The most common process conducted at U.S. assembly plants—regardless of industry, product size, or production volume—has nothing to do with putting parts together. It’s testing. According to ASSEMBLY magazine’s annual Capital Equipment Spending Survey, 71 percent of plants perform some sort of test on their products during or after assembly. Radiators, fuel lines and reservoirs are checked for leaks. Valves, pumps and turbochargers are tested for flow. Wire harnesses and cable assemblies are checked for continuity, insulation integrity and wiring errors. Electrical and electronic products are tested for functionality. The reason is simple: Quality is not a luxury in today’s marketplace, it’s a given. If the quality of your products is not as good or better than the competition, they will not sell. The late fashion designer Aldo Gucci put it best: “Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten.” In this section, you’ll learn about the state of the art in test and inspection technology.

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