Product Development

+ Preliminary Design Reviews

New customers often start their relationship with ThermAvant Technologies by entering a design, engineering, and analysis contract. It typically takes three to six weeks to complete a preliminary design review (or PDR) that includes thermal-mechanical analyses, models, and simulations of different design solutions. Then, customers decide which design to manufacture, test, and qualify for integration into their real-world systems.

Existing customers looking to develop new products should first order a PDR to fully understand the feasibility and impact of different design options on their thermal, mechanical, and economic objectives before committing to a specific design or technical approach.

+ Manufacturing Readiness Reviews

After customers commit to building a specific design from the PDR, ThermAvant completes a manufacturing readiness review (MRR) that starts when our engineers draft mechanical and interface drawings to satisfy the customers’ specifications and requirements. ThermAvant typically provides a list of the materials and processes (M&Ps) used in the production of the to-be-developed hardware. Many customers also hire ThermAvant to build design verification test (DVT) rigs to empirically test the single- or two-phase hardware under a range of powers, temperatures, or other conditions. MRR is typically completed when the customer signs off on drawings for the hardware in a release for manufacture (RFM, or authorization to proceed).

+ Test Readiness Reviews

Once the new hardware is built but before it is tested in the DVT rig, ThermAvant performs extensive evaluation of hardware vis-à-vis the specifications and predictions from the PDR and MRR. This work is summarized in a test readiness review (TRR). Conformities (and any non-conformities) are reported to the customer, along with a summary of the yields of the different M&Ps used to produce the hardware. When building new heat pipes or oscillating heat pipes, a solid 'control' unit is typically built and tested in the DVT rig to calibrate the set up. It typically takes 8 to 14 weeks to go from PDR through TRR, depending on the complexity of the part and the quantity of the first articles produced.

+ Critical Design Reviews

Once initial hardware is designed, built, and tested, ThermAvant summarizes actual results to predictions in a critical design review (CDR). The CDR typically includes detailed analysis of empirical thermal-mechanical testing across the full range of specified conditions. Concurrent with the delivery of initial hardware, many customers order a first article inspection (FAI) to ensure the produced unit’s geometries, dimensions, and tolerances (GD&T) all are within the requirements from the PDR and MRR. With delivery of initial hardware and this CDR, customers can then decide how to best proceed, with either a qualification phase (e.g., extensive environmental and reliability testing) or directly entering the production phase.

+ Qualification Reviews

For new products released into military or aerospace applications, it is common for customers to conduct extensive environmental and reliability testing. Qualification reviews summarize the results of shock/vibe, proof/burst pressure, thermal vacuum testing, variable gravity testing, accelerated aging, non-condensable gas analysis, drop-testing, and much more. These reviews often involve testing done at ThermAvant as well as at third-party or customer sites, which ensures that the results comply with specific military standards or customer requirements. Typically, qualification reviews are the last element of the non-recurring design process, and they lay out the exact materials necessary and the processes to follow in subsequent production phase hardware deliverables.

+ Final Data or Pre-shipment Reviews

When production phase hardware is delivered to customers, a final data review (FDR), or pre-shipment (PSR), is often required either with the first unit or with a percentage of all units, depending on the customer’s specified sampling rate. An FDR typically requires a more detailed thermal-mechanical inspection than that of the other production units. For example, all production units will be subjected to a mechanical or GD&T conformance report, including a leak and proof pressure test as well as a ‘thermal light-up’ test. However, units that are included in the FDR will have a more complete thermal-mechanical analysis performed (e.g., multi-point thermal testing or mechanical FAI).