Test Plans for Product Evaluation and Compliance

CVG Strategy Writes Test Plans

Test plans are essential for a well executed test and evaluation program. They not only specify how the procedure is to be performed but include information specific to the item to be tested concerning modes of operation, safety shutdown procedures, definitions, and implementation of off chamber monitoring and simulation equipment, and criteria for evaluating “normal operation” during testing.  They also specify data to be gathered that can aid in post test troubleshooting and analysis, and ensure that the test is repeatable.

Most test standards call out for plans that include this information because it prescribes the tasks that test lab engineers must perform, provides criteria for evaluation of the test item’s operation, and allows the lab to make adjustments for any potential safety concerns that the equipment might present.

Many Aerospace, DOD, and Commercial standards are intended to be guidance documents.  In some specific methodologies, severities, durations, and pass/fail criteria must be specified.  If not specified a test item may well be over or under tested which undermines the validity of data returned from the test.

Properly executed testing is very important because, beyond compliance requirements, testing often evaluates the ruggedness, quality, and operational safety of a product.  Improper analysis of these important features can lead to warranty issues, product recall, and product liability concerns.  These are issues that affect customer satisfaction and your company’s reputation.

test plans

CVG Strategy Can Help

CVG Strategy has decades of experience in product test and evaluation in a wide variety of applications.  We understand the importance of test program documentation. We have two ways of helping our clients with test plans. 

  1. One is custom plans, which we have written hundreds over the years. These are composed and given to our client in MS Word, and serves as a base for them to use in the future.
  2. The other way for us to help is to provide licensed templates, pre-setup for particular platforms such as land vehicles, stationary systems, air craft mounted and commercial systems.  Our EZ Test Plan Templates helps resolve this issue for many customers, and does not require our involvement to customize.  This reduces the cost and timing to be utilized as they can be ordered and available within 24 hours via our E-Store. 

Environmental  plans are written in the format called out in MIL-STD-810.  EMI/EMC and electrical plans are written in the format specified in MIL-STD-461.  Addendums are provided for pertinent information about the item tested such as: operational modes, shut off procedures, simulation and monitoring equipment, functional and operational tests.  If customized plans are not in your budget, then our EZ Test Plan Templates are an available alternative.

Defense Standard Test Plan Categories

CVG Strategy EZ-Test Plan Templates have been created for application specific usage.  Defense test standards call for specific parameters based on the equipment’s platform of intended usage.  EZ-Test Plans for military standards have therefore been created in the following categories:

These plans are available for the major environmental, EMI/EMC, and electrical compatibility standards required by the Department of Defense for developmental test and evaluation.  These standards include:

  • MIL-STD-810
  • MIL-STD-461
  • MIL-STD-1275
  • MIL-STD-704
  • MIL-HDBK-2036-2
  • MIL-STD-1399-300B

Ingress Protection Test and Evaluation Plans

IEC 60529 is a standard for evaluating degrees of ingress protection.  This standard is comprised of a variety of test methodologies for evaluation of dust, accidental contact, solid object, and water protection provided by equipment enclosures.

Because this standard can be utilized for a number of ends, it is essential when undertaking a test project to establish a test objective and clearly establish the desired test process.  The test plan is a document that accomplishes these tasks while also defining the test deliverables (e.g. the data captured and required post test analysis).

Ingress testing can present challenges to product designers because small variances in gasket and sealing application can result in test failures.  Post test analysis therefore is an an important part of the test.  It must be conducted properly to ensure that the pass/fail criteria has been met and that sufficient information has been captured to provide identification of design deficiencies and vulnerabilities.

EZ-Test Template Package

Test project documentation should not only describe the test process, it must provide specific instructions for the entire test team, including test facility engineers and test witnesses. Additionally, the document must address specific to the equipment under test.  This would include:

  • Functional and operational tests
  • Acceptable performance criteria
  • Pass/fail criteria
  • Special Facility Requirements
  • Shutdown Procedures
  • and more…

Our EZ-Test document packages include addendums for the test manager to complete that meet the requirements of the specific test standard.  They also include a Test Lab Data Sheet specific to the test method to ensure that the test facility engineer has the appropriate equipment, can achieve the required tolerances, and understands any test parameter variables that have been selected by the test program manager.

We also provide a Test Label that can be used to identify photos taken at various stages of testing.  This can be of special value when a test program has concurrent tests in progress.

CVG Strategy

CVG Strategy test and evaluation experts have decades of experience in climatic, dynamic, EMI/EMC testing for commercial and defense products.  We bring this experience to the development of our test plans so that your product development evaluation and compliance programs can return confidence in the quality and safety of your products.

We also offer test witnessing and test program management services to help your product development team get their products to market.  Contact us to see how we can help with your test and evaluation challenges.

MIL-STD-810 Webinars

CVG Strategy now offers MIL-STD-810 Webinars to provide you with the essential information to garner the most from your test and evaluation

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