Q-SUN Xenon speakers

This sub-category includes the Q-Sun Xenon aging enclosures

• Q-Sun Xe-1 aging chambers, Q-Sun Xe-2 and Q-Sun Xe-3
• Cooling unit for Q-Sun allowing testing at low temperature
• Water spray system
• Water repurification system which considerably reduces the consumption of demineralized water while remaining compliant with standard requirements
• Sample holder
• Masks
• Sponge calibration kit
• Filters and lamps for Atlas speakers
• Blue yarns
• Gray scale

UV aging chambers (QUV) and solar light aging chamber (Xenon Arc enclosures, Q-SUN):

LABOMAT is a partner of Q-Lab Corporation (historically Q-PANEL) and markets two families of light aging enclosures in order to test the durability of your products:

Sunlight aging chambers, model Q-SUN from Q-Lab (Q-SUN Xe-1, Q-SUN Xe-2 and Q-SUN Xe-3).

The Q-SUN family of speakers brings together solar light aging speakers (lightfastness) using an Arc Xenon light source (Xenon Arc lamp) to reproduce a spectrum that is as faulty as possible for natural sunlight. (containing a UV part, a visible part and an infrared part).

NB: Q-SUN speakers are equivalent to SUNTEST, Wheather-O-Meter, Ci-3000, Ci-4000, Ci-4400, Ci-5000, Ci-35, Ci-65.

In the Q-SUN enclosures, optical filters are used (e.g. daylight Daylight Q, daylight Boro / Boro, Daylight F, window glass Window Q, Window IR, Window B / SL etc.) in order to reproduce a bright environment: exposure to exterior natural sunlight or exposure to interior natural light (filtered by a window glass).

The natural solar spectrum is standardized, and is described in two international standards: CIE 85 table 4 and ASTM G177 SMARTS2.

These standardized spectra specify both an extinction (cut-on or cut-off: it is the smallest wavelength which is not filtered by the atmosphere and which is present at the surface of the earth) and an irradiance (expressed in W / m²: it is a spectral intensity which varies according to the season, the latitude and the time of day).

The Q-SUN enclosures can reproduce the solar spectra described in CIE 85 table 4 and ASTM G177 SMARTS2. They meet a large number of standards and test methods on aging in sunlight: ISO 4892, ISO 16474, ASTM G151, ASTM G155, SAEJ 2412, SAEJ 2527, PV 1303, PV 1306, PV2930, PV 2939, QUALICOAT, RNES B-00088, ISO 11341, ISO 105 B02, ISO 105 B04, ISO 105B06, ISO 105 B10, AATCC TM 16, ICH Guideline, ISO 24443 etc.

Q-SUN tests (Arc-Xenon source) allow the following defects to be quickly highlighted: loss of color (loss of color, difference in color, Delta E), yellowing (Delta B), bleaching (Delta L), loss gloss (retention of gloss), loss of mechanical properties, tearing, cracking, delamination, chalking, embrittlement.

During the exposure phase to the Arc Xenon spectrum, the enclosure is controlled and slaved in irradiance (expressed in W / m²), in contact temperature on a black panel, in air temperature and humidity. This irradiance servo system is known under the name of Solar Eye.

The irradiance is calibrated using a CR20 calibration radiometer or UC1 universal calibrator coupled to a standard UV sensor (smart sensor) which can be a 340nm, 420nm or TUV (Total UV 300-400nm) sensor. ISO 17025 traceability is thus ensured on the test.

The contact temperature is controlled on a black panel which can be an insulated black panel (IBP or BPT) or an uninsulated black panel (BP or BST). The regulated humidity phase is controlled by air temperature and hygrometry: it allows a large quantity of water to penetrate into the material.

The alternation of light (Xenon Arc), humidity and spray (Spray) phases accelerates aging and all of the degradations observed: there is a synergy between the phases. During the spraying phase (spray, rain), demineralized water is projected onto the surface of the samples: a thermal shock is then created after a phase of exposure to light. This causes strong mechanical stresses which can lead to microcracks and open “doors” in the material. The Spray function also has the effect of “washing” the surface of the samples and thus removing the anti-UV rays which naturally come to be positioned on the surface to protect (Karcher effect).

Q-SUN speakers are available in 3 models: Q-SUN Xe-1, Q-SUN Xe-2 and Q-SUN Xe-3.

Labomat Essor also offers UV aging chambers model QUV