Product interface & fixtures
Use suitable adapters, connectors and mechanical fixtures for the device under test (DUT). Define electrical ratings, hydraulic connections, cooling and accessible service points for each product variant.
MPS · Testing
Test Bench
Hardware setups and control software for repeatable industrial testing.
Connect the product, instruments and automation software in a test system that applies defined conditions, measures the response and records traceable results.
Building blocks of a test bench
Sources, loads & measurement
Select programmable power supplies, loads, sensors and data acquisition (DAQ) to match the operating range, accuracy and bandwidth. Include isolation, signal conditioning and calibrated reference measurements.
Automation & communication
An industrial PC manages recipes, operator screens and reports. Instrument drivers connect through supported Ethernet, USB, serial, CAN or industrial-fieldbus interfaces. Use a PLC, real-time controller or FPGA where deterministic timing is required.
Protection & shutdown
Design emergency stops, guards, interlocks, pressure relief and energy isolation from the bench risk assessment. Safety functions must remain effective if the PC application or communication fails; a software Stop button alone is insufficient.
Solar Inverter
Hardware setup
- Programmable photovoltaic (PV) array simulator reproducing panel current–voltage characteristics.
- For grid-connected inverters: an appropriately rated grid simulator capable of accepting exported power, or a purpose-designed regenerative arrangement.
- DC/AC power analyzer, isolated voltage/current measurement, temperature sensing and synchronized DAQ.
- Rated switching, protective isolation, cooling and verified discharge of stored energy.
Tests & software control
- Load irradiance and temperature profiles, then vary the simulated PV operating point.
- Measure maximum power point tracking (MPPT), DC-to-AC conversion efficiency and power quality.
- Exercise startup, shutdown, thermal derating and specified grid-disturbance responses.
- Synchronize source commands with power measurements and generate operating-point maps. Grid-code and anti-islanding tests require the applicable procedure and dedicated setup.
Equipment examples: PV array simulators and grid simulation and energy emulation.
Hydraulic Valves
Hardware setup
- Hydraulic power unit with reservoir, pump, filtration and temperature conditioning.
- Rated manifold and fixtures with pressure relief, controlled unloading and suitable fluid containment.
- Pressure transducers, flow meters, fluid-temperature measurement and spool-position sensing where available.
- Solenoid or proportional-valve driver with analog or fieldbus command interfaces.
Tests & software control
- Control fluid conditions and record pressure–flow characteristics across command points.
- Measure internal/external leakage, pressure drop, hysteresis and repeatability as applicable to valve type.
- Capture step response and switching times with suitable acquisition bandwidth.
- Automate command sweeps and endurance cycles; log drift and stop on defined pressure, temperature or leakage limits.
Application context: hydraulic testing technology. Fixtures and limits must follow the selected valve’s ratings and test specification.
Welding Machine
Hardware setup
- For arc-welding power sources: a suitable rated load bank or controlled welding fixture, selected for the test objective.
- Isolated voltage sensing, calibrated current measurement and waveform acquisition.
- Wire-feed speed, shielding-gas flow and temperature measurement where relevant.
- Cooling, electrical protection and, for live-arc tests, guarding, arc shielding and fume extraction.
Tests & software control
- Compare commanded, displayed and independently measured current and voltage.
- Check wire-feed accuracy, output stability, pulse behavior and duty-cycle thermal response as applicable.
- Apply repeatable load profiles, capture transients and evaluate cooling or fault responses.
- Store waveforms and calibration results by machine serial number. Load-bank tests do not by themselves establish weld quality.
For arc-welding equipment, IEC 60974-14 addresses calibration, validation and consistency testing. See also welding-system calibration measurements. Resistance and other welding processes need different fixtures and methods.
Programming the control software
LabVIEW
Graphical programming for measurement, instrument control and operator interfaces.
- Create reusable virtual instruments for initialization, configuration, acquisition and shutdown.
- Use a state machine for test steps and separate acquisition, display and logging through queues.
- Integrate supported DAQ and VISA drivers; use appropriate real-time or FPGA targets for deterministic tasks.
Python
Text-based automation for instrument sequences, data analysis and report generation.
- Wrap instrument commands in driver classes using PyVISA or supported vendor APIs.
- Separate recipe data from sequencing logic; implement timeouts, validation, error handling and cleanup.
- Use simulation drivers for development and automate calculation and report checks.
C# / .NET
Desktop applications for operator workflows, equipment integration and production records.
- Separate the user interface, test engine, driver layer and data storage.
- Use asynchronous operations and cancellation to keep the interface responsive during testing.
- Connect through compatible vendor SDKs or VISA .NET; confirm driver and runtime compatibility.
All three can coordinate instruments and measurements. Choose according to hardware support, deployment needs and team skills. Desktop application timing is not a substitute for a real-time control loop. SCPI commands and protocol support are instrument-specific.
From recipe to test report
- Identify & prepareLoad the product variant and approved recipe, identify instruments, and verify calibration and bench readiness.
- Configure & executeApply bounded setpoints, wait for defined settling conditions and acquire synchronized measurements.
- Evaluate & recordCompare results with acceptance limits, accounting for measurement uncertainty where required. Preserve raw data and failure details.
- Stop & releaseFollow the engineered shutdown sequence, verify the required safe condition and save the report, including aborted runs.
For a solar inverter, a recipe may define PV profiles and AC conditions; for a hydraulic valve, pressure and command sweeps; for a welding machine, load and output setpoints. Each recipe needs its own limits, measurement channels, settling rules and shutdown actions.
Commissioning & traceability
Verify instrument drivers and calculations with simulated inputs, then commission the bench under controlled conditions. Check measurement accuracy, repeatability, communication-loss handling and interlock behavior before routine testing.
Record the DUT serial number, fixture and software versions, recipe revision, operator, timestamps, calibration status, measurements and pass/fail decisions. Document acceptance tests, wiring and hydraulic diagrams, operating instructions and maintenance needs.