Forwessun brings TRI in-circuit testing to Britain

Forwessun has become the UK distribution partner for Test Research Inc board-test systems, adding in-circuit-test hardware to its existing fixture, software, installation, maintenance, and support operations.

UK electronics manufacturers can now source TRI test equipment and the associated production engineering through one domestic provider. Forwessun will supply either standalone systems or complete packages containing test hardware, fixtures, custom software, commissioning, maintenance, and after-sales support.

The initial range includes the TR518 SII, TR5001 SII, TR5001E SII, and TR8100 SII families, covering compact and expandable board-test configurations alongside systems intended for automated production lines. Their suitability will vary with assembly dimensions, node count, throughput, test coverage, and factory integration.

Forwessun will design and manufacture in-circuit and functional-test fixtures, develop the associated programmes, and support equipment throughout its operating life. Its existing work spans HP, Keysight, GenRad, Teradyne, SPEA, and TRI test environments.

In-circuit testing typically uses a bed-of-nails fixture to contact defined nodes on an assembled PCB. The system can check component values, polarity, orientation, opens, shorts, analogue behaviour, digital devices, power rails, and selected programming or functional operations before the board reaches higher-level system test.

Useful coverage begins during PCB design. Test pads, ground access, component isolation, power segmentation, programming connections, boundary-scan support, and fixture clearances must be considered during layout, because dependable physical access becomes difficult to add after a densely populated assembly has been released.

Investment in camera-guided manual assembly and traceability systems is strengthening control elsewhere on UK production lines. In-circuit test operates at another stage, identifying electrical defects before they accumulate into more expensive rework during calibration, enclosure assembly, or final functional test.

Automated optical inspection, X-ray inspection, boundary scan, flying probes, and functional testing provide different forms of coverage, but none removes the need to select tests around the assembly and its likely failure modes. Optical inspection can identify visible placement and solder defects without confirming every electrical path, while functional testing may reveal a failed system without isolating the responsible component quickly.

ICT can bridge those methods by measuring individual networks and components early in the process. A failed resistor, missing connection, shorted rail, incorrect device, or programming fault can be located before additional manufacturing value has been added to the board.

Dedicated fixtures are easiest to justify where production volume, board value, and fault cost support the initial engineering investment. High-mix, low-volume manufacturers face a more complex calculation because fixtures require design, manufacture, storage, revision control, and maintenance as probes wear and product designs change.

Flying probes reduce dedicated fixture cost and can adapt quickly to new products, although throughput is generally lower. The appropriate balance depends on assembly complexity, annual volume, product life, expected defect profile, access, and the speed with which a failure must be isolated.

Local fixture and software capability can shorten the refinement cycle during new-product introduction. Early production data often reveals which tests are unstable, which defects occur repeatedly, and where excessive cycle time is being spent, allowing fixture hardware and test programmes to be revised together.

The growing number of new PCB part numbers entering UK supply chains points to active product development and redesign. Each new assembly can generate another fixture, programme, coverage analysis, and maintenance requirement, making early coordination between design, manufacturing, and test increasingly valuable.

Lifecycle support becomes especially important for industrial, medical, aerospace, and transport products that remain in production for many years. The tester may outlive its original PC, operating system, measurement cards, or software environment, while fixture documentation and spare-part control determine whether an approved test process can be sustained.

Combining TRI hardware with UK fixture design and software gives manufacturers a more integrated route from equipment selection to production support. The resulting coverage will still be governed by design-for-test access and realistic fault targets, but fewer organisational boundaries should simplify implementation and later modification.