Measuring mechanical load on electronic components during mounting on boards - measuring bending of partially separate section of test plate as component is applied

The method involves using a test plate (1) having a partially separated section forming a clamped flexural beam and a bending detector (7) in the clamped region (6). An electronic component (26) is applied to the partially separated region from a gripping device of an automatic component mounting arrangement. A measurement signal corresp. to the mechanical load on the component is produced in an evaluation device connected to the bending detector. Before the component is applied to the plate a paste is applied to the partially separated section. USE/ADVANTAGE - For use in automatic component mounting systems. Mechanical loads, including peak values, are measured under representative conditions.