ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING

How will your product stand up against the environmental stresses encountered throughout its life cycle? ARL performs a wide range of environmental testing (also known as climatic testing) to verify that your part or product can withstand harsh environmental conditions it may encounter. By simulating extreme conditions with our vast array of temperature and humidity chambers (ranging in dimension from 8 to 80 cubic feet), ARL’s team can identify specific weaknesses when testing your 3D printed or conventionally manufactured part or product. Notably, we can perform climatic testing to meet a broad range of specifications, including IEC, MIL-STD, DO-160, SAE, NEBS, ASTM, ISTA, and others. Our lab performs a variety of environmental/climatic tests, including:

• Temperature Tests – ARL’s temperature chambers can perform humidity, high temperature, cold temperature, thermal cyclic stress and thermal shock testing to check the full range of conditions experienced in the field. It is vital to test parts or products that might be used, transported or stored at high or low temperatures or humidity conditions to verify that they will withstand these conditions.
• Salt Fog & Salt Spray Corrosion Tests – Our test chambers provide exposure to a salt intensive atmosphere to evaluate the effectiveness of protective coatings and finishes on materials, as well as the resistance to corrosion of paints, coatings or electrical connections.
• Ingress Protection (IP) Tests (water / dust) – This testing evaluates how a product will withstand ingress by contaminants, such as dust. Items, such as dust-proof enclosures and surface coatings are subjected to various types of airborne contaminants, including fibrous dusts, in our chambers.
• Altitude Tests – These tests simulate low air pressure conditions to determine the ability of parts and equipment to be transported, stored or used in high altitudes. Altitude considerations are vital for electronic and telecommunication devices, satellite hardware, packaging and even medical devices.
• Solar Tests – ARL’s solar chamber is used to evaluate materials likely to be exposed to solar radiation. This process identifies potential problems including fading of fabric, plastic and paint color, deterioration of elastomers and polymers, as well as deterioration and loss of strength by breakage of high-order bonds.

Contact our staff today and let us determine the most appropriate testing profile for your product.