Testing and Analysis Services

Mechanical Testing: ATS offers a complete range of mechanical testing services. Additionally, a well-equipped in-house machine shop provides timely preparation of test specimens or any special fixturing. Besides the regularly conducted tensile, hardness, impact, load, pressure and fatigue tests, our experienced test engineers can also help you design custom testing programs to evaluate your products. Tests are performed using tools, machines, fixtures, and processes that evaluate the performance of products by simulating real life conditions. Whether it is life cycle testing of playground slides or performance testing of automotive steering pumps, ATS has the experience and capabilities to satisfy your needs.

Materials Testing: A comprehensive array of testing methods are needed to perform testing of material properties. For example, we can verify if the parts are the proper material or determine the composition of organic thin films, surface contamination, fibers or composites using FT-IR, check for contamination using DSC and then determine if the parts are degraded using the melt flow indexer. Additionally, SEM/EDS and XRD techniques are used for identifying corrosion deposits or types of compounds present. Another test that is frequently requested is for VOCs (or Volatile Organic Compounds). They are both human-made and naturally occurring chemical compounds that have such a low boiling points that they emit at room temperature. Most scents or odors are VOCs. Some VOCs are dangerous to human health or cause harm to the environment and are therefore regulated by governing bodies like the EPA. The testing methods for VOCs vary widely, depending on the sample or the application. Here at ATS we offer an expansive array of VOC testing methods to assist you with your needs.

Consumer Product Testing: We are a CPSC approved, ISO 17025 accredited lab testing various consumer products for the presence of lead, heavy metals, phthalates, formaldehyde, and other restricted organic compounds. As stated by the CPSIA, these compounds and heavy metals are regulated in children’s products. In addition to chemical hazards, we also conduct Mechanical Hazards/Use & Abuse tests on children’s items per ASTM and EN standards to determine if small parts, sharp points, or sharp edges present themselves, which would be a danger to children.

Environmental Testing: ATS can assist you in determining if your component is durable enough to withstand environmental stresses that are common in the life cycle of most products. Our national and international customers have come to rely on ATS’s state-of-the-art lab to give dependable and reliable test results. Some of our most common projects include High and Low Temperature/Humidity Exposures, Accelerated Corrosion, Thermal Shock, and Contamination by Fluids in accordance with industry and military standards. In addition, we routinely perform Xenon Arc and Fluorescent U.V. Weathering per automotive specifications. Vibration qualifications are used as a requirement for military, aerospace, automotive, electrical/electronic and nuclear industries for failure prevention and continued operation. Our vibration capabilities test for structural integrity, resonance search and dwell, shock, drop and tumble, and resistance to seismic activity.

Nondestructive Testing: ATS is one of North America’s leading NDT labs equipped with the latest technology. We perform all NDT methods on various materials and components for Nuclear, Aerospace, Maritime, Manufacturing, Automotive, Petrochemical, and Construction Industries. Some of the daily inspections we perform are radiography for welder qualification and liquid penetrant/magnetic particle on first article items. We also develop new techniques for testing a wide variety of materials, including plastics, composites, steels, aluminum, copper, and titanium alloys.

Chemical Analysis: The Chemistry Department at ATS has a broad range of analytical capabilities to meet your testing needs. Whether you need to know the composition of a metal alloy or an unknown process contaminant you just found, ATS Chemistry can determine the material composition and identification of your sample. Furthermore, ATS team of experts provides RoHS testing solutions that include using techniques such as ICP, XRF, FTIR, GC/MS. The EU RoHS (Directive 2011/65/EU) restricts the level of specific hazardous substances in large & small household appliances, computing & communications equipment, consumer electronics, lighting, power tools, toys & sports equipment, medical devices & equipment, control & monitoring equipment, automatic dispensers, and all other electronic and electrical equipment (EEE). The purpose of RoHS is to control the release of hazardous substances to humans and the environment.

Related Links: ICP | XRF | FTIR | GC/MS | Prop 65 | VOCs | RoHS

Metallurgical Analysis: Applied Technical Services’ engineers analyze a variety of metals, ceramics and composites each day and perform metallurgical evaluations for quality assurance, failure analysis, reverse engineering, and litigation support purposes. Whether it is a routine microstructural exam, phase percentage determination, or a case depth verification, our metallurgists will consult with you to determine the full scope of your project—factors such as the material of manufacture, the size and shape of the component, and wording of the specification influence the testing decisions.

Failure Analysis: Whether you are investigating a single component or dealing with a complete system failure, you can rely on the ATS Failure Analysis Group’s expertise and testing techniques to meet your full failure analysis needs. From fatigue fractures to formability problems, corrosion to wear, our analysts will perform a root cause failure analysis and then assist in plans for prevention. Applied Technical Service’s metallurgists and professional engineers routinely conduct these services on a wide variety of materials, including steels, stainless steels, super alloys, aluminum, copper and titanium alloys, plastics, ceramics and glass for companies from all types of industries.

Electrical Testing: ATS’ electrical testing laboratory offers a broad spectrum of electrical and electronic product testing. We frequently inspect common products such as insulators, batteries, cables, wires, lights, connectors, circuit breakers, and other electronic components, determining the causes of electrical failures and affirming the soundness of in-service products.

Destructive Testing