With state of the art modular fixtures, the testing lab at Cascade TEK can physically test product functionality thousands of times, replicating the repetition it would face throughout its normal lifetime.
Examples of such tests include hinge testing, clasp and release, button pushing, opening and closing, or pressing and releasing keyboard functions. Our facility also has the ability to customize our testing processes to meet most product needs. Have a product you need to test?
Detailed test data, cycle reports and photographs are provided upon test completion. You can check out our tests in action by watching the video below.
Living in Oregon, we see a lot of bikes and bike racks around, and, thankfully, we’ve never seen any bikes fall off their racks or bike racks fall off their cars. What gives us this confidence? Testing of course. And custom bike rack testing is yet another type of testing CascadeTek offers. We shot this video in the vibration test lab to share with you all. Click below to see how we replicate actual vibration bike racks experience while on moving cars.
From aerospace to consumer products, we can run Vibration to Thermal Shock testing on just about anything. Our capabilities have grown over the last 17 years, please visit our Testing Services page for a list of them all.
Cascade TEK’s new Blowing Sand and Dust Chamber is the first of its kind in the country. It is designed to perform the blowing sand/dust tests called for in MIL-STD 810F. What makes our Blowing Sand and Dust Chamber unique is that it’s able record test temperature, humidity, wind speed and particle concentration values in REAL TIME. This is unlike any other sand and dust test data available. Our next step is to have our Blowing Sand And Dust testing audited by A2LA and added to our list of accredited tests Cascade TEK performs.
Why conduct sand and dusting testing?
Sand and dust create a harsh environment for chassis, under-hood, and exterior mounted devices, and can be a long- term problem in interior locations, such as under the dash and seats in automobiles. Exposure to fine dust causes problems with moving parts, forms conductive bridges and acts as an absorbent material for the collection of water vapor. Some electromechanical components may be able to tolerate fine dust, but larger particles affect or totally inhibit mechanical action. Cascade TEK performs a wide variety of Sand and Dust Testing. For more information, visit our sand and dust test page.
We are always looking for better equipment and ways to improve our testing services. Check back soon for the latest from Cascade TEK or subscribe to our RSS feed.
In a video of about 2 minutes in length, our testing facility was featured on Channel 8 news in Portland with a segment called, “Product testing is the name of the game at Cascade Tek.” President Doug Barrett and Lab Manager Terry Candlish were interviewed, and quick demonstrations of testing procedures for popular products like cell phones and XBox 360 can be seen. You can also catch a glimpse of our capabilities and highlights here at the lab. Hulu here we come!
In the October 09 issue of R&D magazine, thefeatured article titled “Understanding Contract Labs” calls on CascadeTek and our Vice President of Operations, Terry Candlish, to expound upon the benefits of third party environmental stress testing as well as the services, qualities and procedures of an expert testing lab like the one at CascadeTek.
The article states that, “Another reason a company might outsource their product is that they wish to have a third party do the testing. ‘A lot of companies that are instructing their vendors to do environmental stress testing usually want a third party to do the testing,’ says Terry Candlish, Work Laboratory Manager and Vice President of Operations, CASCADE TEK, Hillsboro, OR. ‘They want an unbiased party testing the product for integrity and strength, so that what is going to the market is a reliable product.’ ” The article goes on to further explain the importance of 3rd party contract laboratories and using their testing expertise with today’s demanding and strict standards. The full article is out now and can be read here.
R&D magazine is a greatly respected magazine in the Research and Development arena and has been around for over 50 years. We are quite flattered to be called upon for our expert analysis and feedback in the Environmental Testing world. Visit our Environmental Testing Services page to read more about our world class testing capabilities and facility.
We wanted to provide a little clarification in case you are wondering if Salt Fog Testing is different from Salt Spray Testing. From a testing standpoint, these are the exact same test, but they are often referred to by these different names because the levels of salt being applied vary according to the specific environmental conditions needed to be replicated. The test typically applies salt and/or sea mist to coated or painted marine, automotive, and military equipment, testing for corrosion over time through an accelerated process.
The concentration of salt and duration of testing are the two variables that are adjusted in order to tailor the test to your requirements. Thus, the same test is sometimes referred to as Salt Fog or Salt Spray. For more details on CascadeTek’s testing capabilities, visit our Environmental Testing Services Page. We hope this helps!
