High Temperature — MIL-STD-810

The high temperature test examines whether the equipment withstands both storage and operation in a hot environment. MIL-STD-810 Method 501 defines two distinct procedures: storage and operation. In the storage procedure, the equipment is exposed to temperature without being run; in the operation procedure, it is expected to maintain its function under temperature.

The purpose is to verify the equipment does not sustain permanent damage and maintains its declared function in environments such as a desert climate, a closed vehicle interior, or a cabin left in the sun. Temperature directly affects lubricant fluidity, gasket flexibility, electronic component drift and material strength.

• Military electronic and communication equipment
• Vehicle-mounted systems and control units
• Optical and imaging systems
• Power supplies and battery packs
• Portable field equipment

• MIL-STD-810environmental engineering assessments and laboratory tests test

Procedure

Procedure I (storage) and/or Procedure II (operation)

Temperature

From the product's environmental life cycle profile; per the climatic category

Cycle

Diurnal temperature cycle or constant temperature; from the specification

Monitoring

Specimen temperature by thermocouple; function is continuously monitored in the operation procedure

• Programmable climate chamber
• Multi-channel temperature measurement system and thermocouples
• Functional check and load simulation rig
• Solar radiation lamps, if solar radiation simulation is required
• Data acquisition system

• The specimen must represent the final configuration of the design being qualified.
• The product's environmental life cycle profile and procurement specification must be supplied together with the test.
• If the unit is to be operated during the test, power, load and monitoring interfaces must be provided.
• The functional check procedure and success criterion must be provided in writing by the manufacturer.
• Tests may be destructive; the qualification specimen must be set aside from series use.

Duration depends on the number of temperature cycles and the specimen's thermal mass. A single constant-temperature exposure can be completed within a day, while multi-day cycling programmes span a week.

1. 1The product's life cycle profile is reviewed and the procedure and temperature are selected.
2. 2The specimen is placed in the chamber and thermocouples are attached.
3. 3A functional check is performed before the test.
4. 4Temperature is raised at the defined rate and the specimen is allowed to reach equilibrium.
5. 5The exposure duration or cycling programme is applied.
6. 6Function is monitored during this in the operation procedure.
7. 7The specimen is conditioned, and post-test inspection and functional check are performed.

The severity level and acceptance criterion come not from the method standard but from the specification the product is subject to: for MIL-STD-810 applications, the product's environmental life cycle profile and procurement specification are decisive; for DO-160 applications, it is the category corresponding to the equipment's installation zone on the aircraft. This page therefore gives no numerical limit.

The result is assessed on whether the equipment maintains its function defined in the specification during and after the test, and on the absence of permanent damage on visual inspection. In the storage procedure, function is required after the test, not during it.

• Equipment identification, part number and configuration
• Standard, revision and method/section number applied
• Selected severity level or category and its basis
• Test rig, mounting arrangement and measurement points
• Functional checks performed before, during and after the test
• Measurement results, observations and photographs
• Non-conformities and any test deviations
• A statement that the result applies only to the specimen submitted for testing

EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.

Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

• MIL-STD-810 (environmental engineering considerations and laboratory tests)
• The procuring authority's technical specification and qualification plan
• AQAP / NATO quality assurance requirements (where applicable)

The section below describes the field that the High Temperature test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

• Temperature Shock
• Low Pressure
• Sand and Dust
• Acceleration
• Salt Fog
• Rain
• Explosive Atmosphere
• Environmental Qualification
• EMI/EMC
• Ballistic Testing
• Blast
• Shock