Through targeted and comprehensive examination of safety devices from field use, the condition of the parts still in use ("in the field") can be assessed. This significantly improves the information basis for risk-based decisions on product recalls. GWP provides expert advice during the planning of field part monitoring projects and, as a full-service analytical provider, is also able to carry out the examinations.
The GWP has demonstrated the applicability and usefulness of this approach in the context of the Takata recall.
A monitoring project provides decision-makers with a powerful tool for risk assessment and for making serious decisions, e.g. in the case of partial recalls.
Concept
The aim of field part monitoring is to obtain a realistic picture of the condition of the parts in use (“field parts”) in order to be able to make a statement about their operational safety.
In contrast to service life forecasts, in which an uncertain state is created through environmental simulation and the time until the comparable state is reached in the field is estimated, field part monitoring is a descriptive method. By comparing forecast data and measurement data on field parts, a very precise and comprehensive picture of the situation can be obtained.
Process
When designing the monitoring project, measurable parameters are defined that can be used to assess the condition of the field parts.
Possible parameters are pressure curves in can pressure tests, pressure curves in the gas generator interior, burn rates and pressure-dependent integrals of the burn rate in closed-vessel tests or other physical-chemical parameters of the propellant charge.
