many Instagrammable moments up there and Mrs. Tan wants a 'wefie' with her beloved hubby. They ask one of their tourmates to take some with Mr. Tan's phone (no brand here for obvious reasons heehee)

The tourmate obliges and goes to 'Photo' mode, and 'hey !' the smartphone hangs. 

They cant get their once in a lifetime pix !! 

"Lousy XXXX" and the cusses all start coming out.

You can bet the next time, its time for a smartphone change, it would be THAT brand they consider to buy next. That above is the answer WHY. 

A product like a smartphone is not just to make and take calls, it is to make lifetime memories and feel good emotions. When the task is at hand, it must not let the boss (or the owner) down. 

So, manufacturers, PLEASE test your products in the factory Beyond the normal day to day temperature and humidity conditions. For customers who live in tropics and near temperate climates, the manufacturer MUST test the following SIMULATION conditions below :

Tropic Based Clients 

Temp : - 20 C to + 60 C

RH     : 20 to 95% RH

Why ? Like I elaborated above, the tropical customers DO from time to time, travel to places of interest which have extremes in temperature as well as some humid conditions.

So -20 C could be for some places like top of mountains and 60 C could be like Middle East deserts (read World Cup 2022) or the Grand Canyon. (see pix below)

Temperate Based Clients 

Temp : - 60 to + 60 C 

RH    :  20 to 95% RH

Many countries which have 4 seasons, like US, Canada, most of Northern Europe, Russia and North China have harsh winters so the phones MUST be tested for those conditions - its not an option but a mandatory test.

So after establishing the WHY do the Environmental Testing, I will embark on another post as to the Key Parameters to set when doing Environmental Testing.

Seize the Day my friends. 

Why do Environmental Testing ?

Why do Environmental Testing ? 

Let me show you a typical product of an everyday person. 

Here is the picture of my old handphone S10, its battered, stuck with scotch tape, some small cracks front and back but its still workable. Its easily 6 years old, and way past its lifetime. Thankfully I have gotten a new one early this year. From the same brand, to be frank.

How did it make it so far in this day and age of everchanging products many not lasting more than 1 year ?

RELIABILITY.

What is reliability ? 

It is quality of a product in terms of features, functionality and the cosmetic case over time. 

QUALITY 

What is quality ?

It is the performance of a product, which gives the best use of its function for its price. It can be anything from :

> smartphone

> pod speakers

> Electronic Pad or Tablets

> car components (speedometer, brakes, onboard dashboard, EV lithium batteries etc)

Any manufacturer determined to build a brand MUST embark on both 

1. Quality Assurance (QA)

2. Quality Control (QC)

of their production else, they are as good a gone, in a short while.

But before even the QA and QC process, for each and every new model for the manufacturer,  the manufacturer must perform the following :

1. Sourcing of good quality components, materials and sealants for the proper assembly from reliable suppliers. The design of the new product must cater for all kinds of assembly mismatches, and materials degradations. 

2. Ensuring that at every production point, there is proper CAR (corrective action request) carried out to find the root cause of any failure in the product's functionality and performance.

If the failure is minor (below the just noticeable line), perhaps it can move on to the next process. If it is major, a complete production stop must be carried out and a complete design review must be carried out and changes made immediately.

A key process in the QA or QC in any manufacturer is the continued use of environmental chambers for the maintenance and possibly long term improvement of their products quality and reliability. Environmental chamber use in both inhouse and out of factory has been employed for 8 decades since after the end of World War 2.

An educated management with a suitably trained workforce MUST do environmental testing. In the following post, I will weigh in on Environmental Simulation, with the smartphone manufacturer as a classic example.

Hence Why do Environmental Testing ? 

From the manufacturer's standpoint, IF you make good quality and reliable products, with good after sales support, your brand name will ultimately improve, together with strong customer loyalty, against cutthroat cheaper competition.

That is why you do QC, QA testing of which Environmental Testing forms a big part of.

Look out for the next post, my friends.

For a no obligations discussion for more information, my team and I would be happy to chat on email, please see below :

E : mark@qra.com.sg

     qrasales@qra.com.sg

CARPE DIEM.   

Preventive Maintenance of Chambers - Singapore and Thailand

 

At QRA we offer Preventive Maintenance and Calibration Services of many makes of chamber for competitive fees. 

From small ovens to Walk In Chambers, QRA has been the trusted service partner for numerous companies in South East Asia for over 2 decades.

Preventive Maintenance Services Include :

1. Mechanical Parts Inspection and Testing 

2. Electrical and Electronic Inspection and Functional Testing

3.  Refrigeration and Humidity System Inspection and Testing

4.  Controller Testing and Tuning

Reports : 

1. Preventive Maintenance 

2. Calibration Reports 

will be submitted upon successful PM and Calibration. 

For further enquiries, please visit :

https : //www.qra.com.sg/our-services

or Email : mark@qra.com.sg

We will be most happy to hear from you !!

