Archive for the ‘Articles’ Category

CascadeTek’s Testing Capabilities featured in R&D Magazine

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

In the October 09 issue of R&D magazine, the featured 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.

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What is the Difference Between Salt Fog and Salt Spray Testing?

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

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!

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Five Reasons to Outsource Product Reliability Testing

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

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.

For more information about the tests offered at Cascade TEK, visit our testing page.

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