Test Engineering

Every product that comes onto the market or is used in the industry goes through a process of testing. Several areas of that product design must be tested to ensure safety, reliability, durability and that it performs as expected. Test engineering, therefore, is a vital part of product development. It is also the most time-consuming and expensive stage, and the most difficult.

Ironically, industrial testing relies upon traditional procedures and standards that do not always give the most efficient time/cost balance, the same standards used for decades. There is also a misconception that, during testing, a product should not be stressed past its operational standard. However, test engineers routinely test through these norms and beyond. There is certainly some miscommunication between test engineering and the rest of the product development process; the reasons for these difficulties are many and varied.

Contact a: Test Automation Specialist

The seemingly prohibitive testing costs give the test engineering fraternity it’s most compelling problems: how to reduce testing time in order to bring down overall development costs. It is for this reason test engineers are involved in development from an early stage. During the schematics review the engineer will ensure they can test all aspects of the product; he will also be part of the layout of the product to make certain all components are in the most efficient configuration in order to maximize product operation, but also to decrease testing costs by ensuring components are in easily testable positions. The engineer will also have a fundamental role in the overall diagnostics review to simplify, as far as possible, the process of using tools to test the product.

Test Process

One of the many methods used to simplify the test process is to automate as many aspects as possible. This reduces the need to manually type data commands; ensures test steps are followed with correct timings and within given specifications; guarantees the flow of the test process and generates data in a prearranged configuration.

The tools a test engineer use are many and varied. Although specific products demand specific tests, there are certain commonalities for a given task. All engineers use a variety of computer programs and operating systems; automation of the testing process is fundamental; calibration systems, development of specifications and consultation.

Test engineer may have an area of expertise in which case
he will outsource aspects in which he does not specialize.

Prior to final assembly components may need to be given a burn-in test to minimize component burn-out prior to final product testing. This is one of the many methods test engineers use to reduce costs at the final product test.

Article published December 11th, 2009
Versatyle.com – Test Engineering