Automotive Environmental Simulation

Modern vehicles are increasingly reliant on electric and electronic components. These parts will be exposed to various environmental conditions in their lifespan which could affect their functionality and reliability.

SGS offers global environmental simulation testing facilities to test electric and electronic components, parts and subassemblies, from connectors, electrical wires, touch screens and lighting to sensors, car keys and start-stop buttons. We test against all the major international standards and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specifications including Daimler, Volkswagen, Renault and Nissan. In addition to the automotive industry, we also work in the aerospace, rail, medical and consumer goods industries.

Our environmental simulation tests recreate the following:

Climatic Aging

SGS tests against a range of climatic conditions that may affect the performance and durability of your product or part. These include hot and cold temperature, thermal shocks, altitude, ice water spray, solar radiation and humidity.

Corrosion

Gas corrosion tests reproduce pollution conditions in the atmosphere. At the same time as measuring the aging effect of pollution, we can test insulation resistance and contact resistance of electrical connections. We also test for salt corrosion.

Vibration, Shocks and Falls

Vibratory stresses can lead to premature wear, electrical contact defects and mechanical disengagement, all of which can cause vehicle failure. Our experts use shakers combined with table, expander and climatic chambers to test the following signals: sine, random, sine on noise. Temperature and humidity in the chamber can be set from -40 to 150oC. The tests also recreate non-repetitive shocks such as speed bumps and dropped or raised curbs.

Protection Indices and Tightness

Electrical and electronic equipment are defined by protection indices IP and IK.

• Protection Index IP applies to access to dangerous parts, penetration of water with harmful effects
• Protection Index IK applies to external mechanical impacts

In addition to testing both Protection Indices against international standards, we also offer tests to check the tightness of electric and electronic parts and their ability to withstand immersion and fluid contamination.

Mechanical Resistance

The following is a non-exhaustive overview of our static and dynamic tests for wires, cables and connectors:

• Test on electrical wires:
  
  • Abrasion (friction and conductor on conductor)
  • Tensile strength
  • Fatigue in bending
  • Winding resistance
• Tests on connectors:
  
  • Effort measurements on a set Male/Female
  • Endurance on Male/Female set

Connector and Press-fit Qualification

A wide range of tests for the qualification of connectors. These include all the major automotive specifications as well as customized product specifications, common connector and press-fit test specifications.

HALT and HASS

HALT is a method to quickly uncover design weaknesses. Thermal and vibration stress are mainly used to find potential failures during the final development phase, so they can be resolved before the product reaches market.

HASS is a method for production quality assurance, with the aim of detecting faulty products before they are shipped to the customer.

Why choose SGS for your Environmental Simulations?

Our worldwide network is ISO/IEC 17025 accredited and approved by OEMs on this testing scope. In addition to comprehensive automotive testing services, we offer consulting and training services to help manufacturers throughout the world bring their cars and vehicles safely and successfully to market.