Q-SUN® | Xe‑8

Full-Spectrum Xenon Lamps

LIGHT/YEAR xenon arc lamps for the Q-SUN Xe-8 provide the best reproduction of full-spectrum natural sunlight. Q-Lab's lamps are air-cooled (not water-cooled), which makes them more economical, highly efficient, and very low-maintenance. Xenon lamps last for about 8000 hours at normal irradiance and about 1000 hours at high irradiance. The Q-SUN Xe-8 uses four lamps per machine. Visit our xenon arc lamps page for more information.

Optical Filters

The Q-SUN Xe-8 model’s optical filter lanterns are designed to produce the spectra specified in many global weathering and lightfastness test standards. These standards apply to a variety of industries for outdoor applications, as well as interior applications where sunlight is filtered by window glass. The lanterns consist of an inner quartz glass cylinder and two sets of six outer filters, arranged in a two-tier hexagon. The performance of Q-Lab's filters does not decline with age; therefore, filters do not need to be replaced under normal operation. The only exception to this is the Window-IR filter, which requires regular replacement. See A Choice of Filters for Q-SUN.

Temperature Monitoring & Control

Control of temperature is important because it influences the rate of degradation. Specimen exposure temperature is precisely controlled in the Q-SUN Xe-8 tester using black panel and chamber air temperature sensors. Both black panel and uninsulated onboard black panels are included standard with each tester, with top and bottom panels of each type to ensure temperature uniformity. The temperature can be set at any point between 45 °C and 105 °C, depending upon whether the black panel sensor is insulated or uninsulated, as well as irradiance level, filter type, lamp age, and ambient room temperature. See the Q-SUN Xe-8 Specification Bulletin for more information.

High Specimen Capacity

The Q-SUN Xe-8 xenon arc tester offers a huge-capacity, industry-leading rotating rack. It supports 164 specimens of 51 × 102 mm (2.0 × 4.0”) or 96 specimens of 67 × 145 mm (2.6 × 5.7”) each. See the Accessories Tab for more information.

SOLAR EYE Irradiance Control

The SOLAR EYE irradiance control system constantly monitors and controls lamp output. This assures precise light exposure and maximizes reproducibility of test results. Irradiance control is available at 340 nm, 420 nm, or TUV (Total UV, 300-400 nm). All three control points are standard on the Xe-8 tri band sensor array. See the Q-SUN Xe-8 Brochure for more information.

Humidity Control

Relative humidity (RH) control is standard in the Q-SUN Xe-8 tester. It allows the user to simultaneously control and display RH, black panel temperature, and chamber air temperature. Note that purified water is required for proper operation of the RH system in the Xe-8 tester. See Q-SUN Xe-8 Specification Bulletin.

Water Spray (Front and Back)

Outdoor moisture attack is simulated via pure water spray in the Xe-8 tester. Two spray nozzles located in the chamber can be programmed to operate during either the dark or light cycle. The ability to spray the backs of specimens is required by some SAE test methods and is also standard for the Xe-8. Note that purified water is required for proper operation of the water spray system in the Q-SUN Xe-8. See The Importance of Water Purification for more information.

Controls & Optional Software

The Q-SUN Xe-8 tester’s displays are designed to be both functional and easy-to-use. Q-SUN testers feature dual, full-color touchscreen displays and can be programmed in 17 user-selectable languages (English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Czech, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, and Vietnamese). This system includes complete self-diagnostic error checking, constantly monitoring the status and performance of all systems. It also displays tester error messages and routine service reminders as needed. The multicolor LED status indicator light updates users on the tester’s operational state at a glance.

An external USB port on every Q-SUN Xe-8 tester allows users to perform software upgrades quickly to address key performance issues. For quality systems that require documented proof of test conditions, this USB port can also be used to download tester performance history with Q-Lab's VIRTUAL STRIPCHART application. Data from the USB export can be emailed directly to Q-Lab's technical support desk for expert troubleshooting and diagnostics. Performance information is also available via on-screen VIRTUAL STRIPCHART datalogging.

Xenon Arc Lamps for Full-Spectrum Light

The Q-SUN Xe-8 tester’s xenon arc lamps produce the most realistic reproduction of full-spectrum sunlight, including ultraviolet, visible light, and infrared radiation. For many materials, exposure to the full spectrum is necessary to provide an accurate simulation, especially when testing for color change and lightfastness. See Q-SUN Xe-8 Brochure for details.

The Q-SUN Xe-8 tester uses four air-cooled LIGHT/YEAR xenon arc lamps. This significantly reduces operating and maintenance expenses compared to water-cooled lamps. Q-Lab’s LIGHT/YEAR lamps are warrantied for about 8000 hours of operation at normal irradiance, and about 1000 hours at high irradiance. Visit our xenon arc lamps page for more information.

