Industry
Electrical, dimensional and environmental test instruments for component, powertrain and EV development and production.
Automotive instrumentation divides into two duties that are specified quite differently. The first is development and validation testing, where the instrument has to capture a fast-changing signal accurately and record it, and where the result may be analysed for weeks afterwards. The second is production and end-of-line testing, where the same measurement is made thousands of times with a clear pass or fail outcome and a cycle time that cannot slip.
The distinction changes the priorities completely. A test bench rewards bandwidth, channel count and synchronisation. A production station rewards repeatability, cycle time and a fixture that presents the part identically every time. An instrument chosen for one duty rarely performs well in the other, and a specification that does not say which applies usually ends up over-engineered for production or under-specified for development.
The other constant here is that the requirement usually arrives from outside the plant. Torque values, pressures, flow rates, electrical parameters and dimensional tolerances all come with a definition attached - a drawing, a customer standard or an internal test procedure - so the work is to satisfy that definition rather than to choose the best instrument by preference.
Engine, transmission and electric drive test cells. Torque, speed, temperature, pressure and flow are captured together and have to be synchronised, and the channel count is usually high.
Pumps, injectors, valves, heat exchangers and batteries tested individually. Flow, pressure and temperature dominate, frequently at fast rates and with a requirement to record the transient rather than the steady state.
Assembly stations and end-of-line checks. Pressure decay, flow, torque, electrical continuity and dimensional verification, each against a defined limit within a short cycle time.
On-vehicle and rig measurement of electrical parameters, temperature, vibration and position. Portable equipment is often used, and the environment is far less controlled than a laboratory.
| Measurement | What is measured in this sector | Instruments commonly specified |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure | Fuel, oil, hydraulic, brake, inlet and exhaust pressure, static and fluctuating | Transmitters and transducers selected for the frequency response the measurement requires, with the connection and sealing arranged so that the sensor does not alter the system it is measuring |
| Flow | Fuel, coolant, oil and air flow, including fast transients and very small quantities | Coriolis and positive-displacement meters for fuel, electromagnetic and ultrasonic meters for coolant, and thermal or differential-pressure measurement for air |
| Temperature | Coolant, oil, exhaust, surface and component temperature, on the bench and in the vehicle | RTDs and thermocouples, with the choice driven by response time and by whether the sensor has to be embedded in the component being measured |
| Torque, speed and position | Shaft torque, rotational speed, angle and linear position | Torque transducers in the shaft line, encoders and speed sensors, and displacement or position transducers for actuator measurement |
| Electrical | Voltage, current, power, insulation resistance and signal integrity in conventional and electrified systems | Power analysers and meters rated for the waveform, insulation testers for the high-voltage system, and acquisition channels with the bandwidth the switching demands |
| Dimensional and inspection | Component geometry, surface finish, coating and assembly verification | Gauges, indicators and coordinate measurement for development, and purpose-built fixtured gauges for production where the cycle time governs |
Whether the measurement is for development or for production should be stated at the outset; it changes the required bandwidth, the fixture and the record more than the range does.
Frequently asked
The questions that come up in this sector before an order. If yours is not here, send it with the duty and we will answer it alongside the quotation.
Development work needs bandwidth, channel count and synchronisation so that a transient can be captured and analysed afterwards. Production work needs repeatability, a short cycle time and a fixture that presents the part identically every time, because the result is a pass or fail decision made thousands of times. The same measurement appears in both, but an instrument chosen for one duty is rarely the right choice for the other.
Because a sensor slower than the phenomenon produces a smooth, plausible and incorrect record. A pressure spike that is averaged away, or a temperature step that appears gradual, leads to a conclusion about the system that is really a conclusion about the instrument. Where the quantity fluctuates, the frequency content of the measurement belongs in the specification alongside the range.
By measuring mass rather than volume, because fuel density changes with temperature and the quantity that matters for consumption is mass. Coriolis meters are used where a continuous figure is needed and positive-displacement meters where a volumetric or batch measurement is acceptable. Small quantities and fast transients are the difficult cases, and both belong in the enquiry along with the flow range.
A definition of the leak rate that counts as a failure, the internal volume of the part, the test pressure and the time available. Pressure decay testing is sensitive to temperature change during the test and to the volume being tested, so all of those belong in the requirement rather than being settled afterwards. The fixture matters as much as the instrument, because the test only measures the enclosed volume it is given.
They need instruments rated for the voltage and the measurement category involved, and the measurement approach has to be safe to carry out at all. Insulation testing and power measurement on an electrified powertrain are not the same duties as their low-voltage equivalents, and the instrument class follows from that. State the system voltage and what has to be measured before any instrument is selected.
