Title :
An assessment of the Qualified Manufacturer List (QML)
Author :
Pecht, Michael G. ; Fink, John ; Hakim, Edward ; Wyler, John
Author_Institution :
CALCE-EPRC, Maryland Univ., College Park, MD, USA
fDate :
7/1/1997 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
The Qualified Manufacturer List (QML) approach, detailed in MIL-I-38535, General Specification for Integrated Circuits (Microcircuit) Manufacturing, embraces many of the commercial practices employed by high volume microcircuit suppliers. Nevertheless, with the availability of highly reliable and lower cost commercial parts, the QML approach becomes unnecessary and undesirable. In this paper we attempt to show why US government support of the QML program is leading the military and government to unaffordable access to out-dated technologies, damaging our country´s military and avionics position. We will present information to show why we support the retraction of MIL-PRF-38535 and any other documents which imply that QML parts are superior to commercial parts, including those of QPL, MIL-STD-454, and MIL-HDBK-217 (now prohibited from use in all new Army programs)
Keywords :
integrated circuit manufacture; military equipment; military standards; MIL-PRF-38535 retraction; QML; avionics; high volume microcircuit suppliers; integrated circuits manufacturing; military equipment; out-dated technologies; qualified manufacturer list; Availability; Control systems; Costs; Electronic equipment; Integrated circuit manufacture; Integrated circuit reliability; Laboratories; Manufacturing industries; Military standards; US Government;
Journal_Title :
Aerospace and Electronic Systems Magazine, IEEE
