Endurance & Long-Term Operation Testing
Validation under Extreme Conditions
Ensuring long-term product reliability requires testing systems that deliver absolutely stable measurement data over weeks or even months. We develop automated endurance test benches that precisely simulate mechanical, electrical, and thermal stresses while continuously documenting even the smallest changes in the test specimen.
Validated Test Data for the Highest Quality Standards
During the product development and series release phase, endurance testing becomes the critical bottleneck. A failure of the test equipment after hundreds of hours of testing is not only costly, but also puts your entire schedule (time-to-market) at risk.
WSK Elektronik understands endurance testing as a combination of maximum system availability and absolute data integrity. We develop systems that are physically robust and use intelligent monitoring of the measurement chain to ensure that every recorded value reflects reality. This creates a reliable foundation for your product liability and conformity assessments.
Simulation of Real Load Profiles and Accelerated Testing
To accelerate time-to-market, real load cycles must be reproduced in a time-efficient manner. Our test benches use physical models for time acceleration without compromising the validity of the results:
- Dynamic alternating loads: Simulation of millions of switching cycles or motion sequences under defined force conditions (servo motors/pneumatics).
- Thermal coupling: Execution of endurance tests in integrated climate chambers to analyze material behavior under extreme temperature variations (-40 °C to +180 °C).
- Electrical stress: Continuous monitoring of signal quality and resistance behavior under constant current load to detect contact burn or insulation faults.
Data Security and Long-Term Stability (24/7 Operation)
The most critical risk in endurance testing is data loss or gradual measurement drift. We address these challenges with a high-performance system architecture:
- Autonomous monitoring: The system operates fully automatically and features intelligent shutdown routines in case of limit violations, proactively protecting both the test specimen and the system from damage.
- Precision measurement electronics: Use of hardware with an extremely low temperature coefficient to ensure a stable, drift-free measurement chain over several months.
- Seamless SQL data logging: All measurement data is stored directly in databases, enabling in-depth trend analysis and correlation of failures with specific load conditions.
Your Path to an Endurance Test System
Developing an endurance test system is an investment in your long-term product quality. To ensure this investment delivers reliable results, we combine our specialized expertise in long-term simulation with our standardized project management approach.
Within our proven 6-step process for customized testing systems, we place special emphasis on three critical pillars in endurance testing projects:
1. Definition of Load Profiles:
We support you in translating complex real-world load data into deterministic, automated test sequences to ensure maximum comparability of test results.
2. Development of the Test Environment:
We implement the full integration of required media supplies (such as water, gas, or oil) as well as precise thermal conditioning of the test environment.
3. Automation of Data Evaluation:
We implement intelligent algorithms that autonomously detect fault events (e.g., micro-interruptions) within milliseconds and store high-resolution “snapshots” of signal behavior for root cause analysis.
Already have a test concept?
Send us your load profiles for a technical feasibility analysis and quotation.
Need consulting on endurance simulation?
We support you in designing test cycles and selecting the appropriate sensor technology.
Investment Protection Through Reliability
An endurance test system from WSK Elektronik is more than just a measurement setup – it is the assurance behind your product promises. By combining robust mechatronics with intelligent software monitoring, we minimize the risk of measurement errors and system failures during critical testing phases.
We support you from the initial definition of load profiles through to the final statistical evaluation of your data. Rely on testing technology that is just as durable as your products.
Let’s work together to validate the resilience of your innovations. Contact us for an initial technical consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Endurance and Long-Term Testing Systems
Absolutely. The challenge is to accelerate tests in a way that saves time without introducing atypical failure modes. We support you in translating real field data into automated test profiles. In doing so, we consider established models (such as the Arrhenius equation for thermal aging or the Coffin-Manson model for mechanical stress) to ensure that accelerated testing provides statistically reliable insights into real service life.
Our test systems are designed for autonomous 24/7 operation. In the event of a power failure, an uninterruptible buffering system ensures that the current test status (cycle count, load condition) is securely saved. Once power is restored, the test can resume exactly from the point of interruption. In addition, the system continuously monitors critical supply media (compressed air, water, electricity): if a supply is interrupted, the system transitions the test specimen into a defined safe state, triggers an alarm, and prevents consequential damage to both the prototype and the test system.
We design according to the principle of “hardware agility.” Mechanical fixtures are typically modular, using interchangeable plate systems that allow new component geometries to be integrated without modifying the base structure. On the software side, our WSK framework enables easy adjustment of test sequences, limit values, and load profiles through an intuitive graphical interface. This means you are not dependent on us for making minor adaptations to new product variants.
The greatest risk in long-term testing is gradual data loss or measurement drift. We rely on a redundant storage strategy: measurement data is buffered locally and simultaneously archived in a central SQL database. To eliminate physical measurement drift (e.g., due to temperature fluctuations in the lab), we use hardware with low temperature coefficients and perform automated self-calibration cycles during ongoing test operation. This ensures consistent accuracy from the first to the millionth cycle.