Whether the measurement is for development or production, the standard or drawing that defines it, the range and the dynamic content of the signal, the synchronisation and record requirements, the fixture arrangement if the check is repeated, and the environment at the measurement point. Those answers settle the specification, and the remaining questions are commercial.
Published products
Micrometers
Outside micrometers in two grades: digital styles reading to 0.001 mm, and mechanical styles from 0-25 to 225-250 mm, both with carbide measuring faces and a ratchet stop.
Thermocouples
Spring-clamp thermocouple with a stainless steel M12×1.5 threaded head and a braided high-temperature shielded lead, for moulds, extruders, heating bands and other points that need a probe pressed into place.
Digital Calipers
Digital vernier caliper in 150, 200 and 300 mm ranges with a 0.01 mm display, metric and inch switching, zero at any position, and an IP54 version for wet or dusty work.
Dial Indicators
Mechanical dial indicator and dial gauge for comparative measurement, in 0.01 mm and 0.001 mm graduations with dial diameters from 42 to 80 mm.
4XC / 4XC-W / FCM2000 / FCM3000 / IE300M / FX-41MW / BH200M / FL7000 / FL7500 / FL8000W / FL8500 / SZM-RS / SZM-W · Laboratory Microscopes
Metallurgical microscope for reflected-light examination of metals and other opaque specimens, in inverted and upright stands with long working distance objectives, a trinocular camera port and optional image analysis software.
AMX-HM · PLC Systems
Programmable logic controllers with an integrated touch screen, in 4.3, 7 and 10 inch formats, combining discrete and analogue I/O, PT100 inputs, high-speed counting and relay outputs in one panel unit.
AS803F / AS803 / AS813 / AS823 / ST8813 · Light Meters
Digital lux meter covering 0 to 200,000 lx with a sensor head that rotates through 180 degrees, lux and foot-candle units, data hold, maximum and minimum capture and a separate ambient temperature reading.
AWA5636-0 / AWA5636-1 / AWA5636-2 / AWA5636-3 / AWA5636-4 · Noise Meters
Class 2 digital sound level meters in five configurations, from a basic instantaneous reading instrument up to an integrating and statistical model with 8000 records of storage.
DT9205A / DT9205P-S / 9205Pro · Digital Multimeters
Handheld digital multimeter with a 1999-count display and 32 ranges covering AC and DC voltage and current, resistance, capacitance, diodes and transistors, with continuity, overload protection and automatic switch-off.
GH880 / TR100 · Surface Roughness Testers
Portable surface roughness tester reading Ra and Rz with up to 26 parameters, eight built-in standard editions and four interchangeable sensors for bores, grooves and curved surfaces.
LJ12A3 · Proximity Sensors
M12 inductive proximity switches for non-contact metal detection, in shielded 2 mm and unshielded 4 mm versions with NPN, PNP, two-wire DC and two-wire AC outputs.
LS170 / LS171 / LS172 / LS173 / LS175 / LS176 / LS372 · Colorimeters
Handheld colorimeter that reads the colour of a surface and reports its difference from a stored standard, with a choice of measurement geometry, a colour library held on the instrument and a tolerance that returns a pass or fail.
PG6 · Photoelectric Sensors
Photoelectric sensors with background suppression, in diffuse, through-beam and retro-reflective forms, sensing from 100 mm to 15 m with a 1 ms response and IP67 sealing.
TH100 / TH110 / TH120 / TH140 · Hardness Testers
Portable Leeb hardness tester reading HL and converting to HB, HRC, HRB, HRA, HV and HS in one key, with a D impact device, 360° measurement and ten built-in materials.
TT220 / TT230 / TT260 / split-probe F and N series · Coating Thickness Gauges
Magnetic and eddy current coating thickness gauge measuring 0 to 1250 µm on steel and aluminium, with automatic probe identification, statistics, limit alarms and 500 stored readings.
YP9901 / YP1020 / YP2012 · Power Meters
Panel digital power meter reading voltage, current, active power, power factor, frequency, apparent and reactive power in four windows at once, with an RS232 Modbus RTU port as standard and current ratings from 20 A to 200 A.
Send the process conditions and the standard you have to meet, and we will confirm the instrument, availability and documentation that can accompany the order.
Request for quotation
Send the technical detail and we will confirm availability, lead time and terms. In-stock items ship within 48 hours; customized specifications typically take 2-10 days. Minimum order quantity is 1 pc.