Testing Services
Testing is often used for regulatory approval of products, but it is also an integral part of failure analysis and accident reconstruction. Conducting a test, whether it is a standardized test specified by an agency or a custom test designed to answer a specific question, so that its result is repeatable and meaningful is a very delicate matter. Great care must be exercised both in the design and execution of the test so that the question at hand can be answered. In testing there is no substitute for experience, especially when designing a custom test to answer a specific question.
Principia conducts almost all of our tests in-house so that we can have the most oversight and control over the process. To this end, we maintain a test laboratory with the capability to design the test and the requisite equipment to conduct the test. In addition to off-the-shelf equipment such as accelerometers, load cells, thermocouples, data acquisition equipment, we design and fabricate custom sensors and electronics. Our ability to do all of this in-house also allows us to perform these custom tests for time-sensitive projects that require quick results.
Because computers and electronics are such an integral part of modern testing, Prinicpia maintains a complete electronics laboratory at both of our offices. This allows us to quickly design and fabricate custom tests.
Although standardized tests may appear to be a simple and quick solution, we find that they require the same attention as custom tests. Test standards provided by organizations such as ASNI, ASTM, ASME, SAE, ISO, DIN, EN, UL often are limited to the test parameters or performance specifications without providing the details necessary to test a specific product. The choice of test specimen, sample size, and even which test to run is often the most difficult choice to make and requires an experienced test laboratory. Some examples of standardized tests conducted by Principia:
 | ASTM C1208 compressive strength test for specimens of vitrified clay pipe.
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 | ASTM C301 bearing strength test for whole sections of vitrified clay pipe.
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Custom tests are those tests for which there is no standard method promulgated by a regulatory or advisory body. These tests usually arise in the context of a specific question about a product. Often, these questions deal with the performance of a product or part involved in an accident, or the suitability of a particular material or design.
 | This short video is an example of a recent custom test designed and conducted by Principia.
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Most custom tests require a system for sampling and preparing the test specimen, the fixture for properly holding the specimen, and the sensors and electronics to acquire the test data. We have in-house mechanical and electronics design and fabrication facilities to handle all aspects of the test process.
The following are examples of our in-house design and fabrication capabilities for custom electronics and test fixtures:
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