How do I get a testing program going?

Please feel free to contact Allunga at any time to discuss any proposed testing program or any aspect of weathering-exposure tests in general.

If your testing program is to comply with national, corporate, or other specification(s) please advise the reference details of the specification concerned.

As with all testing programs it is best to be as specific as possible with instructions and requirements:

• Test Specification, Standard etc. (if applicable)
• Exposure requirements (type, inclination, orientation, duration, etc.)
• Report requirements and scheduling
• Other requirements
• Order Number to be quoted on invoices, if necessary

When samples arrive at Allunga with incomplete instructions the program is paused until the client can be contacted and the details of the testing program resolved.

When samples are entered into Allunga’s database and testing begins,  an ‘Exposure Confirmation’ notice is issued and sent to the client specifying the sample and programme details.  Complementary monthly weather bulletins with comprehensive daily weather data are available.

What are costs and billing procedures?

The cost of exposure and reporting services at Allunga Exposure Laboratory are very competitive.

Allunga’s exposure cost structure is based on the cumulative total of samples a client has on test in a given month, independent of the number of series involved or their timing. As the monthly cumulative total rises incremental per-sample exposure cost decreases in five steps. Allunga also offers attractive discounts for large test samples.

Please contact us for a quote for a specific project or for further details of Allunga’s fees schedule for Exposure and Reporting Services.

Invoices are usually mailed to clients on a monthly basis. However sometimes clients may prefer different billing arrangements, and where ever possible we try to accommodate such requests.

How does accelerated testing relate to fixed-rack exposure?

This is a complex question that becomes more complex as the acceleration factor increases.

Often indications of material performance are required faster than can be discerned by fixed-rack exposure testing. Accelerated testing offers faster results which must be considered carefully.

Consideration of the available literature on this issue makes clear that accelerated testing can be a useful guide to fixed-rack performance but should be treated with caution. Knowledge of the materials on test and an understanding of the testing options available makes design of the testing programme and interpretation of the test results easier. Allunga’s staff are ready to discuss these aspects of accelerated testing with you.

All of the accelerated testing options offered by Allunga three (Seasonal-Angles, Tracrac, and Altrac) have the distinct advantage of using the natural spectrum.

Seasonal-Angles* exposure has an approximate acceleration rate of 1.125 (in radiation terms) and correlation with fixed rack exposure is excellent.Click here to read more about Seasonal-Angles.

Tracrac exposure has an approximate acceleration rate of 1.4  (in radiation terms) and correlation with fixed rack exposure is excellent. Click here to read more about Tracrac.

Altrac exposure has a long term acceleration rate of 4.5 – 6 (in radiation terms) and correlation while good requires material composition and testing regime to be considered. Click here to read more about Altrac.

Allunga also has a Salt Spay Cabinet available for a rang of accelerated corrosion testing programs.

In many cases accelerated exposure programs are used to indicate the direction of material performance. Often such programs use accelerated testing as part of a coordinated exposure program with fixed-rack exposure of similar materials.

How does testing at Allunga compare with Southern Florida, Okinawa, and other sites?

Townsville experiences annual average solar incident radiation levels of approximately 180,000 langleys or 7500 MJ/m² (global radiation), and 400 MJ/mn² UV-R (A+B).

Townsville, like Okinawa and Southern Florida, has a complex coastal climate. Yet whereas Okinawa and Miami are at an approximate latitude of 26°, Townsville is at 19°. The difference is significant: Townsville’s climate is not only more severe, it is also truly tropical, and more constant (less affected by season).

Lower latitude means a shorter atmospheric path length, higher radiation levels, higher UV radiation levels (less UV scattering and absorption), higher temperature levels, and reduced seasonal variation. This means faster and more uniform testing.

Corresponding geographic references near the latitude of 19° in the northern hemisphere are: Grand Cayman in the Caribbean, Mexico City and Veracruz, and the northern Philippines in the Pacific.

Northern hemisphere latitudes are :

• Miami : 26°
• Okinawa : 26°N
• Honolulu : 21°N
• Hanoi : 21°N
• Hong Kong : 23°N
• Canary Islands : 28°N
• Cyprus : 35°N

For Australia and New Zealand it is useful to keep the following latitudes in mind:

• Townsville: 19° S
• Brisbane: 27° S
• Perth: 33° S
• Sydney: 34° S
• Auckland: 37° S
• Melbourne: 38° S

It is always possible to choose sites with skewed climates that accentuate one environmental parameter. Depending on knowledge of the material on test and the aims of the testing program such sites can be used to advantage.

Allunga operates three such special purpose sites (mould, corrosion and arid) in tropical northern Australia. Click here to read about those sites