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IFD Quality Control?
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GMSutton View Drop Down
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    Posted: 30 Sep 2020 at 11:49am
Friends: As an early adopter of the IFD series navigators, I purchased my first IFD540 pre-certification at Oshkosh back in 2012. My first IFD540 worked perfectly from day one. Eight years later, I just swapped the IFD440 in my current airplane for another IFD540.

However, on my first test flight with the brand-new IFD540, the unit repeatedly reset and lost all navigation and flight plan information. The screen went black although the COM function was still active. We landed, checked the connectors, and tried again. This time, the unit reset repeatedly while taxiing on the ground. 

To verify the problem was internal to the IFD540, the avionics shop swapped the unit for another, which worked perfectly. So my brand-new IFD540 has to go back to the factory for warranty replacement. The avionics shop told me this isn't the first time that has happened.

Fortunately, the shop loaned me a demo IFD550 so I could fly my airplane home while awaiting a replacement IFD540 from the factory. God knows how long that will take...

My question is: Why isn't there better quality control at Avidyne? The IFD540 has been in production for a long time now, and they've had plenty of time to crack any manufacturing issues. What's going on? 


Edited by GMSutton - 30 Sep 2020 at 11:51am
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oskrypuch View Drop Down
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Points: 3058 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote oskrypuch Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Sep 2020 at 1:51pm
Infant mortality. If electronics are going to fail, they usually do so very early on, or a long, long time later.

* Orest


Edited by oskrypuch - 30 Sep 2020 at 1:51pm
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GMSutton View Drop Down
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Points: 65 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GMSutton Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Sep 2020 at 3:43pm
Thanks. But according to my avionics shop, one of the largest in the Pacific Northwest, "infant mortality" seems far more common in Avidyne products than in those made by other brands such as Garmin...
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FlyingCOham View Drop Down
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Burn in at the factory, not after customer installation has been SOP for all quality oriented manufacturers since the 70's...
Jim Patton
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paulr View Drop Down
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Originally posted by GMSutton GMSutton wrote:

Thanks. But according to my avionics shop, one of the largest in the Pacific Northwest, "infant mortality" seems far more common in Avidyne products than in those made by other brands such as Garmin...


I'm not saying anything one way or another about Avidyne or Garmin.

I *will* say that the amount of authoritative-sounding bullsh*t I've heard from mechanics and shops in the GA industry is absolutely stunning. I've learned to treat any blanket statement like your shop gave you with a great deal of skepticism.
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SB Jim View Drop Down
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Points: 204 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SB Jim Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 2020 at 8:03pm
Just another data point.

My IFD 540 has been flawless since installed in early 2015.

My Garmin CNX 80 has been flawless since installed in late 2004.

When the Garmin was sent in for a “free” factory software upgrade I was told it had RS-232 port problems and it would be $1,000 to repair it or they refused to return my unit. Honestly.

When the IFD 540 needed a factory software upgrade it went in, and came back, and worked perfectly.

Without the $1,000 and all the BS.

BTW my installation didn’t / doesn’t use the RS 232 port. Garmin didn’t care. They stuck it to me because they could.
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MarkZ View Drop Down
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Points: 172 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MarkZ Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Oct 2020 at 7:22am
The best you can do is sign a lease with Garmin on a time limited product. 
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Gring View Drop Down
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Points: 720 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gring Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Oct 2020 at 8:27am
Guys, I've been to the Avidyne manufacturing center in Melbourne and I've witnessed with my own eyes the USA manufacturing of the IFD products.  I've seen the pick and place machines manufacture the circuit boards, I've seen the technicians inspect boards under a microscope for flaws, and I've seen the environmental testing equipment that each and every IFD goes through, even the ones sent in for repair.  This testing is done before the equipment goes out into the field, both new and repair.

I've had IFDs earlier than anyone, 2-3 years before certification, and I've bricked one during precert testing loading software, but other than that, they have been rock solid.

I can tell you that most shops prefer to work with Garmin, and I believe (personal opinion) that skews their opinion of anything non Garmin.
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Bob H View Drop Down
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Points: 290 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bob H Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Oct 2020 at 4:04pm

Just some general electronic manufacturing comments: 

1.       Anecdotal failures do not a trend make.

2.       Burn-in does not eliminate infant mortality.

3.       Manufacturing is a continuous series of process controls and feedback with constant challenges.

4.       Supply chain management requires constant monitoring with its own challenges of process control compliance, testing, burn-in along with supplier qualification of both processes and materials/components.

5.       Ongoing changes to processes, materials, and suppliers is a way of life.

6.       There is no such thing as set it and forget it no matter how long something has been manufactured. 

Confirmation bias is alive and well within the industry.  It’s like buying a new car.  Suddenly, you notice all the cars just like yours on the road.  Same with some shops.  They only take notice of the failures of one brand, because of their bias towards another.  I’ve seen it first-hand.
Bob
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