Product validation involves more than simply ticking a box to verify that a product works. It’s a crucial stage in product design that focuses on how easy the product is to use, how well it performs, and, more importantly, if it solves a real problem (i.e. achieves product-market fit). Validation testing can be done in various ways, for example, by manual testing or automated testing systems such as a bespoke test rig, and it ensures that products work as intended, meet user expectations, and comply with industry regulations.

At Ignitec®, automated testing systems are one of our core specialities – particularly when designing test rigs. With over a decade of product design and validation behind us, we’ve found that manual testing and off-the-shelf solutions are time-consuming, deliver inconsistent results, and rarely scale effectively. On the other hand, a bespoke test rig offers automated, repeatable, and reliable testing workflows purposefully designed around your product and its specific validation goals. If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you cut costs, increase speed, and improve accuracy with your product validation, please contact us.

What is a bespoke test rig?

A bespoke or custom test rig is a physical testing system built to simulate real-world conditions and automatically validate product functionality, durability, and safety. Unlike generic off-the-shelf solutions, a custom rig is tailored to the precise requirements of your product’s design, use case, and compliance criteria. With the proper rig in place, you can:

• Run 24/7 endurance and functional testing.
• Eliminate human error and reduce operator time
• Capture real-time performance data and failure points
• Scale-up testing with fewer engineering overheads
• Identify and address design flaws early – reducing the time spent on revisions.
• Accelerate a product’s time to market

Manual testing vs. off-the-shelf: What are the pros and cons?

When it comes to product validation, many teams default to manual testing or pre-built (off-the-shelf) solutions. While both can get the job done in some cases, they have limitations—especially when speed, scalability, and precision are important.

Manual testing involves physically operating or inspecting the product to validate performance, usability, or safety. It’s often the starting point for early-stage testing but quickly runs into limitations. The advantages are that it’s easy to set up with minimal equipment, flexible for exploratory or user-focused testing, and suitable for one-off or early-stage validation. However, manual testing solutions for product validation are also:

• Time-consuming and labour-intensive – each cycle requires manual input
• Inconsistent and prone to human error, i.e. operator variability affects repeatability
• Difficult to scale or reproduce across test cycles
• Limited data, i.e. complex to capture and log granular insights
• Higher risk – minor errors can lead to big warranty or compliance issues

Off-the-shelf solutions refer to ready-made testing systems or devices designed for general use. These might include commercial test benches, software, or automated machines not tailored to a specific product. Additionally, these systems are fast to acquire and deploy, have a lower upfront cost than a custom build, and may still support common industry standards. However, disadvantages include:

• Not designed for a product’s unique needs
• It may require costly or unreliable workarounds
• Limited in what and how they can test

In contrast, a bespoke test rig combines the best of both worlds—automation and precision—purpose-built for a product, test environment, and validation goals. It’s the solution that scales with you and delivers confidence in your results.

Which types of product validation require customised test rigs (and why)

Bespoke test rigs are most valuable when standard methods fall short of capturing real-world conditions or performance metrics specific to a product’s intended use.

1. Functional Testing

Purpose: A software testing approach that verifies whether an application’s features work as expected based on specified requirements.

Why a custom rig is needed: Products with unique mechanical or electrical components often require tailored setups that simulate actual usage, such as:

• Repeated actuation of a switch or sensor
• Custom movement patterns for robotic joints or hinges
• Integration with proprietary control software

Example: Testing a wearable medical device’s biometric sensors under different skin types and conditions.

2. Durability & Lifecycle Testing

Purpose: A systematic process used to assess a product’s lifespan, strength, and performance under various conditions by pushing it to its limits.

Why a custom rig is needed: Off-the-shelf solutions rarely match real-world repetition rates, stress profiles, or wear patterns. Custom rigs can:

• Automate 100,000+ cycles of movement or pressure
• Simulate vibrations, drops, or environmental fatigue
• Track failure points in real time

Example: Opening and closing a car door handle thousands of times under controlled force and environmental conditions.

