ABSTRACT
So far, we have been concerned with the thermal performance of electronics enclosures. There are other issues in their design that can be just as (or even more) important. Mechanical and electromagnetic issues are two major factors that must be managed. In general, once the enclosure is designed and the prototypes are developed, a few samples are tested in environmental chambers as well as vibration (shake) tables for compliance with various standards. A few may also be tested for drop and/or impact tests. Designs are only modified to pass the given test criteria. As a result, the designers, in general, know nothing about the behavior of their system in the field and any relationship that their data have to either failure rates or repair/maintenance scheduling.
