Test & Automation
MCF develops test systems to suit the respective process environment - from laboratory and endurance test benches to operator-controlled production test stations through to automated test stations, robot solutions, tray systems and fully integrated inline test cells.
Basic understanding
In a modern test system, the test process runs automatically: measurements start according to defined rules, limit values are evaluated, results are documented and test data is saved. When MCF speaks of levels of automation, it is not about whether testing is carried out automatically - but rather about how the device under test is handled before, during and after testing: how it is fed, positioned, contacted, removed and integrated into the production process.
Not “Is it checked automatically?”, but: “How automatically is the device under test handled, contacted and integrated into the overall process?” The test sequence is always automated - the degree of automation affects handling, contacting, material flow and production integration.
Degrees of automation
Not every product requires a fully automated system – and not every manual test station is economically viable in the long term. The decisive factor is that the degree of automation matches the product, production volume, range of variants, cycle time and production process.
The operator inserts the device under test and contacts it manually via cables, plugs or terminals. The test sequence is then carried out automatically: the system guides you through the process, measures, evaluates limit values and clearly documents the result. No less professional than a system - but the right solution when flexibility and investment costs are more important than cycle time.
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The operator places the device under test in a defined test holder. Contact is made automatically or mechanically – via test fixtures, spring contact pins, pneumatic locks or clamping systems. This reduces operating errors, improves contact quality and makes the testing process more stable: the most common solution for production and EOL testing stations.
Several devices under test are provided collectively in trays, magazines or storage. Robots, portal axes or pick-and-place systems take over removal, positioning, contacting and pass/fail storage. This means that trays can be loaded at the end of the shift and checked unattended over several hours or overnight - with an appropriate safety, incident and results concept.
The test system is completely integrated into the production line. Devices under test are automatically fed, positioned, contacted, checked via workpiece carriers, belts, robots or transfer systems and, depending on the results, transported further or removed. MCF also takes care of automation, security technology, control cabinet construction and the connection to databases and MES.
Technology
Robots are not a separate level of automation, but rather a technology for handling everything related to the testing process. They do not carry out the testing themselves, but rather move devices under test safely, reproducibly and efficiently - especially in tray, storage and inline systems, with sensitive or geometrically demanding devices under test and in unsupervised test runs.
Comparison
The most economically viable degree of automation depends not only on production volume. The range of variants, cycle time, contacting effort, traceability and the desired integration into production are also decisive.
| Level of automation | Loading | Contacting | Handling | Production volume | Flexibility | Typical application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01Manual test systems | Manually | Manual (cables, plugs, terminals) | Operator | Low | Very high | Development, service, small series |
| 02Semi-manual test systems | Manually in test recording | Automatically via test fixture | Operator + test recording | Low to medium | High | EOL and production testing |
| 03Tray and storage systems | Batch assembly (tray, magazine) | Automatically | Robot, gantry axis, pick and place | Medium to high | Means | Batch testing, unattended operation |
| 04Fully automated test systems | Automatically | Automatically | Robot, workpiece carrier, belt, transfer system | High | Process specific | Inline, ICT, EOL, series production |
MCF supports you in defining the appropriate degree of automation as early as the concept phase – not maximum automation at any price, but a stable, economical and future-proof test process.
Technologies
A good test system must move the DUT reliably, position it precisely, make secure contact, test automatically, evaluate results unambiguously and document them properly. MCF therefore always considers the overall system – mechanics, electrical engineering, metrology, control, software and data connectivity.
How devices under test are moved, fed, positioned and transported within the system.
How the device under test is connected to the test system in a reproducible, secure and measurement-stable manner.
How the test result controls and documents the further material flow.
Decision logic
The appropriate degree of automation is not determined on a blanket basis, but derived from the project requirements. MCF evaluates these criteria together with you – as early as the concept phase.
More automation is not automatically a better solution. MCF does not deliver automation at any price, but rather the technically and economically appropriate level of automation - for a stable, reproducible and future-proof testing process.
Describe your device under test, testing task and boundary conditions – we will develop the right concept.