Next up in our Meet the Series, we're introducing our Test Engineer, Conor Barry! 

Q1. Name

Conor Barry

Q2. Position

Test Engineer

Q3. Length of time working for the company

I’ve been working at Resonate Testing for around four months now.

Q4. What is your background?

Electronics design. I had previously spent 12 years designing wireless sensors for the automotive industry.

Q5. Favourite part of the job?

Working with the rest of the team in Resonate, bouncing ideas around and learning from them.

Q6. What does a typical day involve?

As a company that offers a testing service, each week is different with different types of customers and different complexities of tests we carry out. Typically though, a day will include a mix of reviewing requests that have come in, preparing for tests that are coming up, carrying out or overseeing tests planned for that day and reporting on and closing out tests that were recently finished.

Q7. What opportunities have you been given as a member of the team at Resonate Testing?

New experiences and opportunities to learn.

Q8. How do you like to relax outside of work?

I like to spend time with my family, to wind down in the evenings watching TV or streaming a film. There are a few podcasts I follow and from time to time I’ll read some Sci-Fi. I also have a few small model kits knocking around when I find the time.

Q9. Tell us an interesting fact about yourself

After I graduated from University, as part of an opportunity that came from my placement year, I went on a seven-week course of Chinese language and culture studies in Dublin City University. Ultimately, due to family reasons, I chose not to travel to China, but the course was fascinating and a lot of fun.

As with most skills, if you don’t use it, you lose it so there is not much Mandarin left in my head anymore.

COUNTY Armagh Testing company, Resonate Testing Ltd, is investing £650k in its business, initially creating four jobs in the local area and expanding its offering of high-quality testing and qualification services to its global audience, as it celebrates its fifth birthday.

The investment is being supported by Invest Northern Ireland and will see the completion of a number of upgrades to the company’s facility in Newry, which has been declared a Centre of Excellence for Space. The Centre is the only commercial testing laboratory for aircraft interiors and their components on the Island of Ireland. 

Resonate Testing’s future growth strategy includes further investment in state-of-the-art machinery, working towards industry standards and accreditations, as well as continued staff development and an expansion of the company’s current portfolio of services.

Since taking receipt of their latest delivery earlier this month, a 10KN Shaker System, Resonate Testing is ideally positioned to not only advise customers, but to match their requirements with a wide range of test capabilities tailored to their needs. The company’s specialist testing services also include high shock testing, environmental, altitude, temperature, humidity and environmental chambers, pressure and load testing, as well as propulsion level fire testing.

Managing Director of Resonate Testing, Tom Mallon spoke about the investment saying, “We are excited to announce the additional capability as part of the future investment strategy, which will further enhance Resonate Testing’s offering to our local and global customer base. Since starting the expansion of the Nacelle Group of companies with the creation of Resonate Testing in 2016, offering a niche service to customers, we have stayed true to the principle of service and quality, which has driven significant growth and demand for our services. Our services range geographically to customers in Europe, USA, Brazil, Canada, Russia and Japan, as well as across the Island of Ireland and Great Britain.

“This increase in demand has allowed us to create four more jobs and take on more special projects, especially in the Space sector where we have assisted in testing processes with UK and Ireland Space Engineering companies on products that are being sent to outer space. It’s a very exciting time for the company.”

Invest NI has offered Resonate Testing £94,500 of support towards the purchasing of new equipment. Grainne McVeigh, Invest NI’s Director of Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering said: “ResonateTesting is an innovative, forward thinking company which has put innovation at the heart of its business to foster long-term growth. We have built an excellent partnership with Resonate over the years, previously supporting the company to establish a dedicated testing and certification facility in Newry, which has helped it to win new business, increase exports and create jobs in the local area. Our new offer of support to purchase new equipment will assist the company to keep up with demand for its services and help to drive further international success.”

Resonate Testing previously invested in high-quality live-stream testing technology, which futureproofed the company against any negative impact due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Due to their inability to travel, customers were provided the opportunity to remotely participate in live stream testing, which proved hugely popular and saw Resonate Testing achieve Platinum status for Innovation through an Invest Northern Ireland programme.

Tom continued, “We’re continually looking at ways to be innovative and add value to our customers and luckily for us, we had honed our live streaming testing processes prior to the pandemic. Our customers could be assured that the testing was being completed by our experienced team and to the high standards we are known for. This was evidenced when customers in the USA chose Resonate as their testing partner, as opposed to a testing company local to them.

“Offering customers the chance to participate in the testing process, where they could see the setup, demonstration, calibration and actual testing, as well as engage in real time dialogue with engineers and technicians, has been imperative to the success of the live stream testing, significantly improving the customer experience.”