CHICAGO (Sept. 29, 4:30 p.m. EDT) — Atlas Material Testing Technology LLC of Chicago has bolstered its consulting services, providing scientific design-of-experiment methodology to commercial customers.
The methodology involves organizing DOE weathering durability tests to detect problems that typical environmental exposure may miss.
“We have used the methodology internally, but now we are making it available for commercial use as a service,” said Allen Zielnik, director of strategic technical sales.
The experiments involve forced-degradation tests and identification of combinations that cause problems, Zielnik said.
A DOE endeavor aims to stress a material, identify failure modes and effects, and test possible in-service environments to prevent deterioration that could cause discoloration, fading, gloss or cracking.
At NPE, Atlas introduced an enhanced control system for the Ci4000 xenon-arc Weather-Ometer laboratory weathering instrument and a new lamp cooling system for the Ci Series units.
In operation since 1915, the firm has commercial laboratories in Miami; Bicester, England; Paris; and Duisburg, Germany. Its weathering services group conducts natural and accelerated outdoor testing in more than 20 locations globally. The group recently purchased 18 acres in Miami, an exposure site for cold-climate testing in Deerwood, Minn., and, with a partner, a weathering and evaluation services site in Medina, Ohio.
Within the past year, Atlas added 40 people in India, China and the United States. Now, Atlas employs 350. Third-generation members of the Lane family own and operate Atlas.