Compliance Engineering Reference Guide Index

Quest Engineering Solutions

7 Sterling Rd., P.O. Box 125
North Billerica, MA 01862 USA
Tel: 978-667-7000
Fax: 978-667-3388

Web: http://www.qes.com
E-mail: info@qes.com

Quest Engineering Solutions provides quality, reliability, regulatory compliance and safety test services. Our engineering services include EMC, product safety, vibration, temperature, humidity, airflow and acoustic testing, all at one facility. Our expert staff provides the consulting services you need to help you meet product design goals, customer requirements and to fix the problems we find when testing your products. We're approved to provide these services by government agencies and other organizations in the United States, Europe, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere around the world. Plus, we're the preferred supplier for these services in New England for a number of well known international testing organizations.

EMC Testing

EMI EMISSIONS
The Free-Field Test Site includes a large dome, an underground instrument room, and a uniform ground plane.
The dome diameter is 7.9 meters and covers a 4.6 meter diameter turntable that rotates the test product 360 degrees.
There are 3 antenna positions on the ground plane at 3, 10, and 30 meters from the center of the turntable.
EMI IMMUNITY
In today's global marketplace, standard EMI emissions testing is not enough. Companies must also comply with EMI immunity requirements if they plan to market products in Europe. Similar requirements are coming to Australia. Quest's EMI Immunity test facility includes a new ferrite lined chamber. Quest performs the full range of EMI Immunity tests required for the European CE marking. We also do the required harmonics, flicker and voltage variation tests. Note that EMI Immunity tests were referred to as EMI Susceptibility tests in the U.S., and this terminology is still used for MIL-STD EMI immunity testing.

Product Safety Testing

Quest performs the required tests and interfaces directly with the regulatory agencies on behalf of our customers, who are developing new products for sale in the world-wide marketplace. We provide compliance consultation for the Low Voltage Directive and CE marking for Europe. In North America, we help our customers obtain UL and CSA approvals, and we work closely with Factory Mutual Research. We often assist our customers in the early design phase of a product with the selection of components and materials that can help provide the most cost effective and safe design.

Typical tests performed are:

• Component Temperatures
• Input Current
• Leakage Current
• Hi Pot
• Flammability

Audio

Quest's Hemianechoic test chamber where we perform a full range of acoustic tests on your product, including:

• Sound Pressure
• Sound Power

• ISO 7779
• ANSI S12.10

• ANSI S12.11
• INCE TG CBE
• ISO 10302

Temperature/Humidity

Our two largest temperature/humidity test chambers are described below: Chamber 1, our largest chamber (internal dimensions 4.5 m by 4.1 m) has variable air velocities and is typically used for testing operational products. The adjustable air velocity allows precise simulation of the environment in which the product will operate.

Chamber 1 is normally operated within the following ranges:

• Temperature = -34 C (-30 F) to 71 C (160 F)
• Humidity = 5% To 99%

Chamber 2 (internal dimensions 2.3 m by 2.1 m) is typically used for shipping/storage testing of packaged or unpackaged products and is normally operated within the following ranges:

• Temperature = -40 C (-40 F) to 93 C (200 F)
• Humidity = 5% To 99%

The above chambers can each handle high levels of product thermal load. Ramp rates are a function of the load. All standard AC voltages, 50 Hz and 60 Hz, plus 48 VDC and other DC voltages are available. The chambers are fully programmable. Automated data collection of multiple temperatures, air velocities, voltages and other data is available. We also have smaller temperature/humidity test chambers. They include a thermal shock chamber and a number of chambers suitable for testing smaller products and components at lower cost.

Vibration Testing

Vibration testing is important to achieving product quality. Our experience can help you choose the tests which will optimize your product's design. Quest's vibration equipment is highly adaptable and can be customized to meet your special test requirements.

Typical tests performed include:

• Sinusoidal Vibration
• Random Vibration
• Shock

Test standards include:

• IEC 68-2-6
• IEC 68-2-27
• IEC 68-2-36
• MIL STD 810D/E

Infrared Camera

Quest Engineering Solutions provides infrared camera testing services. Infrared cameras are the fastest way of collecting temperature data and isolating "hot spots". Our test equipment is portable and can be set up in any test area. It also has battery power for operation at remote locations. The typical tests we perform are thermal profiles of a printed circuit board and power supplies. Test results are available as color thermal plots, on diskette, and on VHS cassette. Infrared camera testing is just one of the many services available at Quest.

Airflow

Airflow testing can help you optimize product cooling, while minimizing product size and noise. Quest personnel will perform airflow tests on your prototype product using one of our two airflow test chambers:

• A large chamber with a Volumetric Flow Rate Range (VFRR) of 200 to 1400 cfm.
• A small chamber with a VFRR of 0 to 450 cfm.

Typical tests performed are:

• System Impedance Determination
• Air Mover Characterization (e.g., fans)

Quest personnel have the skills and experience, plus the test facilities, to optimize your product design for acoustic noise, cooling, reliability, vibration, EMI and product safety.

Categories this company is listed under in the Compliance Engineering Reference Guide:

• Testing and Services: Services: Consultants, Product Safety (130 companies)
• Testing and Services: Services: Consultants, Quality (91 companies)
• Testing and Services: Testing: Product Safety (150 companies)