In this guide 6 sections
A type test proves the design. It runs once, on a sample. A routine test checks every unit. A special test covers an extra requirement the buyer adds to the order, and each of the three leaves a record tied to a design or serial number.
Three tests, three questions
A type test asks whether this design can meet the standard, so it runs on a representative unit, often at an independent laboratory. Think temperature rise, short circuit withstand, impulse voltage.
A routine test asks whether this unit was built right, and every unit gets it before dispatch because the check is quick and non-destructive.
A special test covers anything beyond both, agreed in the purchase order; think of a witnessed noise measurement or a longer heat run.
- Type: once per design, on a sample
- Routine: every unit, before dispatch
- Special: only when the buyer asks
- Acceptance: the buyer’s own check on arrival
What a type test record must show
The report names the design tested, its drawing numbers and the revision, because that detail is the whole point of the exercise. Last year’s test misses a redesigned busbar.
Keep the laboratory name, the report number, the test dates, the standard and its edition, the list of ratings covered and the signature of the witnessing engineer. Keep the setup photographs.
Then keep a design change log. When a part in the tested design changes, someone must decide whether the type test still holds or needs repeating, and write that decision beside the change.
What a routine test record must show
Each sheet belongs to one serial number. It lists the checks done, the instrument used, the readings, pass or fail and the signer, and a transformer sheet typically carries insulation resistance, winding resistance and ratio checks.
Instrument calibration matters here. A reading from a meter with an expired calibration sticker is weak evidence; record the instrument ID so the calibration date can be traced.
Reject and retest cases need a note. A failed and reworked unit shows both attempts.
- Serial number and drawing revision
- Checks, limits and actual readings
- Instrument ID and calibration due date
- Tester, checker and date
- Rework and retest history
How a buyer or inspector will ask for them
Buyers ask for the type certificate first. An inspector visiting the works may pick any serial number off the dispatch list and ask you to produce its full file on the spot.
Think of the file as a chain. The unit’s serial leads to its drawing revision, the revision leads to the type test report, and the routine sheet sits beside both.
Break any link and the argument starts. Missing type test proof is the worst gap.
Keeping the records without a filing cabinet
Scan and store both kinds of report against the design and the unit, not in a shared folder named by date or by customer. Search by serial number should bring the routine sheet, the design revision and the type test report in one view without opening a single folder.
Set a reminder for design changes. Set another for instrument calibration dates.
Test the system once with a mock audit. Pick a unit shipped six months ago, stopwatch the search for its full file, and note every folder you had to open before the type test report appeared.
Test record map
Three columns run across one sheet, naming the test type, what it proves and the records kept, with rows for type, routine and special tests. Each row has fields for who holds the record, where it is stored, how it links to the serial and design revision, and when it is reviewed.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
Is a routine test the same as a factory acceptance test?
Not quite. A routine test is the manufacturer’s own check on every unit; a factory acceptance test is often witnessed by the buyer and may include extra checks.
How long should test records be kept?
Your contract, the standard and any regulator decide. Many manufacturers keep the sheets for the whole life of the product, so a dispute years later can still be settled from the file.
Do we repeat a type test after a design change?
Only when the change alters what was proved. A designer and the quality head should record that decision against the change, with a date, both names and the reason the old report still applies.
Who signs a routine test sheet?
The person who ran the test. In many shops a second person checks the sheet as well, and both names and dates should appear next to the readings.