Test Engineering – A Concise Guide to Cost-Effective Design, Development and Manufacture

Citation

(2002), "Test Engineering – A Concise Guide to Cost-Effective Design, Development and Manufacture", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 74 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2002.12774bae.004

Test Engineering – A Concise Guide to Cost-Effective Design, Development and Manufacture

by Patrick O'Connor

Keywords: Testing, Engineering, Aircraft

Testing is usually the most expensive, time-consuming and difficult activity during the development of engineering products and systems. It is often also an expensive activity during manufacture and in service. Most testing involves integrated and multidisciplinary thinking and teamwork, manufacturing and maintenance. However, much of it that is performed in industry inbased upon traditions, standards and procedures that do not provide the optimum balance of assurance versus cost and time.

Testing is not just an engineering issue. There is often pressure to reduce testing because of the high costs involved, without appreciation of the effects on performance, reliability, safety and downstream costs. Because of the importance and magnitude of the economic and business aspects it has become an issue for management, not just for specialists.

The main reason for insufficient or inappropriate testing seems to be that engineers have not developed a consistent philosophy and methodology for this essential activity. Testing is not taught as part of most engineering curricula.

In Test Engineering, Patrick O'Connor describes a basic philosophy of engineering test. Testing should be considered as value- adding processes, not as costs. The philosophy must take account of what it known, what is uncertain, costs, and the other essential factors such as technologies, timing, markets, regulations, safety etc., to provide a foundation for rational planning and decisions related to testing of engineered products and systems, throughout all phases of design, manufacture and use.

Patrick O'Connor received his engineering training at the Royal Air Force Technical College. He served for 16 years in the RAF Engineering Branch, including tours on aircraft maintenance and in the Reliability and Maintainability office of the Ministry of Defence (Air). He joined British Rail Research as Reliability Manager. Since 1995 he has worked as an independent consultant on engineering management, reliability, quality and safety.

Patrick O'Connor is the author of "Practical Reliability Engineering", published by John Wiley (3rd. edition 1995). He is also the author of the chapter on reliability and quality engineering in the Academic Press Encyclopaedia of Physical Science and Technology, and until 1999 was the UK editor of the Wiley journal "Quality and Reliability Engineering International". He is editor of the Wiley book series in quality and reliability engineering.

He has written many papers and articles on quality and reliability engineering and management, and he lectures at universities and other venues on these subjects. In 1984 he won the Alien Chop Award, presented by the American Society for Quality, for his, contribution to reliability science and technology.

He is also the author of the book "The Practice of Engineering Management", which describes the modern approaches to managing engineering, based upon the teaching of Peter Drucker. The book was published by John Wi1ey in 1994.

Details available from: John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Tel: +44 (0) 1243 770668; Fax: +44 (0) 1243 770638; Website: http://www.wiley.co.uk