How Long Do I Have to Carry Out Accelerated Weathering Testing to Simulate X Years of Outdoor Exposure?

Your outdoor furniture, the exterior of your house and the fencing or other outdoor elements of the house may get damage and effect due to the external weather conditions. Effects of weather on these external elements of your house are determined by accelerated weathering testing. The testing is done using a weatherometer and is used in the process of UV aging in several industries. Test equipment such as Xenon arc chamber, UV chamber and Carbon arc chamber are classified as weatherometer. ​

Various exposure standards and cycles are used in the accelerated weathering testing by testing laboratories. Standards like ASTM G155, IEC 60068-2-5 and SEA J2412 make use of Xenon arc as a source of UV. Many studies has shown that it is very difficult to determine the time compression factor i.e. the rate of aging which is accelerated by the weatherometer to the exposure to real outdoor weather. 

How long my product is exposed to outdoor weather equivalent to 1 day/month in testing chamber?

There are several questions pertaining to acceleration factor and weatherometer testing that still cannot be figured out. For example, experts are yet to determine exactly how long the product must be tested to simulate effect if it is exposed in the outdoor for 5 years. The exact correlation between aging in testing chamber and exposure to outdoor weather cannot be formulated as the weather conditions are uncertain. 

Mother Nature cannot be simulated 100% by the lab equipment. The weather conditions are not uniform in different countries for different months. While testing with weatherometer in laboratory, components used such as lamp, filter, water, temperature and irradiance settings are clearly specified and well controlled as stated in test standard. On the contrary, outdoor exposure can be varied by geographical local, altitude, season, atmosphere, environment and many other factors. Therefore, it is impossible to figure out a formula that relate the aging time in weatherometer and outdoor exposure. 
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Accelerated weathering testing is useful for comparison testing. It is a quick process to get vital insights rather than waiting for years to get data and feedback from customers. Also, it is a faster means of comparing your products with your competitor’s products. Although the results cannot be 100% accurate due to uneven weather conditions, conclusion can be made by following test standard. 

Testlabs offer Xenon arc weathering test to different test standards. With a test report from accredited laboratory you can win the trust from your customer and have advantage over your competitors.