While electrical testing is utilized by a wide variety of fields and industries, the automotive industry is one of the prime clients for electrical testing solutions. According to the Global Industry Analysis and Forecast (2022-2019), the automotive electrical testing market is valued at over $43 million currently, and expected to grow significantly in coming years.

Why is electrical testing so crucial to the automotive industry?

The automotive industry is largely consumer-driven, meaning that a consumer’s personal safety and satisfaction is not only ideal, but critical. As this industry continues to advance to meet the evolving expectations of consumers, more and more electrical testing solutions must be created. For example, modern automobiles incorporate anti-crash technology, more sophisticated electrical components, and an increased number of sensors than ever before. These advancements require precise and consistent electrical testing in order to function.

Process for Electrical Testing in the Automotive Industry

Electrical testing in the automotive industry always begins with an extensive design, engineering, and prototype stage. Every automotive electrical component is first tested in an artificial environment where the design can be tweaked as needed. Often, each component is tested using different software tools to gauge varying measurements, such as voltage levels. After a design and its prototypes have been thoroughly tested, the automotive component moves along to the manufacturing stage.

Electrical Testing for Quality Control

Electrical testing is crucial for quality control in general, though within the automotive industry quality control is especially critical. Improperly tested electrical elements can have catastrophic consequences on human-operated vehicles (sensors failing, self-driving components malfunctioning, etc.). Therefore, numerous standards and regulations are in place to ensure that every automobile off the line has had each connector, circuit, and sensor thoroughly analyzed and tested.

Tools for Automotive Electrical Testing

Control panels and electrical systems on automated vehicles are often tested with a variety of equipment pieces to gauge electronic voltage, resistance, and currents. Common tools for these tests include multimeters, voltmeters, and circuit testers. As the automotive industry itself advances, the market for new and evolving electrical testing tools also increases. For example, fully electric cars that run off batteries require much more sophisticated battery testing tools than vehicles from a decade ago.

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