This article first appeared in the Railway-News magazine Issue 4 2021.
The efficient and reliable maintenance of electronic circuits over their long working life is critical to the safe operation of mass transit systems. Test all of your critical electronics systems with our comprehensive solutions, consolidating the work of many testers into one.
From Consolidated Automated Bench Test Equipment (CABTE) to Portable Test Equipment (PTE), leverage our 60 years of test and measurement expertise to ensure optimal performance of your critical systems and provide safe, reliable transportation for your passengers.
The maintenance of public transportation systems is vital to the safety of their passengers. Transit authorities face various challenges when it comes to maintaining a state of good repair, but perhaps one of the most significant is that test equipment is typically specific to only one application or component of the rail car. This creates a serious issue in that most repair operations do not have the required floor space or budgets to support multiple pieces of test equipment from various manufacturers. Not to mention, these components are expected to have a long lifespan (upwards of 25 years), often rendering test equipment obsolete or inoperable by the current workforce responsible for maintenance and repair.
These issues have driven the need for truly universal, consolidated bench test equipment (BTE) that captures the capability of these various test systems in one scalable platform. With support for a variety of complex, on-board and wayside systems, including high power, communications and control, radio frequency, and electrical-mechanical- pneumatic, consolidated test solutions also reduce cost and precious floor space in the shop.
For more than 60 years, Astronics Test Systems has designed and manufactured test instruments and automated test systems that verify system performance, commission systems, and help test, diagnose, and repair complex electronics over the lifetime of the product. From this experience, we have developed a commercial off the shelf (COTS) “Common Core” family of consolidated support equipment for all maintenance and verification needs. Our portable systems support commissioning, maintenance of way, and onboard testing. The larger solutions provide factory and depot or back shop support. All of our solutions share common software, operator tools, and instrumentation, with each system being configured and scaled to provide “just enough” capability for the application.
Use the form opposite to get in touch with Astronics directly to discuss any requirements you might have.