Calibration and Testing Services Reference Materials

Description: Failure analysis is a critical discipline in engineering, product development, and risk mitigation. It enables organizations to determine the root causes of failures in materials, components, and ...

Description: As the global space industry accelerates toward higher launch cadence, reusable systems, and advanced propulsion technologies, the role of pressure vessels—particularly composite overwrapped ...

Description: Artificial intelligence is no longer an abstract software trend—it is a physical infrastructure challenge. As AI workloads scale, data centers are being pushed beyond traditional design ...

Description: The Saddle Anvil supports the gage block on (3) balls. The measuring instrument is set so that its probe direction of travel is perpendicular to a plane that contains the top contact points of the (3) ...

Description: As Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) continue to shrink and conductor spacing tightens, the risk of failure mechanisms driven by surface residues and moisture increases significantly. Element's Surface ...

Description: This article explains the EU EMC Directive's requirements for emissions and immunity testing. It outlines a structured compliance path from planning and pre-compliance to formal certification, ...

Description: Selecting a testing partner is one of the most consequential decisions in medical device development, influencing regulatory approval timelines, product safety, and long term market success. ISO/IEC ...

Description: It highlights leveraging CE marking readiness as a commercial edge, supporting South Korean automotive projects with specialized tests, and offering a practical China market entry strategy. It also ...

Description: This guide outlines the EMC lab workflow for medical device electrical safety testing, including key tests like hipot and leakage current, and highlights stricter standards for patient safety. It ...

Description: If you’ve ever been summoned to inspect an unfamiliar piece of equipment in the field—armed with nothing but a safety vest, questionable optimism, and a clipboard—you’ve ...

Description: The UT process is remarkably simple and safe. A handheld probe is coupled to the surface of the test object using a thin gel couplant. The probe generates high-frequency sound waves that travel into ...

Description: Since late 2022, Andrew Furgason has been the non-destructive evaluation (NDE) Department Manager for Element Houston. He has been involved with NDE for the last 15 years. During this time, Andrew has ...

Description: Neal Ferguson has over 25 years of experience in materials testing, non-destructive examination, quality, welding, and standards development. During his nearly 20-year career with Element, he has held ...

Description: In this white paper, Steve Hayes discusses manufacturer responsibilities under IEC 60601-1-2 for ongoing EMC compliance in the medical device industry. It emphasizes the need for continual updates to ...

Description: Lee Mangham is the Technical Manager at the Element Sheffield laboratory, he is responsible for a wide variety of technical content and has over 30 years of experience in mechanical testing. ...

Description: If you’ve ever prepped a medical device for a regulatory review, such as an FDA 510K submission, you’ve probably hit that moment where you ask yourself: “Wait—why do we have to ...

Description: Global market access (GMA) describes the process of testing, certification, and approvals that enables a product to be sold in countries of choice. For manufacturers, a GMA project often involves a ...

Description: Creep damage is an everyday reality, affecting almost everything around us in some way. It is constant, irreversible, and mainly affects equipment subjected to continuous, elevated temperatures during ...

Description: Whether you are purchasing or leasing a property or addressing a petroleum hydrocarbon release at your current property, you should run a Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) test to determine the levels ...

Description: Temperature ramp rate is useful for simulating real-world temperature fluctuations for aerospace structures. Learn more about which ramp rates are best for defining a test and discover the array of ...

Description: Fighter jets and attack helicopters are only two examples of Aerospace and Defense applications that must meet stringent MIL-STD-461 and RTCA DO-160 requirements for electromagnetic compatibility ...

Description: High-Intensity Radiated Fields (HIRF) testing is a critical aspect of evaluating the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of electronic systems and devices. As technology evolves, the need for robust ...

Description: In today’s safety-critical environments—whether in aviation, rail transportation, construction, or consumer products—the evaluation of materials under fire conditions is no longer ...

Description: Compression properties of composites are impacted by the resin and fiber resin interface, and often determine the overall design, size, and weight of a part. Composite compression testing is crucial ...

Description: For most manufacturers, prototype testing represents a quick and easy route to compliance. Being able to perform compliance checks and quality testing before the full-scale completion of a product ...

Description: Testing to success or testing to failure using Fatigue to Fracture (FtF) - does one method provide more insights into cardiovascular device performance than the other? Industries such as Aerospace and ...

Description: EMC tests make sure that electronic devices don't produce too much electromagnetic radiation, and that space equipment continues to work properly. ...

Description: Relentless testing of airplane materials and components is integral to ensure planes are safe and fit for purpose. Bird strike and hail impact testing ensure when an airplane collides with a bird, ...

Description: Structural heart occluders and closure devices are used to treat congenital heart defects such as atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), and patent foramen ...

Description: The human body and its immune and inflammatory mechanisms can create an aggressive environment for metallic implants resulting in implant rejection and failure (Gilbert, Corrosion, ...

Description: Success in EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) testing hinges on an understanding of the testing process and the performance criteria that determine compliance. Element Expert James Daniels delves ...

