A wide range of mechanical, thermal, or climate conditions can affect your products and components during transport, storage, and operation. These conditions may shorten the working life of components, affect the operation of equipment and systems, or alter the characteristics of materials.

Top reasons to rely on CSA Group for your environmental simulation testing needs:

• State-of-the-art laboratories and equipment: Rely on our environmental testing laboratories, which can simulate various environmental conditions that your products may encounter from manufacturing to transportation and field use.
• Reliable and extensive product testing expertise: With decades of experience in environmental simulation testing, our experts in laboratories worldwide can test a variety of products and systems, including automotive products, industrial equipment, medical devices, radio equipment, electricity meters, and consumer goods.
• Testing and assessment against key standards: We can test your products against relevant standards, including IEC/EN 60068, IEC/EN 60529, IEC/EN 60068-2-11 KA, ISO 9227, ISO 20653, and more.
• Accredited testing laboratories: Our laboratories are ISO / IEC 17025 accredited, so you can confidently rely on the quality of testing services we provide.

Environmental Simulation Testing Services

Ingress Protection (IP) — Dust & Water Penetration: To help verify whether a product can be used in outdoor or industrial applications, its enclosure must be able to withstand moisture and dust. Our IP tests validate a product’s ability to perform as intended in these conditions.

Technical Capabilities

• Proficiency in ISO 20653 / IEC 60529 standards
  • IPX1-IPX9: All levels of water ingress protection
  • IP1X-IP6X: All levels of solid object ingress protection
• Water-based tests from CSA C22.2 No. 94.1, CSA C22.2 No. 94.2, UL 50, and UL 50E

Corrosion (Salt Spray / Salt Fog): By spraying a mixture of defined salts on a component, we acquire reliable data to estimate your product’s service life in specific atmospheric conditions and can identify which materials may be best suited for your intended environment.

Technical Capabilities

• ASTM B117
• IEC 60068-2-11
• ISO 9227

Temperature & Humidity Cycling: Learn how your component responds or performs under varying temperature and humidity conditions. Our climatic chambers allow us to test a component’s functionality between -70°C and +180°C and 10% to 98% humidity, with a temperature change rate up to 10K/min.

Technical Capabilities

• IEC 60068-2-1
• IEC 60068-2-2
• IEC 60068-2-14-Nb
• IEC 60068-2-30
• IEC 60068-2-38
• IEC 60068-2-67
• IEC 60068-2-78
• ISO 16750-4 (specific to automotive)

Thermal Shock: For thermal stress and alteration testing, we evaluate components resistance to extreme and sudden changes in temperature within a short period of time. Samples can be moved from one chamber to another in less than 10 seconds to show how products respond to an extreme temperature change (-80 °Celsius to +220 °Celsius) in a short period of time.

Technical Capabilities

• IEC 60068-2-14-Na
• CSA B45

Ultraviolet Light (UV) Exposure & Weathering: Products and coatings designed for outdoor environments should be evaluated to determine their ability to withstand UV exposure and retain their color and durability. We can test ranges of irradiance from 0.25 watts / square meter (W/m²) to 1.50 W/m².

Technical Capabilities

• ASTM G154
• ASTM G155
• ASTM D2565
• ASTM D4355
• ASTM C1442
• ASTM D5071
• AATCC 16.0

Vibration: We use vibration or movement to simulate what can happen in real life for test specimens up to 160 kilograms, which allows us to determine the product’s resilience during extensive transport or in an industrial plant environment.

Technical Capabilities

• Can combine testing with temperature & humidity overlay
• IEC 60068-2-6
• IEC 60068-2-64
• IEC 60068-2-80
• IEC 60079-29-1
• IEC 61373 (specific to railway applications)
• ISO 16750-3 (specific to automotive)
• C22.2. No. 152-M1984 (specific to combustible gas detection instruments)

Mechanical Shock: This test measures a product’s response to sudden and extreme amounts of acceleration or deceleration. With this type of testing, impact testing is also included. Our experts use advanced data acquisition systems to analyze the component’s performance.

Technical Capabilities

• Can combine testing with temperature and humidity overlay
• IEC 60068-2-27
• IEC 60068-2-31

Free Fall / Drop Testing: Free fall, or drop testing, imposes typical conditions seen in transportation and usage of items onto products and packages and assesses their ability to withstand them.

Technical Capabilities

• Testing to ASTM, IEC, ISTA, and custom protocols
• IEC 60068-2-31

Wind Testing: Subjecting products to wind forces provides essential information, such as burner operating characteristics of a gas grill (will it stay lit), stability of items, and effects of wind on products like deck boxes and storage sheds. Our wind room’s ten-foot diameter fan can produce wind velocities up to 40 miles / hour (approximately 64 kilometers / hour).

Ozone Emissions: Exposure to ozone emissions can result in serious health issues. CSA Group is accredited to test the ozone emissions from electrostatic air cleaners. We can also provide custom testing services to measure the ozone levels emitted from various products, such as electrical appliances. Our state-of-the-art stainless steel ozone chamber, with a capacity of 30 cubic meters (m3), can measure ozone levels both with and without precise airflow in the range from 0 to 1000 parts per billion (PPB). In addition, our airtight chamber can maintain precise operating temperature, relative humidity, and a constant air exchange rate (AER).

Flammability: Manufacturers may screen materials or prototypes to determine if they meet applicable requirements and certify their products accordingly. For retailers, verification that a product or material meets a flammability rating is essential to help safeguard the wellbeing of consumers and demonstrate compliance with essential regulatory standards.

Technical Capabilities

• UL 94 (H-B, V-2, V-1, V-0, 5VA, and 5VB, CPSC requirements, foam, and very thin materials)
• IEC 60695 series standards (glow-wire, needle flame, and ball pressure testing)
• IEC 62368-1 (Annex S.3 Flammability tests for the bottom of a fire enclosure)

Applicable Standards for Environmental Simulation Testing