The question “what does this product need to test?” is often answered by listing familiar tests. That approach easily leads to two mistakes: choosing tests that are not related to the real environment, and ignoring the most important factor.
This article shows how to choose tests according to the actual usage environment: starting with where the product will live, then moving to the IEC 60068 test list.
1. The principle: environment first, standard second
Any environmental test is only meaningful when it answers a specific question about the usage environment. So the correct procedure is:
- Describe the product’s environment and journey (production, inventory, transportation, installation, use, maintenance).
- Identify key actors in each stage.
- Select the corresponding test group in IEC 60068.
- Determine severity and duration based on environmental data.
2. Suggested test matrix by operating environment
| Environment/scenario | Main stress factor | Suggested test group (IEC 60068-2) |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor equipment, temperate climate | Temperature and humidity depending on the season | Test A/B (cold, dry heat), Test Cab/Db (damp heat) |
| Outdoor, unshielded equipment | Solar radiation, rain, humidity, day-night temperature cycle | Test Sa, Test R/S/T/U, Test Cab/Db, Test N |
| Coastal areas, chemical factories | Salt, corrosive gas | Test Ka/Kb, Test Kc/Kd/Ke |
| Handheld and mobile devices | Falling, impacting, environmental temperature changes, wet hands | Test Ec, Test Ea, Test B/A, Test Db |
| Equipment on vehicles or construction machines | Continuous vibration, shock, mounting cavity temperature | Test Fc/Fh, Test Ea, Test A/B/N (with industry standards) |
| Medical equipment for home use | Room temperature, humidity, light fall, cleaning solution | Test A/B, Test XA, Test Ec (with medical industry standards) |
| Goods exported by sea, long-term storage | Moisture, salt, heat shock, stacking | Test Cab/Db, Test Ka/Kb, Test N (with ISTA for packaging) |
| Overhead equipment or air transportation | Low pressure, low temperature | Test M, Test A (with Test 2-39 when combined) |
| Equipment in dusty and sandy environments | Dust intrusion, abrasion | Test L (with IEC 60529 if IP class declaration is required) |
| Circuit boards and components in production | Welding heat, tin whisker, lead durability | Test T (Ta/Tb/Td), Test Xw1, Test U |
3. The environmental profile: six inputs you need
- Temperature:typical highest, lowest, and rate of change values.
- Humidity:average levels and periods of high humidity with condensation.
- Exposure time:total time spent under extreme conditions, in hours or cycles.
- Mechanical agents:vibration, shock, and impact during transportation and work.
- Chemical and biological agents:salt, industrial gases, solvents, dust.
- Working status:whether the product is energized during the test, whether under load or not.
Missing any of the six items above, the test plan will have to rely on assumptions — and assumptions are the hardest part to defend in a dispute.
4. From environmental profile to severity level
| What determines the level | How to interpret |
|---|---|
| Frequency of appearance | Everyday events require a different level than rare events |
| Duration | Same temperature but different exposure time gives different conclusions |
| Consequences of failure | Failures that create a safety hazard call for stricter requirements than failures that only cause inconvenience |
| Replacement and maintenance capabilities | Equipment that is difficult to reach requires stricter requirements |
| Limits of design | The level chosen should not exceed the capacity of the material if the objective is to evaluate actual use |
A common mistake is to choose the highest level possible with the mindset of “the harsher the better”. This approach increases costs, lengthens time, and can misjudge the product: a device that meets the correct usage environment can still “fail” if tested at an unrealistic level.
5. Feasibility check before freezing the plan
- Equipment capacity:temperature range, humidity, chamber size compared to sample size and mounting system.
- Model Number:How many samples are needed for destructive testing and how many are kept for control?
- Time:total chamber time, recovery time, function test time between steps.
- Human resources and profile:Who monitors, who confirms the passing criteria, how is the data saved.
- Conditions for receiving samples:For some tests, the sample needs to be stabilized before testing under specified conditions.
6. Two short examples
Medical equipment for home use:The main factors are not extreme temperatures but moisture, cleaning solutions and light impact. The test plan should focus on hot humidity, seasonal room temperature, solvent testing and light roughing; The extreme temperature portion only needs to be sufficient to demonstrate the ability to withstand transportation and storage.
Electronic equipment installed outdoors along the coast:The main factors are solar radiation, diurnal heat cycles, salt and humidity. The test plan requires both Sa, N, Cab/Db and Ka/Kb; If you only test salt mist or only hot moisture, you will miss the failure mechanism due to heat cycles combined with corrosion.
7. Common mistakes
- Copy another project’s test planwithout checking whether the usage environment is the same or not.
- Only try agents that are easy to try(climate) and ignore difficult agents (corrosion, dust, solvents).
- Do not record the power supply status of the sample,making the results unreproducible.
- Skip the shipping and inventory stages,Although this is often the harshest period for electronic products.
- No pre-determined criteria,leading to a favorable interpretation of the results.
8. Frequently asked questions
Do we need to test every test group?
No. Test only those forces that actually occur during the product life cycle, at the appropriate level. Excessive testing increases costs without increasing probative value.
What if real field data is unavailable?
Can use regional climate data, customer requirements, or recommended levels in industry standards. It is imperative to clearly state the source so readers know where that level comes from.
Should we test above the requirement “to be safe”?
Only if the objective is to evaluate the safety margin, and it must be clearly stated that the test exceeds the requirements. If this result is used to declare “satisfactory”, testing at another level may cause the dossier to not match the stated requirements.
In-vehicle equipment: IEC 60068 or automotive standards?
Usually uses industry standards for vibration, shock and temperature according to mounting location; IEC 60068 can be used for some climatic tests when referenced by an industry standard.
How do we set a sensible test duration?
Based on the actual total exposure time in the life cycle, then converted according to the principles of the standard. Do not choose a familiar number if there is no basis.
Where do we start without in-house experts?
From the table describing the usage environment and the table suggesting test groups above; Then discuss with the testing room to agree on the severity level and passing criteria.
9. Conclusion
Choosing an environmental test is a problem of properly describing the environment, not a problem of listing standards. A good test plan is one that explains: why this test exists, why that level was chosen, and why another test is not needed.
Three things to do: create a six-item environmental profile before choosing a test; choose levels according to data instead of habit; and clearly state the basis for choosing the level in the dossier so that the results can be defended when challenged.
References
- IEC 60068-1 — Environmental testing: General provisions and guidance.
- IEC 60068-2-1, 2-2, 2-14, 2-30, 2-78 — Temperature and humidity tests.
- IEC 60068-2-6, 2-64, 2-27, 2-31 — Vibration, shock and rough handling.
- IEC 60068-2-11, 2-52, 2-60, 2-68 — Corrosion, mixed gases and sand dust.
- IEC 60068-3-8 — Guidelines for selecting vibration tests.
Related articles
- Cx test (IEC 60068-2-66): hot moisture in pressurized steam and when needed
- What is IEC 60068? Structure of the Environmental Testing Standard Set and How to Read Test Codes
- How to Read IEC 60068 Test Designations: Ab, Bb, Nb, Db, Cab, Fc, Fh, Ea, Ka
- How Test Sequence Affects Environmental Test Results
- What Is the ISTA Standard? How to Choose the Right Transport Packaging Test (3A, 6-Amazon, ASTM D4169)
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Disclaimer
This article is an interpretive content compiled by us;not legal advice. Enterprises need to compare relevant documents/standards verbatim before applying them to specific products.
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