Q-Lab Q-SUN Testers Approved for Ford Automotive Standard BO 116-01

The Ford Motor Company has approved Q-Lab’s Q-SUN xenon arc test chamber models Xe-2 and Xe-3 for its BO 116-01 test method, “Resistance to Interior Weathering” of automotive interior trim materials. This method is based on SAE J2412, but with a Window-SF5 optical filter which filters out nearly all UVB radiant energy and a slightly shortened dark step in the test cycle.

“Ford suppliers have new choices when it comes to weathering test approvals,” said Sean Fowler, Q-Lab’s Weathering and Corrosion Technical Director. “These new choices have substantially reduced the costs of testing, which enables manufacturers to do more testing and improve material durability faster than ever before.”

Q-Lab worked closely with Ford for several years on this update to ensure reproducible results between the included xenon arc test chambers. Part of this work included creating a technical specification of the spectral power distribution curve achieved by the SF5 optical filter, which did not exist in earlier versions of BO 116-01. Round robin testing verified that the Q-SUN provided comparable results to other chambers.

Exterior trim materials are tested according to ASTM D7869, which was developed by Ford and a team of suppliers including Q-Lab and published in 2013. With this new approval, the Q-SUN Xe-2 and Xe-3 chambers are now approved by Ford for both interior and exterior materials and offer the lowest cost options in terms of purchase price and ongoing operating costs.

“As before with the development of ASTM D7869 for exterior material testing, Ford has been a great partner to work with,” said Fowler. “We look forward to working with them to continue to improve weathering technology.”

Q-Lab’s products and services are extensively used in the paint, plastics, roofing materials and automotive industries for R&D, quality control, and to test for weathering and corrosion durability. Q-Lab manufactures and sells affordable, easy-to-use and low-maintenance weathering, and corrosion test equipment. Q-Lab is also a leader in outdoor exposure testing, and offers expert accelerated lab testing on a contract basis in both Europe and the United States.