Materials at the Limit

Materials can be analyzed in many different ways with weathering devices from the global market leader Atlas Material Testing Technology. Here, tube filters from SCHOTT allow for stress tests to be performed that imitate exposure to real solar radiation.

Thomas H. Loewe

From the dashboard to the tires: a four by four’s components are made to last – no matter if it’s driven in the desert, a subtropical climate or an alpine region. The same applies to a tent, a sleeping bag or hiking shoes. To guarantee a product’s durability, researchers around the world are always busy developing new materials. Atlas provides weathering machines that help predict the wearing properties of materials ranging from textiles and synthetics to car finishes and other coatings.

”All materials, not just human skin, are affected by sunlight,” explains Rainer Eichholz, Lead Developer Glass, Melting and Drawing Technology for the SCHOTT Business Segment Tubing. Even varnishes, seat covers or synthetics age with constant exposure to sunlight. ”In the past, an entire car was simply placed under the Floridian sun for a period of time,” says Eichholz. Nowadays, these tests can be sped up with weathering machines. For this, Eichholz and his colleagues developed special glass tubes. They filter the light from a xenon lamp inside the machine to simulate the sun’s rays. And a built-in humidifier helps reproduce a climate that resembles the natural environment. ”Weathering machines reduce trial times considerably and help accelerate the development and marketability of new products,” says Eichholz.