Once again, we are excited to be participating in what has become a great local resource for testing customers. This is among the country’s longest running and most trusted contract manufacturing events for the sourcing of custom parts, services, design (and product testing of course). We always love this event! Here are the details:
Portland Expo Center
Portland, Oregon
September 16th – 17th 2009
Wednesday 9:30am – 4pm
Thursday 9:30 – 3pm
Cascade TEK Booth 328 (Environmental Testing)
NWEMC Booth 330 (EMI Testing)
Please come visit us to see what our latest innovations, products, and services are. We are one of only a few companies representing the testing services industry. You can register online at d2p.com.
Many companies have their own test equipment in house. If that is the case, when is a good time to consider utilizing the services of an outside lab? We’ve listed some below:
1. Save Time – Run Tests in Parallel The test lab is ready to go. The equipment is dedicated to you, in good working order, calibrated and all the test documentation ready. Consider bringing multiple units to run a variety of tests at the same time. For example, start a Temperature Cycle Test on one unit and a Salt-Fog Test on another. This saves time and hassle associated with scheduling and administering the test in house. Outsourcing also a great way to handle overflow or back-logged test requirements. Running your tests at an outside lab will get the job done faster than waiting for the R&D Department to finish using the test chamber.
2. One Stop Shop Often a testing program will require a wide variety of tests to be done in a certain sequence. A well equipped test lab will manage the logistics and schedule. If a certain test must be sent to another facility, the Test Lab has the resources to handle the coordination and keep the program on schedule.
3. Professional Quality Data The Formal Test Report, or Test Certification document is the most important part of your test. Working with an outside lab gives you high quality, professional test data to release to your customers. This is also relieves you from time consuming paperwork.
4. Perform Only Accepted & Appropriate Tests – Consultative Expertise An accredited test lab has a wide scope of industry and testing knowledge. Often test requirements are not well defined or succumb to “that’s the way we’ve always done it”. Reviewing the required tests up front with the Lab Manager can determine if a better or more industry appropriate test profile should be done.
5. Credible Results – Third Party Accreditation Working with accredited test labs that are consistently audited by 3rd party organizations gives credibility to the test data and insures the lab is qualified to perform each test. For example, Cascade TEK is certified by A2LA, ISTA , and the Department of Defense.
On June 18th, at an awards ceremony hosted by the Portland Art Museum, The Portland Business Journal officially announced their annual selections for the Oregon’s Fastest Growing Private Companies Top 100 List.
We are extremely excited to have ranked #36 on this much anticipated list. Selections were based on total revenue growth over the past 3 years, from 2006-2008. Our total revenue has seen an increase from $2.8 million in 2006 to $5.2 million in 2008, for an 84.69% overall growth. This is the first time we have made the list of Oregon’s fastest growing private companies. It is such a thrill for our entire team.
Our excitement extends beyond the immediate Cascade TEK family. Seeing our customers on the list was such a great feeling. It means we truly are making an impact in helping Oregon companies bring new and reliable products to market with our product testing capabilities. We are very pleased that we have been able to continually increase the types of product tests we perform and that our accreditations and expertise attract customers from all over the world.
A Huge Thanks to all of our employees, team members, and loyal customers for helping bring Cascade TEK to #36!
As an accredited A2LA testing laboratory, we are constantly expanding our testing services ability by adding new test technology and updating our current technology with the specifications required to meet the stringent accreditation standards, ensuring quality performance from your equipment.
We have recently added new testing technology and are now accredited to test for the following A2LA standards:
Steam Clean and Pressure Wash Temperature Testing for SAE J1455 and DIN requirements.
Highly Accelerated Stress Testing (HAST) for JESD22 requirements.
Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT) for Qualmark Guideline 9.0
We have also expanded our existing test technology and are accredited to test for the following standards:
Mechanical Shock Testing of batteries to meet UN ST/SG/AC.10/11
Temperature Cycling Testing for JESD22 requirements
Enclosure Testing for NEMA 250 requirements
Dust Testing for SAE J1455 requirements
To download Cascade Tek’s complete scope of A2LA Accreditations click here
For information regarding all the testing services we offer click here