Temp Cycle Tests - Mid Sized Chamber Tests

 

Temperature Cycling Chamber 

At QRA International we have several chambers equipped to do Temp Cycle Tests from -40 to +100 C for the purposes of :

> Stress Screening 

> Environmental Simulation Tests

of products ranging from electronics, semiconductor, pharmaceutical, biotech and aerospace for purposes of :

> enhancing reliability

> stimulating infant mortalities in the factory before shipout.

Key Performance Data :

> Change Rate : 2 - 3 C / min from Hot to Cold

> Low Temp : - 20 C 

> High Temp  : + 100 to 150 C

> Dwell Time  : 5 min to 5 hours

Email and write in to either of these :

> General enquiry : qrasales@qra.com.sg

   Specific Enquiry : mark@qra.com.sg 

for a no obligations quote and have a friendly chat with us !

Athletic Chambers from QRA International - Enhancement of Elite Sportsmen Performance.

 

 Laying Out the Insulated Panels at Aspetar Hospital, Doha 

QRA International has a flagship product for the world since 2016. The athletic chamber is the 'secret weapon' for many national sports associations for the purposes of peak performance enhancement of their sprinters, court game players, middle and long distance runners especially in the leadup to a major regional, international or global event. 

Many athletes have been using the  environmental chamber low O2  regimen to condition their bodies to get maximal performance for up to 2 weeks after use. 

Singapore's fine performance of its court, track, sailing, and high jump athletes post COVID is testament to the proper use of these top end equipment, together with a comprehensive coaching regimen, sleep and nutrition schedules which have made us a mini sporting nation.

QRA International has been fortunate to sell, install and commission 4 such chambers worldwide to the top National Sports Associations. They are :

1. Sports Singapore

2. Defence Organization Singapore

3. Aspetar Qatar Hospital

4. University of Canberra Sports Research Institute.

We are but one of 4 major brands worldwide producing such chambers for human and athlete use.

 

Levelling of the Floor at Aspire Doha 

The chamber in a nutshell is just a controlled environmental room. 

The limits of the controlled environment of the chamber is determined by the limits in which our world's environment. However, since there are no ultra marathons in -40 C in Kamchatka or Siberia, there is no need to control the temperature to -40 C. Most chambers which we design reach lows of 0C or -20 C. The control of -20 C means that the panels used for the chamber must be polyurethane filled for proper insulation, else 'sweating' of the exterior walls of the chamber will occur (say inside is -20 and outside is 30C) due to insufficient insulation resulting in condensation - which will be a major electrical shock risk. 

The highest temperature reached is +50 C which can be reached in desert climates like the Sahara and Gobi deserts. 

Temperature Range (Athletic Chamber) : 0  C to +50 C

Putting Up the Panels 

Humidity levels are typically from 20% to 95% (Singapore's humidity is easily 70 - 80% most times of the year). The humidity in the chamber is controlled using steam generation (100%) and a cooling coil to reduce the RH by condensation. Rather overuse of power, but it generates the necessary humidity nonetheless. 

Therefore Relative Humidity : 20 - 95%

For elite athletes and conditioned athletes to train inside the chamber, QRA employs the use of Amine scrubbers which typically 'catch' the CO2 molecules from the air passing through and 'cleaning' the air to be pumped back into the room by this method. Many modern day submarines employ scrubbers to filter out the CO2 and pump back the cleaned air into the cabin of the craft, ensuring that the submarine can stay underwater weeks or months on end.

Human beings emit a lot of CO2 out into the atmosphere and a surprising fact if that many people die in enclosed spaces due to Carbon Dioxide poisoning rather than Oxygen deprivation or too low levels of oxygen when they are trapped in an enclosed space (say a closed mine, or skiers in a crevice). So the enclosed air must be 'scrubbed' clean and recycled back into the enclosed room or chamber. 

CO2 safe levels : less than 2000 parts per million per m3 of air.  

Jobsite 

In summary, QRA INTERNATIONAL can provide the following : 

Walk- In Athletic Chamber for up to 10 people 

Size : 6 m x 6 m x 3 m 

Temperature Range : 0 to 50 C

Temperature Control : +/- 3 C 

Humidity Range          : 20 - 95%

Humidity Control         : +/- 5%

CO2 Control               : less than 2000 ppm per m3 of air inside chamber after 1 hour of intensive use.

O2 Control                 : 20.9 % ppm (seal level) to 8.9% ppm (8000 m)

Solar Intensity          : 400 W / m2 to 1200 W / m2. 

Contact us Now for a detailed Discussion and No obligations Quote 

Email :    mark@qra.com.sg

Website : www.qra.com.sg

Price Range : US$ 200,000 onwards 

Small Batch Testing Services

 

Small Chamber which can accommodate up to 400 samples depending on sample size. 

QRA International tests any products from Biotech and Pharmaceutical industries for Temperature and Humidity for durations ranging from a few days to up to 5 years continuous testing. 

Temperature Range : - 40 to 150 C. 

Humidity Range          : 20 to 95% rH

If interested, do contact  by email : mark@qra.com.sg 

or visit https://www.qra.com.sg/our-services 

for more information