Glamox relies on Nemko for reliability and stress testing

Glamox relies on Nemko’s experienced testing engineers to quickly and efficiently determine that their products in development and production will perform as intended. This means that they are safe and durable even under stress, vibration and extreme temperatures.

Glamox, the Norwegian manufacturer of lighting solutions, has been relying on Nemko’s testing and certification services for decades to ensure safety and quality. When the company has questions about EMC performance, reliability and stress testing under development, they go to Nemko’s lab to find answers.

Will their floodlight last under extreme maritime conditions? Can they be sure it will not be susceptible to failure or malfunction under the intended operating conditions, such as severe weather in maritime and offshore environments?

Nemko recently added HALT (Highly Accelerated Life Test) and HASS (Highly Accelerated Stress Screen) capabilities to their testing portfolio. The HALT/HASS testing chamber combines extreme temperature cycling and repetitive shock and vibration for accelerated stress testing. Instead of separate vibration and climatic testing being performed over days or sometimes weeks, as is most commonly done, the tests are done simultaneously. This simulates real life conditions, where a product may have to endure many stresses happening in parallel. 

This type of testing is performed to expose potential failure modes and design flaws in a product. When conducted early in the design process the testing can accelerate the product development timeline, reduce overall development cost and minimize risks associated with substandard products by determining design limitations. These fault-finding tests are performed by experienced engineers who are there to find answers. By finding answers, they can help the company build more robust products.

With Nemko’s testing capabilities, Glamox can be sure that newly designed products function as intended and do not risk failure or malfunction.

Durability and reliability

Recent HALT/HASS tests were performed on the Glamox FL70 floodlight for maritime and offshore safe areas. 

The floodlight has extremely durable components in a powder-coated anodized seawater resistant aluminum housing. “Our customers want to have a product that’s durable for many years. This test proves that it really works,” says Marlon Iversen, Product Manager at Glamox.

This is why we choose Nemko

• Nemko’s highly qualified engineers understand our testing needs
• The state-of-the-art equipment at Nemko’s testing labs can simulate the harsh environments in which our products will be used
• Nemko provides excellent communication before, during and after the projects
• Nemko has extensive experience in testing and certification

Specialized HALT/HASS expertise at Nemko

Nemko testing engineer Omar Runcie has two decades of experience in the evaluation and testing of advanced technologies. He has been performing specialized HALT/HASS testing for over eight years, while testing many different types of products manufactured to withstand extreme conditions.

HALT/HASS is a “test-to-fail” technique where a product is exposed to multiple cycles of extreme variations in temperature, repetitive shock and vibration, or both simultaneously. During the testing, a product can be exposed to temperatures that rapidly change from as low as -100°C up to 200°C, while being subject to random extreme vibrations.

“There are several benefits of HALT/HASS testing,” he says. “First and foremost, the benefit is time. With this rapid testing you can get an answer in two to five days, compared to weeks or months.”

“It is a destructive testing designed to break your product,” says Runcie. “With the breaking of the product, we then can go back and find the root cause of that break and help make the product more reliable.”

Some common flaws that can be discovered during HALT/HASS testing are weakness in mounting, sautering or cracks that can appear. It’s crucial that these flaws are discovered and fixed before the products are in production.

“The most satisfying part of my job is getting the answers from the tests that I perform, so I can help our customers. That’s why they come to us, for answers.” says Runcie.

About Glamox

Glamox is a Norwegian industrial group that develops, manufactures and distributes professional lighting solutions for the global market. Glamox was founded in 1947 by the Norwegian inventor Birger Hatlebakk. He discovered a method for electrochemical surface treatment of aluminum, which he called glamoxation, and which could be used to manufacture efficient aluminum reflectors for powerful luminaires. Today, Glamox offers a wide assortment of lighting products for use in a range of applications, both at sea and on land. Glamox products are well designed and of high technical quality, enhancing user productivity and visual comfort. They are energy-efficient and easy to install, fulfilling the high demands of the professional market. For more information, visit glamox.com.