The automotive industry deals with some of the most technologically diverse pieces of commercially available machinery worldwide — cars and trucks. As these machines continue to evolve and the technology under the hood becomes more complex, ensuring that every wire, electrical connection, and more meets the strict safety standards remains a high point of emphasis.
Every car model undergoes rigorous testing to ensure it meets these standards from the design phase through prototyping and production. For the electrical systems that power everything from the car’s headlights to the sound system, you want to ensure every cable is connected the way it should be. Having the right equipment to test these systems properly should be at the top of your priority list.
How Does the Industry Test These Connections?
One of the most important areas that manufacturers have to inspect revolves around how much electricity is going to a specific part of the vehicle. Different vehicles require different electrical outputs to power these components — so the power output in one car may overload that in another model. Whether it’s the result of human error or a technical glitch, you need a tester capable of handling these components to test them properly.
For the automotive industry, hipot testers, cable testing systems, and appropriate automated software can help you conduct the necessary electrical safety tests before the vehicles make it to car dealerships worldwide.
What Can Cause Electrical Issues?
Before you begin your hipot testing procedures, knowing some potential causes of these electrical issues can help you quickly identify the problem. When most vehicles fail inspections or break down prematurely, the most common underlying causes circles back to loose electrical connections or mismatched wiring that leads to issues down the line.
Before cars leave the manufacturing facility, electrical safety tests are used to examine each vehicle to ensure the system is firing on all cylinders. There are multiple stages to these tests that industry professionals need to follow.
Automotive Testing Procedures
Consisting of continuity or a ground bond test, safety testing helps ensure your automotive electrical components have the appropriate power output. Both kinds of ground testing help identify if there are loose connections in the system interrupting the flow of electricity.
Both tests benefit greatly from Vitrek products. A more thorough breakdown of these tests can be found in EE World’s June 2022 edition.
The Right Test Equipment
To properly test these currents, you need equipment to handle the juice pumping through these electrical systems. We offer hipot testers, multi-point switches for cable testing, and automation software that can take these readings and help you decipher the findings to locate the issues within the systems.
The 95X Series Hipot Tester
When conducting electrical safety testing, Vitrek’s 95X series stands above the rest of the competition. We built this series with DSP technology to redefine how hipot testers function in the real world. It delivers clear, concise, and, most importantly, accurate results that let you know how your automotive cables work correctly.
Multi-Point Switching System for Cable & Harness Testing
When dealing with automotive harnesses and cables, you want to ensure each conductor is isolated from other conductors to avoid potential overloads. You can test these individually by hand; however, it quickly becomes a long and tedious process — that’s where multi-point switches come into play. The Vitrek 964i High Voltage Switching System helps automate this time-consuming task and helps take human error out of the equation.
Automation Software
You can have the best hipot testers and switches in the world, but if you don’t have the software behind them to maximize their performance, you’re stuck spinning your wheels. Our testing equipment is powered by QT Enterprise Software, providing our users with extremely flexible and productivity-focused solutions for the best results.
Trust Vitrek With Your Electrical Testing Equipment
The automotive industry needs accurate electrical testing equipment to ensure every vehicle that leaves their lot meets the industry’s rigorous standards. With our combination of hipot testers, switches, and automation software, you can ensure that every car that leaves your manufacturing facility is road ready. Browse our inventory to check out our suite of automotive electrical cable testing products today!
