Design and Qualification Testing

Abstract

There are three categories of testing:

• Design Testing — Laboratory and prototype tests aimed at proving that a design will meet the specification. Initially bread board functional tests aimed at proving the design. This will extend to preproduction models which undergo environmental and reliability tests and may overlap with:

• Qualification Testing — Total proving cycle using production models over the full range of the environmental and functional specification. This involves extensive marginal tests, climatic and shock tests, reliability and maintainability tests and the accumulation of some field data. It must not be confused with development or production testing. There is also:

• Production Testing and Commissioning — Verification of conformance by testing modules and complete equipment. Some reliability proving and burn in may be involved. Generally failures will be attributable to component procurement, production methods, etc. Design related queries will arise but should diminish in quantity as production continues.

Acceptance testing implies a formal demonstration and may apply to qualification or to production tests depending upon the circumstances. In the former case a contract development may lead to a formal demonstration of design conformance and in the latter, equipment already in manufacture may undergo demonstration tests for reasons of quality audit or customer inspection.