Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT
Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT

Research area »Environmental simulation and product qualification«

Developing tailored tests

Environmental influences on products are simulated in special technical plants, and tailored tests are developed. In our service center we carry out simulations for the automotive and construction sectors (corrosion / corrosive gas / salt spray and splash tests), for the transport sector (vibration / mechanical shock / pressure / pressure change / climate / temperature / thermal shock), for the electronics sector (dust / water / IP protection type) and for material research (chemical resistance or UV stability / aging).

Corrosion tests with corrosive gases / salt spray / ozone

In our corrosion testing unit we can test functionality and estimate the service life of products. This involves salt spray, condensation tests, corrosive gas tests with 1-4 components and ozone tests.

 

Chemical resistance

The chemical resistance of a material or product is tested on exposure to different application-specific liquids.

 

Climate / temperature / thermal shock

In various climate and temperature chambers, thermal shock tests, continuous / cyclic climate tests, warm / cold storage and splash tests are carried out, to determine the corrosion resistance of materials or their suitability for use in tropical climates.

 

IP protection / high and low pressure tests

In order to test the tightness of product casings or their dust or water resistance, spray, drip, water jet and immersion tests can be carried out. Steam jet tests and continuous / cyclic dust tests are also available.

 

Vibration and mechanical shock

Vibration and impact tests applying sine-wave vibrations, random noise and shock and combined with temperature and moisture are useful for transport simulation, the optimization of packaging and the measurement of stability / durability.

 

Natural weathering / solar simulation / UV stability / virtual product qualification

The climate exposure of materials and components enables holistic testing of all environmental influences on the materials. Accelerated aging can be achieved through exposure (under glass) to natural climates, or in simulation units using artificial radiation.

 

Tailored environmental qualification – test tailoring

Tailored environmental investigations ensure that components are adequately tested without placing them under too much stress. Test tailoring requires scientific knowledge in order to provide a well-founded overall qualification based on various individual results.