Environmental Qualification
Standardised environmental procedures verify the ability of electrical and electronic equipment to withstand harsh operational and storage conditions. The iec 60068 testing suite includes specific protocols for temperature, humidity, vibration and mechanical shock. These procedures ensure that sensitive measurement instruments maintain their functional integrity and accuracy when deployed in demanding industrial fields.
Stress Method
Testing involves exposing the sensor to accelerated environmental profiles, such as rapid temperature changes or long-term damp heat, within controlled test chambers. Mechanical stress is applied using shaker tables to execute sinusoidal or random vibration profiles across defined frequency bands. The duration and severity of each test are chosen from standard levels that correspond to the expected severity of the deployment environment.
In the damp heat test, for instance, the equipment operates at high humidity and temperature for several days, exposing weaknesses in the hermetic seals of sensor housings.
Metrological Evaluation
Instrument verification occurs before, during and after the exposure to determine the drift in sensor output and calibration stability. This metrological check is essential because environmental stress can cause structural shifts, leading to changes in sensor zero-point and sensitivity. The test report specifies the maximum allowable deviation in measurement accuracy, and any sensor exceeding this tolerance fails the qualification.
Sourcing Criterion
Sourcing decisions for critical sensor installations rely on the certificates generated by accredited laboratories conducting this standard series. Compliance with these testing procedures is a prerequisite for safety-critical hardware, as it provides a standardized baseline for comparing the ruggedness of different sensor models. These tests reduce the risk of early infant mortality failures in the field.
