Testing

(courtesy www.beaed.com)

A critical but often overlooked element in operations is testing.  It is an activity that doesn't relate directly to full production but the results gained from testing will prove or disprove a design or process.  That will determine whether your chosen design will be allowed to full production.

For larger companies,  testing is scheduled and run by a separate test group. The design groups have some say into how the testing will be done.  The testing group will be able to determine the location and specification of measuring devices, the accuracy of the measurements, and ultimately the validity of the results.  It is important for the design or manufacturing group convey the purpose of the test to the testing group, otherwise the testing group may assume the wrong objective and this will potentially invalidate the results.

For testing purposes the testing group will require that one or more people from design and manufacturing groups be available on site during testing.  Testing lasts anywhere from one day to a week so you need to make sure staff is available to support the testing.  Those supporting the testing should be knowledgeable of the purpose of the test; preferably more experienced personnel rather than a junior engineer or mechanic.

(courtesy www.knifilters.com)

Once testing is complete, immediately evaluate the results to determine validity.  A thorough operation will have predicted (hopefully accurately) the results prior to the test.  Then there are no surprises once testing is done.  With the right planning, a testing operation will proceed smoothly and results will validate the design successfully.