INFORMATION AND CONTROL SYSTEMS FORWORLD CLASS MANUFACTURING

(317) 873-00218857 Commerce Park Place

PO Box 78155Indianapolis, IN 46278

www.SpecPlus.com

AUTOMATIC TEST EQUIPMENT

• SpecPlus! has a wide variety of experience in custom designed test equipment for both production line, lab, and field testing. We have done life cycle tests, durability tests, corrosion tests, production line tests, audit tests, reliability tests, portable field testers, for appliances, electronics, and automotive components.

Automotive Column LockIgnition Switch Test

Automotive Column LockIgnition Switch Test

• This test stand is used for 100% production testing of automotive ignition switches. The stand was designed for use in a Mexican electronics plant, where an operator manually places a completedswitch assembly in the fixturing and activates the test via two palm buttons. The test automatically actuates the switch, checking contact closures, sequencing, and actuation force in both linear and rotary axes. The operator was notified of rejects by failure lights, and counts were kept of rejects by category. An industrial computer system controlled the test and all test software was written in basic.

• SpecPlus! was responsible for the complete turn-key test stand, including mechanical and fixturing design, fabrication, controls, programming, documentation, calibration and verification. The fixturing heads are removable to accommodate various models of switches. Two identical test stands were built.

Heating/ Air ConditioningTest Cells

Heating/ Air ConditioningTest Cells

Heating/ Air ConditioningTest Cells

• The first photographs show a mock-up of test cells for commercial gas fired rooftop heating and air conditioning units. A conveyorsystem (not shown) brings a unit into one of four test cells, where the operator would be prompted to connect the unit and enter theproper model number. From a library of test sequences, a ModiconPLC would perform a high-pot test on the unit, then put it through a sequence of operations to test a complete heating and cooling cycle. Temperatures, Pressures, Voltages, Currents, as well as proper operating sequences were measured against the library parametersfor the particular model. Instructions and test results were displayed back to the operator via message displays in each cell. The system was started up and completely debugged in our shop using actual products, a simulated conveyor interface, the customer's staff, and pre-assembled field terminations. The in-shop runoff was pre-planned so successfully that none of our staff was required to travel to the customer's plant in California to provide support after shipment.

Furnace Test

Furnace Tests

• This project involved 100% end of line testing for gas fired furnaces. A completed furnace diverted into a test cell, where an operator would hook up power and gas. Selecting a model on the touch screen, the operator would initiate a test sequence that would power up the furnace and perform a complete functional test. Hi-pot, voltage, currents, gas flow, and other parameters were measured during the test. Each furnace was serialized and a complete test history was stored in a database for future analysis..

AT/5000Automated Test System

• The AT/5000 test stand was developed in response to customer demand for an easy to use, modular, open architecture test system that could be adapted to a wide variety of products. After developing many test stands using a variety of PLC’s, computers, and programming languages we decided there had to be an easier, faster and cheaper way to develop a custom test stand. The AT 5000 is the cumulative result of over 30 custom systems implemented using a similar architecture consisting of an IBM compatible computer, touch screen, and modular I/O system. These systems have been implemented for production, lab, audit, and reliability testing for a variety of products and subassemblies.

Sample AT/5000 implementations

• Gas flame igniter test• Blower motor speed, vibration, current test• Gas fired furnace tests, including

subassembly tests, production functional tests, audit and reliability tests

• Gas Burner assembly test• Hi-Pot test stations

AT/5000 Brochure

Burn-In Test Carts

Burn-In Test Carts

Burn-In Test Carts

• These burn-in carts were designed for a manufacturer of automotive air-bag control modules. The cart fixtures can be loaded externally to the burn-in test chamber in replaceable nests, which can be designed to accommodate multiple models of parts. Constructed of aluminum, the carts were designed for low thermal mass so that temperature changes in the chamber could be accomplished rapidly. Connections to the UUT are brought to a central connection point on the end of the cart, which can quickly be connected within the chamber.

• Teflon insulated wiring was used throughout to provide long life for the carts under many temperature cycles.

Other Test SystemsSpecPlus! has built test equipment for the following applications and more:

• Anti-lock brake solenoids– A production test using compressed air to perform functional tests on anti-lock brake solenoids, which

provided correlation between air-testing and actual brake-fluid hyraulic testing. Using air in the test avoided the mess associated with 100% testing of the parts using brake fluid.

• Automotive Electrical Components– Temperature cycle test for Alternators– Durability and Load tests for Alternators– Production line functional tests for Alternators– Vibration testing for Alternators

• Engine Knock Sensor test– 100% production line functional test of Engine Knock Sensors integrated into the assembly system for the

Knock Sensor– SpecPlus responsible for both the assembly system controls as well as the test station.

• Automotive horn tests– Three generations of horn test systems were implemented over the life cycle of the product. This included

maintenance support on the first generation (customer developed) test systems.– A 2nd generation of test equipment was designed and implemented along with a retrofit of the horn

assembly line controls. SpecPlus was responsible for bot the assembly line controls retrofit, as well as the development of an enhanced test and adjustment system which peformed 100% test and adjust. The system monitored voltage, current, and sound, and adjusted air gap on the horn armature with a servo controlled adjustment system

– The equipment was transferred to a plant in Mexico, and the control systems were reworked to accommodate the needs of the local plant.

Other Test Systems• Leak Tests

– SpecPlus has implemented leak test systems (pressure decay) typically as part of the manufacturing process for the following products

– Automotive tail light lens assemblies– Automotive headlight lens assemblies (test and adjust)– Oil filter cannisters– Furnace Heat Exchangers

• Disk Brake life cycle and temperature cycle tests– This Omron PLC controlled test system performed dynamic life cycle

testing on automotive disk brake assemblies (cailper, pads, rotor) by continuously cycling the brake system while controlling rotor speed, within a temperature chamber.

– SpecPlus provided a turn-key system including the temperature chamber

• Appliance Tests– SpecPlus has designed a variety of in-process and end-of-line test

systems for several appliance manufacturings, including ovens, dishwashers, furnaces, air conditioners, and refrigerators.

Other Test Systems

• Automotive Systems Tests– Electronic, distributorless ignition systems– Electronic ignition controls– Portable distributor and ignition system field

tester– Portable tester for Automotive heater, air

conditioner, ventilation system controller– Portable tester for Diesel Engine tests

Contact us for:

• Consulting• Design• Specification• Fabrication• Documentation• Software Development• Installation• Service and Support

(317) 873-00218857 Commerce Park PlacePO Box 78155Indianapolis, IN 46278www.SpecPlus.com