Atlas has announced the development of the new SUNTEST XXL+ ST.
The new test instrument allows small-to midsized interior and exterior components, such as trim, gaskets and door handles, to be weathering tested to Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standards for both SAE J2412 for interior and SAE J2527 for exterior components, as well as OEM-specific standards.
Currently, research and quality labs use Atlas rotating rack xenon instruments for testing both materials and components. Atlas believes the problem is that these machines are designed to accommodate flat, standard-sized samples. Components, however, are dimensional and come in varying sizes and shapes. Testing them in a rotating rack requires a costly, time-consuming process of cutting each component into parts for samples.
Instead of racks, the SUNTEST XXL+ ST features an extra-large test chamber where components and materials can be easily arranged horizontally on a 79 cm x 37 cm test table.
The chamber’s extended height of 44 cm, unique for this class of xenon instrument, allows for better control of irradiation and temperature conditions.
The new instrument also allows for shorter test times by using so called extended UV filters. These filters transmit more short wavelength UV in to the test chamber than common Daylight filters and therefore can promote further acceleration of the test.