Generic test environment for single-throw mechanical equipment

The design and development of a generic test environment for life-cycle testing and reliability analysis of single-throw mechanical equipment (STME) is outlined. STME is a generic class of 'switching mechanisms' or 'reciprocating machinery' widely used in industry. Everyday examples of STME are a car's windscreen wiper and an automatic car-park barrier system. The case study considered in this article is that of a pneumatic train door. The benefits of such a robust environment in terms of flexibility and adaptability as well as an efficient method of data management and a platform for intelligent data analysis are demonstrated.