3. Environmental Testing

Purpose: To validate and evaluate the resistance and durability of products and materials exposed to adverse or extreme climatic conditions(temperature, humidity, vibration, etc.).

Why a custom rig is needed: Custom test rigs integrate climate chambers, vibration platforms, or immersion tanks with automated testing processes. This allows:

• Simultaneous stress testing and performance logging
• Compliance with strict industry standards

Example: Testing a drone’s performance in sub-zero conditions with active flight and sensor monitoring.

4. Safety & Compliance Testing

Purpose: To ensure a product meets legal and industry-specific safety standards.

Why a custom rig is needed: Regulatory tests often require precise measurements and conditions that generic tools can’t meet. A custom rig allows for:

• Highly controlled setups for force, impact, or pressure
• Accurate data collection for audit and certification

Example: Verifying the crush resistance of a battery casing according to UN transportation safety standards.

5. User Interaction & Human Factors Testing

Purpose: Evaluate the product’s user interface to confirm that the intended users can use the device safely and effectively in the intended environment.

Why a custom rig is needed: User interfaces or physical controls may need to be tested repeatedly, from multiple angles, using human-like inputs. Custom rigs help by:

• Replicating hand, eye, or body interactions
• Capturing UX data (e.g. resistance, response times)

Example: Testing a new insulin injection pen to evaluate how easily users can read the dose dial, how much force is required to press the injection button, and whether users can follow the correct sequence without error.

In summary, if your product must perform under non-standard, complex, or high-repetition conditions, a bespoke test rig isn’t just helpful—it’s essential. It gives you precision, repeatability, and confidence that your product will perform in the hands of real users in the real world.

Looking for a rig designer to help deliver automated testing solutions?

Not all rig designers are created equal. If you’re investing in custom automated testing solutions, look for a partner that offers:

• Mechanical, electrical, and software design expertise
• In-house control system development
• Experience across diverse industries
• Proven capability to scale from prototype to production
• Seamless integration with current hardware
• Training and post-delivery support

At Ignitec®, we specialise in designing bespoke test rigs that integrate seamlessly into your validation process. From high-precision actuators to fully integrated data logging and analysis, our rigs are built to give you faster validation cycles, repeatable and reliable results, and a shorter path to product certification. Book a free and confidential discovery call with us to find out more about the services we can offer you.

What does the future of product testing look like?

As products become more intelligent and more connected, the need for adaptive, intelligent validation systems will only grow. This will include:

• AI-powered validation: Machine learning and predictive analytics transform how products are tested, resulting in smarter decisions, faster iterations, and more robust validation cycles. Instead of relying solely on pass/fail outcomes, AI will help predict failures before they occur, optimise test sequences in real time, and use pattern recognition to improve test coverage.

• Digital twins and simulation: Before a physical prototype exists, engineers can test a digital twin—a virtual replica of the product—in simulated environments. This will help reduce the number of physical prototypes needed, identify design flaws earlier, and combine virtual and real-world testing for hybrid validation workflows. This will be particularly useful in aerospace, automotive, and medical devices, where real-world testing is costly or dangerous.

• Cloud-based testing and IoT-enabled test rigs: These will enable teams to run tests and access results remotely, automate alerts and maintenance, and store large volumes of test data for ongoing analysis, improving accessibility for remote teams and reducing downtime or bottlenecks.
• Sustainability-focused testing: As resource availability reaches a tipping point, regulations and market demand will push for demonstrably greener and energy-efficient products. Future testing will likely include recyclability validation and integrated lifecycle assessments into product validation.

Automate testing and validate smarter.

If you’re still relying on manual processes or off-the-shelf solutions to validate innovative products, you’re wasting time and risking quality. A bespoke test rig will give you the speed, insights, and confidence to launch products faster, cost-effectively, and to a higher quality-assured standard.

Talk to Ignitec today about our bespoke solutions and discover what smarter testing can do for your business. Call us for a quote or schedule a consultation with an expert on our team.