Changing the Xe-8 lamps is quick and easy – they are easily accessible from the front of the tester. Replacement only requires the user to open the chamber door, remove some specimens, and open the optical filter lantern for access. The lamps can then be simply lifted out of the tester and replaced. See the Q-SUN Xe-8 Brochure.

A Choice of Optical Filters to Simulate a Variety of Environments

Xenon light must be properly filtered to achieve the appropriate spectrum for each particular application. Differences in spectra may affect both the speed and the type of degradation. The three categories of filters shown below are available to simulate a variety of service environments. The application or test method dictates which filters should be used. The Q‑SUN Xe-8 tester’s long-life filters are exceptionally durable and maintain the required spectrum indefinitely. See A Choice of Filters for Q-SUN for a more detailed discussion.

Daylight Filters

Daylight filters are used to simulate direct, noon summer sunlight. They provide the best correlation to natural exposures for most applications. Materials that are typically used outdoors, like roofing and exterior coatings, should be tested using Daylight filters. Three different types of Daylight filters are available for the Q-SUN Xe-8 tester: Daylight-F, Daylight-Q and Daylight-B/B. The Daylight-Q and Daylight-F filters meet the specifications of Type I Daylight filters described in ASTM and ISO standards. Daylight-B/B filters are classified as Type II Daylight filters.

Window Glass Filters

Window glass filters produce spectra equivalent to sunlight passing through window glass. This also simulates other indoor lighting, such as a typical commercial or office environment. Window glass filters are used for indoor materials such as printing materials and textiles. Four different Window glass filters are available for the Q-SUN Xe-8 tester: Window-Q, Window-B/SL, Window-SF-5, and Window-IR.

Extended UV Filters

Extended UV Filters transmit excess UV, below the normal cut-on of natural sunlight. They are used to produce faster or more severe test results. Extended UV Filters are specified in some automotive test methods and are sometimes used for aerospace applications. The most common Q-SUN filter of this type is the Extended UV-Q/B.

Low Cost Replacement Lamps for Atlas Weather-Ometer® Testers

Q-Lab also offers water-cooled replacement lamps for use in Atlas Weather-Ometer® models Ci35, Ci35A, Ci65, Ci65A, Ci4000, Ci4400, and Ci5000.

These low-cost water-cooled replacement lamps are guaranteed to have a comparable spectral power distribution to original lamps supplied by Atlas.  The lamps meet a wide range of ISO, ASTM, SAE, and AATCC requirements.

See our Water-Cooled Lamps and Optical Filters Product Summary or visit our xenon arc water-cooled products landing page for more information.

®Weather-Ometer is a registered trademark of Atlas Material Testing, LLC

Temperature Calibration

The Q-SUN Xe-8 onboard insulated and uninsulated black panel temperature sensors need to be calibrated periodically by the user. This assures accurate and consistent results.

Calibrating the Xe-8 black panel and black standard temperature sensors is simple using the Universal Calibrator system’s UC80 calibrated temperature sensors. UC80 calibration sensor arrays include both black panel and insulated black panel sensors of the same design as the Q-SUN Xe-8's onboard sensors. The low-cost, combination relative humidity/chamber air temperature sensor is designed to be replaced once a year by the user and cannot be recalibrated.

Irradiance Calibration

The Q-SUN Xe-8 onboard SOLAR EYE irradiance sensors need to be calibrated periodically by the user to assure accurate and consistent results.

Calibrating irradiance in the Q-SUN Xe-8 tester is simple using the Universal Calibrator system’s UC80 calibration sensor array, and takes only a few minutes. UC80 devices have the same standard 340 nm, 420 nm, and 300-400 nm TUV (Total UV) sensors as the Q-SUN Xe-8 tester’s onboard sensors.

ISO 17025 Accredited Recalibration

The UC80 itself needs to be returned to Q-Lab once per year for an inexpensive recalibration. See our Recalibration Return Procedure.

Q-Lab's calibration labs in the United States, Germany, United Kingdom, and China are ISO 17025 accredited by the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) to perform calibrations of UC sensors. Calibrations are traceable to the United States' National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

The Q-SUN Xe-8-HSBX has very few optional accessories because it was designed to have standard nearly every feature needed for a complete test program.

Specimen Mounting

The Q-SUN Xe-8 xenon arc tester offers a huge-capacity rotating rack. Two different sizes of standard specimen holders are supported.

The Xe-8 can support 164 specimens, sized 51 × 102 mm (2.0 × 4.0”), with 40 holders of 4 specimens each. This offers maximum capacity while still providing a large enough exposure surface to perform most common evaluations.

Alternatively, the Xe-8 can hold 96 specimens with dimensions of 67 × 145 mm (2.6 × 5.7”), arranged in 32 holders of 3 specimens each. This specimen size has historically been used in competitive rotating rack testers.