Hi everyone,

Quick question for those working with industrial control systems what PCB related issues have you seen show up after deployment?
I’m talking about things like vibration related faults, connector problems, solder fatigue near power components, or heat issues inside panels.

Sometimes everything passes testing, but real-world conditions tell a different story.

Would love to hear any field failures or lessons learned that caught you by surprise.

 

One that surprised me was connector-related failures. The PCB itself was fine, but vibration gradually loosened field wiring and created intermittent faults that were difficult to reproduce during testing.

I've also seen cracked solder joints on heavier components such as transformers, relays, and large electrolytic capacitors, especially in equipment exposed to continuous vibration.

Another common issue is heat buildup inside control panels. A design that runs comfortably on the bench can end up operating much hotter once installed in an enclosure with limited airflow, which can affect power supplies and electrolytic capacitor life. REad this thermal management in pcb designing: https://www.pcbway.com/blog/PCB_Des...gn_Considerations_in_PCB_Layout_4a39efd9.html

For me, connectors, vibration, and thermal management have caused more real-world failures than PCB trace or layout issues themselves.