Uses of Product Weathering Testing in the Real World?

With the weather getting warmer and summer hitting its peak, over time we may notice our garden furniture, such as hanging pots and chairs and other products fading and showing signs of physical disintegration. The elements in the air and from the sun will naturally have an effect on many of our products, fading the colour and subjecting the material to degradation leading to mechanical failures. This brings in the need for product weathering testing.

At what level is product weathering testing carried out?

You do not realise the effect that the elements of weather can have products both indoor and outdoor. For this reason, product designers and manufacturers carry out research and development long before production which can include pursuing product weathering testing to find out how their chosen material may react in real life circumstances. The most effective method for testing a material in this manner is by using a weathering chamber.

A weathering chamber is a piece of equipment that mimics the conditions of real weather patterns. The chamber can accelerate the weathering process to around 8 times faster, allowing you to weather a material in a more reasonable amount of time. This essentially means that you can find out how a material will be after 10 years of wear, with minimal time spent testing in comparison. These conditions are replicated with UV exposure, spray, humidity and other environmental conditions. One material or several different samples, will be provided to the company and will be tested to the relevant standard, based on the intended purpose of the product or material. This may result in a manufacturer deciding that the material does not hold up to their expectations and may go with another material or that the material was weathered in a way and time frame they expected as acceptable for general wear and tear.

Impact Solutions are equipped with a state-of-the-art weathering laboratory, dedicated to testing materials in weathering chambers. For more information, contact us here or call us at +44 (0)1324 489 182.

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