Research & Development
Research & Development: Testing Technology for Reliable Development Decisions
From the initial feasibility study to the validated prototype, we develop flexible test systems that enable you to characterize products, compare variants, and investigate technical relationships under reproducible conditions.
In research and development, requirements often change with every new insight. Measurement ranges are expanded, prototypes are modified, and additional influencing factors are investigated. WSK Elektronik develops test stands and test equipment that are not limited to a rigid test case, but can be flexibly adapted to changing development tasks.
Precise Measurement Data as a Basis for Product Development
A development test stand should do more than simply show whether a prototype works. What matters is understanding why its behavior changes, which influencing factors are responsible, and whether observed effects can be reproduced in a repeated test. Only when boundary conditions can be varied in a controlled manner can different design stages, parameters, or software versions be reliably compared with one another.
For this purpose, we create a reproducible development environment in which relevant influencing factors can be varied systematically and the response of the test specimen can be recorded in a structured manner. This produces measurement data that helps identify technical relationships, support sound development decisions, and derive the next optimization steps in a targeted way.
Flexible Test Environments for Changing Development Tasks
Development projects evolve continuously. That is why we design our testing technology so that new questions can be investigated wherever possible without requiring fundamental modifications:
- Variable test parameters: Loads, motion profiles, temperatures, supply voltages, and other influencing factors can be adjusted systematically and reproduced with precision.
- Modular test setups: Adaptable fixtures, interfaces, and measurement modules enable different prototypes and development stages to be tested.
- Realistic operating conditions: Depending on the application, we integrate mechanical, electrical, or thermal loads as well as functional testing and simulation to reproduce real-world operating conditions in a controlled manner.
Automated Test Series for Faster Insight
The more parameters that need to be investigated, the more important automated and reproducible processes become. Our systems carry out recurring test sequences and record measurement data in sync with the respective operating conditions:
- Automated parameter variation: Defined load and operating points are approached automatically, allowing comprehensive characteristic maps and test series to be investigated efficiently.
- Application-specific data acquisition: Analog and digital signals are recorded with the appropriate resolution, sampling rate, and signal processing and made available in a structured format for further analysis.
- Reproducible comparability: Defined test sequences create consistent boundary conditions, enabling design stages, software versions, or product variants to be compared objectively.
Your Path to a Customized Development Test Stand
The development of a test stand for research and development starts with your technical challenge. As part of our proven 6-step process for customized test systems, we place particular emphasis on three key aspects in development projects:
1. Definition of Test Objectives
Together, we determine which physical parameters need to be investigated, which influencing factors are relevant, and what level of measurement quality is required to obtain reliable results.
2. Development of a Flexible Test Environment
We design the mechanics, sensors, measurement electronics, and software so that test parameters can be varied in a controlled manner and future testing requirements can be added as easily as possible.
3. Automation and Data Evaluation
We implement reproducible test sequences and structured acquisition of the relevant measurement data so that results can be evaluated efficiently and compared with one another.
Test Task Already Defined?
Send us your requirements, measurement parameters, and available prototype data for a technical feasibility assessment and cost estimate.
Still Need to Define Your Testing Concept?
We support you in selecting suitable measurement methods and developing the technical concept for your development environment.
Testing Technology That Grows with Your Development
A development test stand needs to answer different questions today than it may need to answer tomorrow. That is why we rely on modular hardware, configurable test sequences, and a software architecture that can be adapted to new product versions and changing testing requirements.
Depending on the development phase, existing systems can be expanded with additional measurement channels, new test modules, or specialized testing methods such as lifetime and endurance testing and material testing.
The result is a development platform that not only supports individual experiments, but accompanies you from the first prototype through to reliable product validation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Testing Technology for Research & Development
In series production, the focus is on short cycle times and repeatable test sequences. A development test stand, by contrast, needs to be particularly flexible because prototypes, parameters, and test objectives often change over the course of a project. At the same time, the measurement conditions must remain reproducible so that different development stages can be compared reliably.
Yes. Depending on the system, parameters such as load profiles, limit values, motion sequences, or electrical and thermal conditions can be adjusted via the software. With a suitably modular design, additional measurement parameters or test sequences can also be added.
Yes. Recurring test sequences and systematic parameter variations can be automated. This makes it possible, for example, to record characteristic maps or different operating points reproducibly without having to start and configure each test manually.
Depending on the application, real test specimens can be combined with simulated sensor, actuator, or environmental signals. For more complex applications, we develop corresponding solutions in the field of functional testing & simulation.
This depends on the product and the development task. Possible measurements include electrical signals, forces, displacement, temperatures, pressures, communication data, or time-dependent signal curves. Measurement ranges and sampling rates are tailored to the specific application.