Description: The European EMC Directive (2014/30/EU) was updated in 2014, replacing the old directive (2008/108/EC), and became mandatory from April 2016 for any new product entering the EU from that date onwards. ...

Description: The Radio Equipment Directive (RED) – 2014/53/EU, like other EU Directives and UK Regulations, requires the manufacturer to perform an adequate analysis and assessment of the risks, with regard ...

Description: As Elements Global Corrosion Specialist, Phil has over 40 years of experience in the fields of metallurgy and corrosion, including over 30 years of experience in sour service corrosion. ASTM A262 is a ...

Description: Thermal spraying is a popular method of applying a metallic, ceramic, plastic, or composite coating to a device or material. The process finds uses across a wide range of industries, including ...

Description: Ingress protection testing (IP testing) helps to determine a product's susceptibility to solid particle (including dust) ingress and liquid (water) ingress. Within the IEC 60529 standard there is an ...

Description: According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, more than 285,000 total hip replacements are performed each year in the United States. While hip implant designs vary widely, a total hip ...

Description: “Unbreakable”. It’s common to hear this word used in sales pitches describing a superior, invincible product. “It’s engineered to last. It’s drop-proof, ...

Description: It is vital that your products are able to withstand harsh conditions involved in your components' end-use. Chemical exposure testing can determine your product's stability when exposed to a chemical ...

Description: Ok, so you say you’ve been welding for 20+ years and none of your welds have ever failed – why would you need a certified welding inspector? There’s nothing to replace decades of ...

Description: The ASTM D3039 testing methodology is a great choice for polymer matrix composite tensile testing because of its usability across a wide range of industries. In fact, ASTM D3039 is called out by ...

Description: Fatigue is anything that involves alternating, or cyclic, stress or strain, and this loading can cause damage or cracking at stresses that are well below the yield strength of the material or ...

Description: Fatigue was not always well understood in the engineering world. It was long thought that if a material was deformed within its elastic range it would not carry any of the residual stresses or ...

Description: The integrity of circuit boards cannot always be ensured by non-destructive techniques, such as visual and X-ray inspection means. Cross-sectional examination at high magnification may also be ...

Description: If you provide an electronic product for use in the European Union, it is required to comply with the EMC Directive harmonized standards under CE Marking legislation. Electromagnetic Compatibility ...

Description: The use of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) is growing in many industries. As a result, there is a higher demand for mechanical testing and carbon fiber testing of composite materials. Carbon ...

Description: The ASTM G154 and G155 tests evaluate the resistance of a nonmetallic material to simulated sunlight and moisture exposure. When rays of sunlight—particularl y UV rays—bombard a surface, ...

Description: James Daniels is the General Manager of Element’s Connected Technologies business in the UK, currently responsible for Operations in our Hull, Skelmersdale, Malvern, Wimborne and Oxford ...

Description: Element specializes in a variety of abrasion test methods, including both standard and custom abrasion testing. Which test method you use is dependent upon the application and goals of your individual ...

Description: Any engineer who has ever had a hand in the design or manufacture of a medical device understands the enormous pressure that an FDA 510(k) submission brings to a company, large or small. There are ...

Description: Fitness-for-Service (FFS) assessments play a key role in maintaining the integrity and reliability of process equipment. By providing comprehensive data and inspection records, customers enable ...

Description: The American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act is a piece of legislation aimed at addressing climate change by phasing down the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), potent greenhouse gases commonly ...

Description: Stated accuracy refers to the accuracy that a manufacturer claims its measuring devices have, while accredited accuracy is an objective measurement of that product's true accuracy. Simply put, stated ...

Description: Manufacturing sheet metal is far from a simple task. It requires rigorous inspection, primarily due to the high quality and stringent safety standards required in the automotive industry. No doubt, a ...

Description: Every heavy equipment machine is expensive, and every hour wasted on a construction site due to quality issues is costly. Heavy equipment presenting quality defects leads to higher maintenance and ...

Description: Environmental test chambers play a crucial role in various industries, enabling the simulation of different environmental conditions to test the performance and durability of products. When it comes ...

Description: Many products in the telecommunications industry are required to meet various Telcordia (Bellcore) Generic Requirement (GR) specifications to establish product quality and reliability. Several of ...

Description: In an era of environmental consciousness, the aviation industry stands as a significant contributor to global carbon emissions. As of 2018, global aviation accounted for 1.9% of greenhouse gas ...

Description: When electric aerospace company, BETA Technologies, approached the CSZ team for a consultation and purchase of a custom environmental test solution, we were excited to partner with an organization ...

Description: The IEC 60601-1 is the International Electrotechnical Commission's (IEC's) general standard for medical electrical equipment. Due to advancing technology, and a constant stream of new medical products ...

Description: Dual phase analysis supports the feasible of relatively low frequency eddy current testing ...

Description: What is Acceptable Quality Limit or AQL? ...

Description: Unwanted leaks in any system can easily damage expensive equipment and machinery reducing the effectiveness of the process. The primary reasons for helium leak testing are quality, reliability, ...

Description: Learn how you can leverage research and development, benchmarking, comparative product testing, pre-shipment inspections, post-purchase surveillance, and extensive product performance evaluation ...

