How Do We Replicate Exposure To Test Outdoor Product Durability?

Beware of Sunlight That Can Damages Your Products

How does sunlight damage products? Sunlight is the major cause of damage to a number of materials, including plastics, textiles, coatings, and other organic materials. How sunlight damages materials exposed outdoors come in many forms, such as loss of physical properties, chalking, cracking, peeling, fading, and color change. For durable materials, like most coatings and plastics, short-wave UV is the primary cause of polymer degradation. However, for less durable materials, like many dyes and pigments, longer wave UV, and even short-wave visible light, can cause significant damage. For manufacturers, it is crucial to understand the effects of prolonged sunlight exposure to your products.

Accelerated Weathering Testers: Solution to Your Durability Testing Product

Don't guess when you can test UV testers VS Xenon testers. Why does the weathering industry use 2 different testers? Accelerated weathering testers are designed to simulate natural sunlight, and are widely used for research and development, quality control and material certification. These testers can provide fast, repeatable and reproducible results. The QUV Accelerated Weathering Tester and Q-Sun Xenon Weathering Testers are the first commercial testers that have become the industry standard for manufacturers and labs all over the world. These testers are based on two different approaches depending on customer needs and budget.​ Xenon arc testers, such as the Q-SUN® Xenon Test Chamber, reproduce the entire spectrum of sunlight including ultraviolet (UV), visible light and infrared (IR). The xenon is essentially an attempt to reproduce sunlight itself. These tests are more accurate and are better at replicating loss of pigmentation in less durable products. However, Xenon test lamps will need frequent replacement and are generally more expensive than UV testers that only replicate the short wave UV section of sunlight.

Although only 7% of the spectrum, UV is responsible for almost all of the polymer degradation. Many manufacturers in the coating industry rely on UV tests to design their products because passing the UV test is highly correlated with Xenon tests and real outdoor exposure tests.​ Ultimately, every test is different. Many variables like colour, thickness, and function of the product will impact it's ability to resist exposure.

Q-Lab Distributor In Singapore, Indonesia, and Philippines

Reach out to us to learn more about weathering and how we can recommend the best tests for you!​ Dash Part of Maha Asia is the authorised distributor for Q-lab testers in Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. If you would like more information regarding the machine, fill out this form here: