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CERTIFIED TEST LABORATORY
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Faster Product Approval Testing
Headquartered in North Dighton, MA, our 6,000-square-foot lab has earned
certification from the leading Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (
NRTL ), which permits test results generated by our lab to be used for product
approval and certification. Our Test Laboratory is one of only a few labs in
the country to have earned certifications from all three of these approval
bodies: UL, CSA and ITS / ETL / SEMKO.
Without the need for an outside testing firm, our customers can complete the
product testing and approval process at one location, saving time and expense.
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An open door policy means you're welcome at our lab any time
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Single location cuts development time in half
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Shortened lead times
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More accurate delivery dates
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Cost savings
Industry Expertise
Keeping up with the newest standards and recommendations from industry-leading
associations and organizations is a matter of professional pride for our highly
qualified lab and research and development team. Draka Cableteq USA engineers bring both
a significant depth of experience and a fearless entrepreneurial spirit to
every challenge we undertake.
Extensive Acceptance and Qualification Testing Expertise
Our Certified Test Laboratory conducts exhaustive testing of electrical and
optical wire and cable, including physical integrity, thermal endurance,
flexibility and electrical characteristics.
All testing equipment is calibrated in accordance with the internationally
recognized ISO 9001:2000 (DNV registration), the highest certification
available, and ISO 10012-1 (traceable to the National Institute of Standards
and Technology).
Performance Testing
The performance and durability of wire and cable products are subjected to
numerous physical and mechanical stress testing. Examples of testing approaches
include:
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Tensile Strength
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Impact
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Twisting Endurance
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Bending Endurance
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Abrasion
Thermal Aging Tests
Thermal aging (elevated temperature) is recognized as a major cause of
electrical insulation failure. Accelerated aging tests determine the rate at
which important properties deteriorate as a function of temperature and time.
Our laboratory's testing equipment includes:
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Mechanical Convection Air Ovens
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Environmental Chambers
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Electrical Furnaces
Low Temperature Tests
Wire and cable becomes more rigid at lower temperatures due to the changing
elasticity of insulating and jacketing materials. Examples of specialized
mechanical behavior testing at low temperatures (down to minus 70 degrees
Celsius) include:
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Brittleness Test
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Cold Bend Test
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Mechanical Test (Twist, Bend and Impact)
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Torsional Stiffness
Electrical Tests
Performance testing of electrical characteristics of wire and cable under
long-term temperature extremes (both in air and in water). The extended voltage
aging test (upwards of three years) subjects wire and cable to various levels
of stress. Examples of electrical testing approaches include:
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Dielectric Voltage Withstand (AC and DC)
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Insulation Resistance
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DC Resistance
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Capacitance
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Impedance
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Inductance
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Partial Discharge
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Attenuation
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Crosstalk
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Transfer Impedance
Optical Tests
Cables incorporating single and multimode fibers can be evaluated in accordance
with Telcordia and EIA / TIA standards as well as Mil-spec, RUS and numerous
other standards. Our state-of-the-art optical test and data acquisition
equipment include:
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Fotec Multi-channel Automated Multimode System
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Exfo Multi-channel Automated Single / Multimode System
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Optical Time Domain Reflectometers
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Power Meters
Flame, Smoke, Toxicity and Ozone Tests
Tests are performed utilizing computer-interfaced instrumentation for data
acquisition. Our laboratory is equipped with a flame chamber for performing
vertical tray flame tests, and our test capabilities include:
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UL 1581 Vertical Tray Flame Test
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UL 1685 Vertical Tray Fire-Propagation and Smoke Release Test for Electrical
and Optical-Fiber Cables
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CSA Vertical Flame Test – Cables in Trays / FT4
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IEEE 383 Vertical Tray Flame Test
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IEEE 1202 Standard for Flame Testing of Cables for Use in Cable Tray in
Industrial and Commercial Occupancies
Additional Flame Test Capabilities
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UL / ICEA Vertical and Horizontal Flame Tests
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UL VW-1 Flame Test
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CSA FT1 Vertical and FT2 Horizontal Flame Tests
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MIL-C-915 Flammability Test
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MSHA Flame Test
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ASTM D2863 Oxygen Index Test
Smoke Test Capabilities
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ASTM E662 Smoke Density Test
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NES 711 Smoke Index Test
Toxicity Test Capabilities
Ozone Test Capabilities in Accordance With:
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Mil-spec Standards
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ICEA Standards
Hydrostatic Pressure Tests
Certified Test Laboratory has several pressure vessels with capabilities up to
1500 psi. MIL-S-24235 stuffing tubes and packing assemblies are maintained to
cover a broad range of cable diameters. Test vessels include:
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60” Long by 30” Diameter Pressure Vessel (1100 psi maximum pressure)
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60” Long by 8” Diameter Pressure Vessel (1000 psi maximum pressure)
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120” Long by 2¾” Diameter Pressure Vessel (1500 psi maximum pressure)
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MIL-C-915 Water Tightness Fixture (50 psi maximum pressure)
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Our Certified Test Laboratory utilizes recognized procedures for testing to
current industry standards, including:
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(Underwriters Laboratories Inc.)
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CSA
(Canadian Standards Association)
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ICEA
(Insulated Cable Engineers Association)
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ASTM
(American Society for Testing and Materials)
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IEEE
(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.)
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Mil-Spec
(Military Specifications and Standards)
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Telcordia Technologies
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TIA
(Telecommunications Industry Association)
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EIA
(Electronic Industries Alliance)
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IEC
(International Electrotechnical Commission)
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View product certifications in our Literature Library.
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