Material handling is one of the critical processes of any factory which mass produces consumer goods. Manufactured items need to be packaged, boxed, palletized, stored, and then retrieved later for dispatch into the supply chain. Material handling, thus, is one of the most work-intensive tasks and manual handling is considered wasteful use of labor in the 21st century. This situation is where automation comes in. Let us take you through why automating material handling at factories is desirable for modern factories.

What is Functional Testing?

Functional testing, as the name suggests is testing a product for its intended functions to ensure proper execution. Different from performance testing, functional testing is specific in nature. For a car, the performance testing would involve checking the performance of its various parts, take readings and do a comparative analysis. Functional tests would identify the specific functions of each of those parts and see if they work properly.

How to do Functional Testing?

The process on the surface is simple – identify all the functions your product is expected to undertake and then check if they work. There are two ways to do that – manual and automated. For automation, a robot will test instead of a human. Since functional testing is user oriented, a functional testing robot would mimic human usage to get test results.

What is IMPERSONATOR™?

IMPERSONATOR™ is a robotic functional testing system which can mimic human interactions with machines. It is designed to take visual cues from the product’s response to human like stimuli and generate reports for a set of tests. IMPERSONATOR™ can perform tests on smartphones currently with the number of tests is growing. IMPERSONATOR™ is customisable and can test even digital meters and gauges.

It is a powerful automation tool for functional testing of all kinds, increasing the efficiency and speed of the process. IMPERSONATOR™ can run day and night adding throughput vastly.

What do You Test in Functional Testing?

Primary Functions:
Every device/gadget is built keeping in mind certain specific function to perform. A functional tester checks if all those functions can be performed in the first place irrespective of the results generated.

Usability:
This is where the usage of the product is checked to gauge if all the functions of the test subject are working. A not working part renders the subject product useless for one or more functions that part was to perform.

Ease of Operation:
A great product is not just good on uses – it is also easy to use. A complex product is less likely it is to be adopted en masse. Functional testing can also put a grade on the complexity of the product’s use.

Errors:
This is especially true for software based or electronics-based products. Checking for errors gives a clear idea to the tester which functions would be useless due to errors. Passing this test is good news for any product.

In a Nutshell

Products have always been designed keeping functions in mind. A good product needs to be easy to use, be error free and solve a problem. Functionality test ensures optimum performance. Doing it manually takes time; automation increases the throughput. The IMPERSONATOR™ is an excellent robot to test any device a with feedback mechanism. The future of the industry lies in robotics and investing into automation today will yield great results in the future.

To know more about IMPERSONATOR™, please send an email to contact@phoenix.tech