Products Tested

The list below contains some of the more common products tested divided into business sectors. This list is by no means complete & is offered as a guide to the variety & depth of products tested. Smithers Rapra always welcomes the opportunity of developing a testing programme to satisfy your requirements.

Typical product testing includes:

Automotive

• Interior – hard & soft trim, functional components including switches, glove & cubby boxes, vents, cupholders, etc. door panels, centre consoles, instrument panels & seating; covering shake, colour fastness & odour
• Exterior - bumpers, grilles, finishers, lighting, weather-strip, spoilers, rubbing strips, door seals, wiper blades.
• Under bonnet – coolant & intercooler hose, thermostat housings, plastic manifolds, seals & gaskets, dipsticks, undertrays, diffusers & mud shields, mounts.
• Suspension & Handling – airsprings, brake hose, resilient mounts & bump stops, suspension components.
• Tyre testing - Heat build up within the rubber compound to ECE regulations 30, 54, 75, 108, 109 Rolling Road Resistance to BS ISO 18164.
• Military testing to MVEE 100 specification, Drum tests for armoured vehicles.
• Drive shaft gaiters – General physical properties

Consumer Goods

• Hot water bottles - testing to BS 1970.
• Sports goods - gloves & grips for friction testing
• Condoms tested to BS 3704.
• Thermal analysis of specialist fibres & textiles
• Testing of toothbrushes to assess bristle stiffness.
• Gloves tested to EN 374 & EN 60903.
• Adhesive tape – including peel adhesion & ageing
• Playground Safety Surface testing to EN 1177 & BS 7188, on site & laboratory based slip determination.
• Packaging materials are tested for Gas & Water Vapour permeability to BS ISO 2782 & BS ISO 2528. UV resistance. Thermal Analysis & ASTM F1980 Life testing.
• Babies bottles – for flow rates
• Clothing – Thermal analysis, friction resistance
• Films – permeability BS ISO 2782 (gas) & ISO 2528 (WVTR) mechanical strength, UV resistance & Thermal analysis
• Mobile Telephones – mechanical characteristics of casing materials
• Pacifiers – Safety of babies dummies
• Packing cases – loading characteristics
• Screw cap jars – Pressure testing
• Sweet & cake moulds – for fatigue testing

Medical Sector

• Permeability & mechanical testing of medical components.
• Inhaler seals –For the effect of container fluids & seal dimensions
• Injection vial caps
• Medical device – A very diverse range of ad hoc tests
• Syringes - ease of movement & compatibility

Industrial Sector

• Hose testing, covering burst tests, linear separation, permeability, lay flat hose for fire fighting, ozone & UV resistance, chemical resistance & mechanical properties.
• O ring testing to EN 681
• Cables – Electrical tests
• Bridge bearings – rubber properties & rubber to metal bonding
• Bath tests to BS 4305
• Shower tray tests to BS 6340
• Acrylic Sheet tests to EN 263
• Shower Drains BS 6340.
• Electrical switches – Fluid susceptabiity/compatability
• Manhole covers – loading characteristics.
• Mortar Skips – load fatigue on the handles
• Safety flooring – Electrical Insulation
• Tap washers – Corrosion resistance
• Wellington boots

Transport

• Aerospace components – fluid susceptibility
• Flotation aids – For Crushing & bouyancy
• Rail components – Electrical tests
• Hose testing - Pressure/burst & leakage testing
• Seal testing
• Belt testing – tensile strength, ply adhesion, abrasion, electrical insulation, strength