Description: From computer keyboards to household appliances, plumbing pipes to industrial batteries, regulated chemicals are present in products used across every industry. Regulations vary by market, but both ...

Description: Preservation experts specified treatments for future protection against water and insect damage ...

Description: In this post, we highlight two customers with two very different test requirements, resulting in the same outcome - accurate and fast results. ...

Description: In response to customer inquiries regarding surface energy, the Materials and Process Specialists at BTG Labs launched a research project to determine whether contact angle measurements obtained by ...

Description: Poor understanding has hindered cobot adoption ...

Description: Veo Robotics' FreeMove system receives ISO 13849 safety certification from TÜV Rheinland. ...

Description: A primer on collaborative robots, how to conduct safety assessments, and how to design safe implementations for robot/human coworking spaces. ...

Description: Every test has an informational goal and data is needed as an outcome for any number of reasons: conformity, R&D purposes, regulatory requirements, benchmarking, or general knowledge. It is always ...

Description: Protecting the health, morale and wellbeing of seafarers and the shipping community ...

Description: Opacity monitors are used to measure emissions of smoke and dust from combustion sources. They are mounted directly onto the stack or duct, so a constant flow of purge air is needed to protect their ...

Description: ATS RheoSystems offers reconditioned STRESSTECH and NOVA rheometers for 40-60% of the cost of new research grade rheometers. After extensive reconditioning and calibration, these top-of-the-line ...

Description: FULLY AUTOMATED ASTM D2983 CONDITIONING AND TESTING ON THE CANNON® TESC SYSTEM WHITE PAPER ...

Description: Fully automated ASTM D5133 conditioning and testing on the compact, economical CANNON® TESC-5133 ...

Description: Standard test method for hydrophobic contamination on glass by contact angle measurement ...

Description: Explore our tried, tested, and true measuring techniques and discover the ones which are best suited to your applications ...

Description: The work of adhesion W12 is the work which must be done to separate two adjacent phases 1 and 2 of a liquid-liquid or liquid-solid phase boundary from one another. Conversely, it is the energy which ...

Description: This white paper provides information, insights, and a collection of frequently asked questions about product testing and certification - and provides some useful hints on how to optimize the process ...

Description: As a product manufacturer, you already know that North America is one of the largest consumers in the world. This region serves as an enormous purchasing power that offers attractive opportunities to ...

Description: Viscosity profiles of crude oil/catalyst slurries generated under pressure at different temperatures simulate plant conditions. They are therefore useful in the determination of process parameters ...

Description: The viscosity of a fluid is a measure of its resistance to gradual deformation by shear stress or tensile stress. It is a measure of the resistance of flow due to internal friction when one layer of ...

Description: A viscosity profile is constructed by measuring viscosity under various conditions (e.g. variable temperature, shear rate etc.) that mimic process conditions. It is therefore useful in the ...

Description: A viscosity profile is constructed by measuring viscosity under various conditions (e.g. variable temperature, shear rate etc.) that mimic process conditions. It is therefore useful in the ...

Description: Viscosity profiles are used to determine the effects of shear rate (deformation rate) on the structure of a material. Shear rate effects are manifested as an increase or decline in viscosity in ...

Description: Generally speaking, reliability is assessed by evaluating how a product must perform to satisfy the needs of the users over the lifetime of its use. A reliability target is set by calculating the ...

Description: An ACME thread has a screw thread profile with trapezoidal outlines and they are commonly used where large loads or high accuracy are required; for example, in a vice or lead screw. ...

Description: The most common pipe thread is tapered. Tapered pipe thread standards are covered by American National Standard Institute/American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ANSI/ASME) and applicable American ...

Description: Calibrating external thread pitch diameter with three thread wires is a well-proven method and the most common one in use. Although any size wire between the minimum wire size and the maximum wire ...

Description: As the automotive industry develops hardware and software for autonomous vehicles, the manufacturers and their suppliers must evaluate their products for safety and performance. One of the most ...

Description: The biomedical industry runs on testing. Testing is at the heart of meeting extensive requirements to ensure healthcare practices and facilities are safe. A kind of testing that has been on all of our ...

Description: The PCS service feature is a unique offering you will find only at Transcat. It is effective in normalizing all your calibration data to help equipment users determine when measurement risk situations ...

Description: Laboratory accreditation is the formal recognition of an organization's technical competency to perform specific or types of tests or calibrations. ...

Description: The interesting thing about evolution is that change is inevitable, yet we are so resistant to change. Those who are closest to a change event are typically evenly divided: about half embrace the ...

Description: The reason to make the change from TAR to TUR within a company's quality documents is to maintain harmonization with the changes in global practices. ...

Description: As the skilled, baby-boomer workforce nears retirement, years of technical expertise is exiting as well. Factories are watching years of knowledge leave their organizations, and how to replace these ...

Description: There are several reasons why a commercial calibration company needs to know more than just the type of instrument they will be servicing for you ...

Description: Webinar on Ground Testing in Wind Farms ...