Extreme environmental conditions can have a detrimental impact on electronic products and components. Environmental testing is designed to show how your product responds to climatic conditions that it may encounter in it's lifetime and determine reliability.

Cranage EMC and Safety have an extensive suite of environmental test chambers at our premises, which are used to simulate weather conditions that your product may be exposed to, in order to verify it can perform reliably in the intended environment.

We have climatic chambers to cover the below testing:

• Humidity. 20% to 98%
• RH damp heat
• Solar radiation- irradiation capability 280 to 3000nm to verify fatigue in enclosures
• Temperature cycling and temperature
• Salt spray- carried out in accordance with IEC / EN 60068-2-52
• Dust ingress- to test for IP5X and IP6X.

We are also able to offer shock and vibration testing as part of our environmental testing facilities. Our shock capabilities are up to 500m/s² and vibration 5Hz to 2kHz.

Our Ingress Protection testing, commonly known as IP testing, is used to test the resistance of a product to water and dust infiltration, as well as solid objects.

Many products have to be able to withstand being exposed to the element and IP testing is used to ascertain whether a product will operate as intended in its environment.

IP ratings are standardised ratings that confirm the type and degree of ingress protection the product possesses. Ratings always start with 'IP' and are then followed by two letters, the first digit will indicate the ingress protection against solid bodies and dust, whilst the second shows the protection against water ingress. When referring to either of these contaminants, the remaining type is identified with an 'X', showing that the relevant rating has not been given. For example, a rating of IP1X shows that the product has a rating of 1 against foreign objects and that a rating for ingress against water has not been given. Conversely, IPX7 indicates a moisture resistance rating of 7, with no rating against foreign body protection. When two numbers are given it shows that a product has been assessed and rated against both foreign objects and water. For example, IP68 shows that a product is protected against dust ingress and water submersion. This is a severe IP certification as the item must be dust tight and is also protected against complete, continuous submersion.

IP testing is carried out in accordance with BS EN/IEC 60529 for which Cranage EMC and Safety is UKAS accredited. Using a UKAS accredited laboratory for your IP testing gives manufacturers assurance that we have been assessed as technically competent, with accurate and reliable test results. BS EN/IEC 60529 covers the following:

Solids/dust:

IP1X Protected against solid objects greater than 50 mm diameter

IP2X Protected against solid objects greater than 12.5 mm diameter

IP3X Protected against solid objects greater than 2.5 mm diameter

IP4X Protected against solid objects greater than 1.0 mm diameter

IP5X Dust Protected. Ingress is not totally prevented but dust shall not penetrate in a quantity to interfere with operation of the apparatus or to impair quality

IP6X Dust Tight.

Water:

IPX1 Protected against vertically falling water drops

IPX2 Protected against vertically falling water drops when enclosure tilted up to 15°

IPX3 Protected against spraying water at an angle up to 60°

IPX4 Protected against splashing water from any angle

IPX5 Protected against water jets

IPX6 Protected against powerful water jets

IPX7 Protected against the effects of temporary immersion. The product is tested in 1m of water for 30 minutes. IPX8 Protected against the effects of continuous immersion in water.​

We now have a 50m2 indoor test area for evaluating water ingress to the highest rating currently available.

Originally developed for the automotive industry, IPX9K is suitable for any enclosure or apparatus that may be subject to severe cleaning methods or environmental stresses. This high-temperature and pressure test system allows for the evaluation of washdown devices and machinery used in highly regulated industries, such as food and beverage, medical and pharmaceutical, oil, gas and chemical industries.

We are able to provide IP testing to several specifications, including the commonly used IEC 60529 and DIN 40050-9 Road vehicles; degrees of protection; protection against foreign objects; water and contact; electrical equipment.

If you would like more information on our EMC environmental testing facilities, or have any specific questions about how we can help you, please get in touch with our team