National Technical Systems
Established in 1961, NTS has been working on the world’s most complex engineering projects for over 60 years. Whether it’s Apollo 11, NASA’s Artemis program, the ITER nuclear reactor, or the latest EV projects, NTS continues to push the boundaries of testing innovation.
- 1-800-270-2516
(714) 450-9100 - (714) 450-9111
- 4603B Compass Point Road
Belcamp, Maryland 21017
United States of America
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Humidity Testing
Whenever products and materials spend extended periods of time in a humid environment, various types of breakdowns can be expected. Coatings can fail. Electronic and optical equipment tends to degrade. Fuels break down. The list of associated failures is extensive.
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Non-Destructive Testing
NTS Chesapeake provides advanced industrial X-ray and computed tomography imaging services to clients in a wide variety of industries. Specializing in high energy, micro-focus applications, NTS offers its customers unmatched results on even the most complex projects. The applications of X-ray computed tomography are widespread and fast-growing. Results can range from qualitative cross-sectional imagery to full quantitative analysis and CAD geometries. NTS’s highly-trained engineers and analysts work alongside its customers from start to finish, guaranteeing the highest value in testing.
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Microsectional Analysis (Cross-Section)
Microsectional Analysis remains the most widely accepted means for analyzing the PCB/PWB plated through-hole integrity. A PCB is a combination of different types of materials such as glass, aramid fibers, kapton, copper, acrylic adhesive, epoxy, polyimide, Teflon, and solder. Each of these materials has a different relative hardness and, coupled with that of the mounting media such as epoxy or acrylic, makes the PCB microsection one of the most difficult to perform.
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Peel Strength Testing
Peel Strength Testing is the average load per unit width of bond line required to separate bonded materials where the angle of separation is 180⁰. Peel testing is one way to characterize adhesive bonds. It is used extensively to evaluate the bonding strength of tape, adhesives and flexible substrates, including rubber, films, biomaterials, dental materials, medical packaging and consumables. Typical tests involve peeling two bonded flexible adhered from each other, or peeling a flexible bonded adhered from a rigid substrate. Peel tests are usually conducted at a constant rate at various angles, with 90° and 180° being the most common. Parameters such as peak peel load, average peel strength and statistical measures of peel strength variability are typically used to characterize behavior under peel loading.
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Wind and Rain Testing
Severe wind and rain conditions can be encountered anywhere in the world, often with little notice. Excessive wind can interfere with communications equipment, lead to premature wear and corrosion, and limit radar effectiveness. Properly testing your product or system components against wind and rain is necessary both for regulatory compliance and overall quality control.
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Shock Testing
Shock testing of products and materials determines to what degree items can physically and functionally withstand relatively infrequent, short time, moderately high-level force impulses or temperature changes that would be encountered in handling, transportation, and service environments. Vibration testing, on the other hand, determines the extent to which items can withstand mechanical vibrations.
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Quality Assurance Testing
During difficult economic times, one of the first things that seems to get cut back is the quality assurance testing. Although quality assurance is often listed in the unimportant category, it can make a huge impact in your product and your company’s overall revenue and success. The fewer bugs your product ships with, the more your savings. In fact, the cost of fixing anomalies during the design and implementation phase of your development will be less than a quarter of what it will cost once your product has been released. It’s not the job of your customers to identify and test your products for you – unless you’d really like to alienate them and lose their future business. All it takes is one other vendor with a more stable, better designed product to cause your market share to drop like a rock (see WordPerfect vs. Word).
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High Voltage Tracking Resistance (HVTR)
UL 746A
The High Voltage Tracking Resistance (HVTR) test method is used to assess the susceptibility to tracking of insulating materials that are exposed to high voltages outdoors. Insulators installed in the open are often at the mercy of humidity. Their electrical insulation properties can deteriorate to such an extent as a result that tracking paths are formed on the insulator surface. This test determines the tracking resistance that defines the dielectric strength of the insulating material surface and the maximum allowable leakage current (tracking).
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Tin Whisker Testing
Tin whiskers pose a serious problem for electronics of all types. When used as a finish material for electronic components, pure tin can spontaneously grow conductive whiskers. These structures can form electrical paths, affecting the operation of the subject device. The scientific community has yet to agree on the reason for tin whisker growth. Some theories suggest that tin whiskers might occur due to a mechanism of stress relief, especially “compressive” stress, within the tin plating.
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ASTM Testing Programs
The American Society for Testing and Materials was founded over a century ago to answer the call for more uniform quality manufacturing standards in the railroad industry. ASTM International is a global organization centered on the development and delivery of international standards. As indicated on its website, ASTM has published nearly 12,000 test methods and standards. Known for advanced technical quality and market relevance, ASTM standards are used in research and development, product testing, and quality systems. ASTM standards are critical elements of the information infrastructure that guides manufacturing and trade in the global economy.
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Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA)
Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) is a thermal analysis technique used to measure changes in the weight (mass) of a sample as a function of temperature and/or time. TGA is commonly used to determine polymer degradation temperatures, residual solvent levels, absorbed moisture content, and the amount of inorganic (noncombustible) filler in polymer or composite material compositions.
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Dynamometer Testing
Dynamometer testing remains the industry standard for gauging the performance and durability of an automotive drivetrain components. Many facilities offer dyno testing, but few have the pedigree of NTS. For more than 50 years, we have been a valued partner to automotive, aerospace, defense and other industries in which advanced engineering expertise is required to bring a new product to market.
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CAF Testing (Conductive Anodic Filament Testing)
Conductive Anodic Filament (CAF) testing helps to determine the reliability of a printed circuit board (PCB) laminate material or a finished product. With conductor spacing and overall part sizes getting smaller and smaller, the necessity for this test is increasing.
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Wireless Compatibility & Functionality
NTS has years of experience performing compatibility and functionality testing specifically on wireless products. Testing covers all the latest and greatest protocols and technologies, including Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Bluetooth, and even cellular technologies (e.g., 4G LTE, CDMA, GSM, etc.).
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Counterfeit Component Testing, Inspection & Certification Programs
Counterfeiting becomes profitable when scrapped components, components from recycled products, or inexpensive components can be “remarked” and sold as a new, more expensive, higher reliability version. Reasons for the proliferation of counterfeiting include profitability, the low probability of being caught, and the exporting of US electronic waste for disposal in poorer countries.Much of the effort today has not been placed on preventing counterfeiting but rather screening components to identify and remove counterfeits before they are used in a finished product.
