Industrial automation · Test stations
Automated test stations (ATE) for your product and line
Conceptech designs and builds automated end-of-line test stations in Israel: functional, electrical and mechanical tests, with fixture, instruments, software and a record per unit. It starts with your product's test spec.
Incoming inspection, integration and testing for small batches, in our lab
- For
- Manufacturers and hardware companies that need to test every unit, not just a sample
- What you get
- A station with fixture, instruments and software, and a stored result for every serial number
- First step
- A call with an engineer about the product, what needs testing and your production rate
What gets tested
What does an automated test station check?
One station can run several kinds of test in sequence. The list comes from your product spec and from the failures you've already seen in the field.
Functional and electrical test
Voltages, currents, power draw, communications and response to inputs, each against its own limits. The test exercises the product as it works in use.
Output: Pass or fail for every unit, with the measured values
Programming and calibration
Firmware flashing, writing the serial number and calibrating sensors or measurements, as part of the same test cycle.
Output: A programmed, calibrated unit with its version recorded
Leak, force and camera checks
Leak tightness, press force or torque, and a visual check of the assembly, a label or an indicator LED.
Output: Mechanical and visual results in the same record
Marking and labelling
A label or mark printed only for a unit that passed, so a failed unit can't carry on down the line by mistake.
Output: A serial-number label linked to the results
What it's made of
What is automated test equipment (ATE) built from?
Six building blocks, each of which affects reliability and cycle time. Most are designed around your product rather than bought off the shelf.
Test fixture (jig)
Holds the unit in the same position every time and connects to it, through spring-loaded pins, connectors or test points on the board.
Output: Fixture drawings and spare contact pins
Measurement instruments
Power supplies, multimeters, data-acquisition (DAQ) hardware including Advantech instruments, electronic loads and dedicated instruments, as the test requires.
Output: Instrument list and calibration plan
Controller: PLC or microcontroller
Runs the test sequence, clamping and safety. A PLC when the station sits on a line next to industrial equipment; a microcontroller or PC when you need flexibility.
Output: Control software and electrical schematics
Test software
Runs the test sequence, compares against limits and decides pass or fail. Usually in Python, with a limits file you can update without changing code.
Output: Test code, limits file and test procedure
Reports and database
Every result is stored with the serial number, version, date and station, so a unit can be traced even after it has shipped.
Output: A database and a report per unit and per batch
Operator interface
A screen that shows the operator what to do and the result, in green or red, without reading logs, so a new operator works correctly too.
Output: Operator interface and work instructions
Process
Designing a test station: from spec to factory acceptance
Five phases, each with a clear deliverable and gate. The station is tested at our workshop and again on site, and we estimate each phase's duration after the initial evaluation.
01 · URS
Requirements
What is tested, at what rate and to which limits, which data is stored, and where the station will stand: on the line, in a lab or at a manufacturer.
Output: Station requirements document
Gate: You approve the requirements
02
Test-coverage plan
We map every requirement and known failure to a test that catches it, and decide what is tested at the station and what is already covered earlier.
Output: Coverage matrix and test sequence
Gate: Joint review of the coverage
03
Prototype fixture
We build a first fixture and run it on real units to check contact, repeatability and cycle time before the final build.
Output: Prototype fixture and first results
Gate: Repeatable results on known-good and known-bad units
04 · FAT
Build and FAT
We build the final station, write the software and run a factory acceptance test at the workshop, against a protocol you approved.
Output: FAT protocol and results
Gate: The station passes FAT
05 · SAT
Installation and SAT
We install on your line or in your lab, run the site acceptance test on production units and train operators and maintenance staff.
Output: SAT results, training and documentation
Gate: You sign off on the station
Small batches
Small-batch testing in our lab
Before you invest in a station on your own line, we can test a small batch for you: incoming inspection, integration and testing.
Not every product needs a dedicated station from day one. While volumes are still small, or the product is still changing, we do incoming inspection, integration and testing for small batches in our lab.
- Incoming inspection: checking boards, components or assemblies that arrived from the manufacturer, before they go into assembly.
- Integration: bringing the boards, assemblies and cabling together into a working product.
- Testing: running the test procedure on every unit and storing the results by serial number.
The procedure and fixture built for the small batch also become the basis for a station on your line later, so the work isn't lost as volumes grow.
When the product itself still needs changes to the board, the firmware or its preparation for manufacturing: DFM and small-batch production or firmware development
Which fits
Test station, HIL or manual testing: which fits?
Three ways to test, for three different situations. Many products use more than one: HIL in development, and a test station in production.
- Manual testing: suits small volumes, prototypes and a product that is still changing. Easy to start with, but slow, dependent on who does the testing and hard to document.
- Automated test station: tests every unit in production, with the same procedure and the same limits, and stores a result for every serial number. It answers the question: was this unit built correctly?
- HIL test bench: tests the controller and firmware against a simulation of their environment, on every code change, before production. It answers the question: does the design work in every condition, including faults?
The simple rule: HIL belongs to development, and a test station belongs to production. Test work is led by an engineer who, in earlier roles, built production test stations and automated HIL test pipelines that run in CI on every change, and Conceptech builds the fixtures, controls and acceptance tests for the machines it designs.
HIL test benches for controllers and products
Test stations are one part of our work on production lines. All industrial automation services
Automated test stations: FAQ
How much does an automated test station cost?
The cost depends on the product and what needs testing, so the proposal is written after we go through the test spec together. The main cost drivers:
- The number and type of tests: electrical, functional, mechanical or camera-based
- The fixture: how many contact points, how many product variants, and whether you need quick changeover between them
- The instruments needed and the accuracy requirements
- The required cycle time, and how much of the loading and unloading is automated
- The connection to a database, an MES or your production systems
While volumes are still small, testing a small batch in our lab can defer the investment in a station until the product is stable.
What is the cycle time of a test station?
Cycle time follows from your production rate, so we define it in the requirements and verify it on the prototype fixture. It depends on how long each measurement takes, how many tests can run in parallel, and the time for loading, clamping and unloading.
When one station can't keep up, we can test several units in parallel, split the test across stations, or move some tests to an earlier point on the line.
How are results stored, and can a unit be traced by serial number?
Yes. Every unit gets a record with its serial number, the firmware and test-software versions, the measured values, the station and the time. Results are stored in a database, and you can produce a report per unit or per batch, or pass them to an MES and your plant systems. So when a unit comes back from the field, you can see exactly how it was tested.
Can you upgrade an existing test station?
Yes, even when someone else built it. We start by reviewing the existing fixture, instruments, software and documentation, then decide what to keep and what to replace: for example new test software with result logging, a fixture for a new variant, or a controller to replace a part that's no longer available. That improves coverage and cycle time without rebuilding everything.
Do you support the station on site after installation?
Yes. After the site acceptance test your team gets training and documentation, and for everything else there is service on call-out or under a service plan, with a technical log for each station. We usually reply within 3 working hours, by email or phone, then diagnose remotely or come to you.
Who owns the drawings and the test code?
Ownership of the drawings, test code and documentation is agreed in the contract for each project. We sign an NDA on request when the project calls for it, for example when the test spec reveals the product design.
Send us your test spec, and we'll propose how to test every unit
Tell us what the product is, what needs testing and at what rate, and how you test today. An engineer will reply with a first direction.
Usually a reply within 3 working hours, by email or phone