Prüfbank

Prüfbank is a term used in German engineering and laboratory contexts to denote a testing bench or test rig used to perform controlled experiments and measurements on components, subsystems, or complete systems. The word combines prüfen (to test) and Bank (bench). In practice, a Prüfbank provides a stable, repeatable environment with instrumentation, fixtures, and controls that allow engineers to apply electrical, mechanical, thermal, or other stimuli and to monitor responses.

A typical Prüfbank consists of a rigid frame or bench, power supplies or load devices, measurement instrumentation (voltage, current, torque, temperature, strain), data acquisition and control electronics, safety interlocks, and often automation via PLCs or computer software. It may be modular to accommodate different tests, and it can simulate real-world loads or boundary conditions.

Applications vary across industries. In electrical engineering and power electronics, Prüfbanken test batteries, power supplies, inverters, or motor drives. In automotive engineering, they support engine, transmission, or electronic control unit testing. Mechanical and mechatronic development uses Prüfbanken for durability, vibration, or fatigue tests, while software and hardware integration teams use them to validate embedded systems under controlled load profiles.

Terminology: the term is sometimes used interchangeably with Prüfstand or Testbench, though some uses distinguish a Prüfbank at bench scale from larger Prüfstände. See also Prüfstand, Test bench, Calibration rig.