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1. Introduction
Ideally, every company wants to go for the best product testing lab nearby to get their products tested and certified. It is really a challenging task to find the best product testing lab nearby which does all the tests at one lab and also gives the best quality of work. The company may try and find the lab via the internet or from very known sources and leave the idea of giving the product for testing. This is because they get all negatives about the labs. For example, not doing the test at one lab, huge cost of testing because of outsourced tests, not getting the best quality of work, etc. To overcome this issue, we need to find a lab which has a name in the market and a lab that gives A2Z in testing. “SPAM” word – just a suggestion to put it in quotes – get a Testing Partner, a lab where we can give our products for testing. This technique of putting the word “Testing Partner” is put just to bring the clients in a comfort zone with the lab, having a feeling that the lab is like a partner which is going to take care of the product as like its own baby and also to build a relation with the lab. Your testing partner is the key to NS-2 and is the vision of the PTSR project.
2. Importance of Product Testing
X also verifies and validates that your product is doing what it is supposed to do. This is a broad statement, and what the product is supposed to do can encompass very many things. Functionality, performance, features, stability, and reliability are just a few. A product should do everything in its design specification and no more. Anything less is an incomplete product, and anything more is a waste of development resources. Of course, testing every possible aspect of a product is not feasible. Testing every function on every possible operating system on every possible hardware configuration is an impossible task. Testing needs to be focused on the most critical scenarios, something which can always be determined by risk. Full-scale testing of every function is useless if certain functions are rarely or never used. A website that generates content dynamically based on user input must have robust functions for all input possibilities. A static analysis will show all possible inputs, and tests for input validity may determine that the probability of invalid inputs is very low. But if said invalid inputs cause undesirable results and the functions are not well tested, it will be a high-risk scenario. Invalid inputs, of course, can cause many things to go wrong, including memory leaks and crashes. Testing of a product can be viewed as a probabilistic game, where you are testing to see if certain actions will result in undesirable consequences. The probability of said action and consequence determines the level of testing, something which is always an intuitive and educated decision.
There are many reasons why X is essential to the success of your company. X identifies, isolates, and helps you fix problems. This is crucial in any application and can be disastrous if performed in the later stages of development. Imagine a bug in the Windows calculator that gives an incorrect answer when you do a long series of operations. It is small and has nothing to do with the functionality of the calculator, but if this bug was discovered in the testing phase, it would be straightforward to fix. However, if this bug went undiscovered until after Windows was released, the integrity of Windows and Microsoft would be compromised, and it would be a difficult and costly bug to fix. Limiting testing of this calculator to testing the accuracy of the answers or only the math operations would cause this bug to be overlooked. Testing needs to be full scale, checking every bit of functionality to ensure that there are no unexpected or undesirable behaviors.
3. Benefits of Finding a Trusted Testing Partner
In today’s global marketplace, private and government purchasing contracts often require independent 3rd party testing and certification before a product can be sold. The cost of losing a contract due to non-compliance can be significant in both dollars and company reputation. Because independent labs are completely focused on testing and do not have a vested interest in the product, findings and results are unbiased. In addition, if a product fails testing, it will require fewer company resources to manage re-testing and/or product redesign when compared to in-house lab testing.
It goes without saying that an in-house testing facility often has some or many of the same tests and measurements as independent testing labs. Although some companies utilize a “hybrid” model in which they use both in-house and independent testing, they realize that maintaining a lab involves significant overhead and the capital equipment will, over time, become obsolete or need servicing. Often, independent testing labs offer their clients access to technology and expertise that is beyond the company’s internal capabilities.
4. Factors to Consider When Choosing a Testing Lab
Turnaround Time: The time in which a testing lab can complete your project is an important consideration if you have tight development deadlines. Communication with the lab and the level of flexibility they offer is also important should you require tests to be brought forward or delayed. Be wary of facilities that promise fast test turnaround times as this can often be to the detriment of testing quality.
Cost: It is important to take into account the cost of testing services in relation to the rest of your product cost and the volume of products you intend to develop. You should always obtain a written quotation before commissioning any work to avoid unexpected costs. The cheapest or the most expensive option is not always best. Consider the level of service and quality of facilities to ensure that you receive accurate and reliable results.
5. Types of Product Testing Services
The marketing aficionado is often looking for services covering a broad spectrum of products. With limited time available, they want a one-stop shop that has the capability to test their product in terms of its quality, performance, and marketability. Manufacturers and brands float among an array of different industries, looking for relative efficacy of their product across corresponding industries. With that, understanding it is not feasible for every testing lab to accommodate any type of product testing service; third-party labs do tend to specialize in specific industries and specific services. There are more types of product testing services than one could imagine, and industry-specific requirements are unique in their own regard. In this reference, we will not cover all types of product testing services, but let’s break it down to three most known types, and further analyze various services within each type.
6. Locating a Product Testing Lab Nearby
There is also information available on labs and their areas of expertise using websites like and by simply typing in “product testing” on the Intota search. Results may also yield information on testing events or seminars that may offer involvement with a number of different labs in a specified area and specified product. These events are good for giving your company a direct view of a particular lab it may be interested in working with for the testing of a specific product. A firsthand look at a lab’s competence and equipment is beneficial to ensuring the lab is right for your company’s needs.
If using PTL, the process prior to registration is quick and uncomplicated, requiring only that you fill in a few forms specifying the nature of testing your product requires and when the testing is needed. Once you have submitted a request for testing, a list of labs that meet your specified requirements will be generated. PTL will provide the POC information as well as the scope of any lab’s competence and expertise.
If using a more popular search engine like Yahoo and Google, and our website is not specifically prepared to be found by a search engine, it may be time before our name or product testing come up on the search list. As a result of the derived search, it could also be tough to differentiate which websites are more relevant to what we are seeking. That is why it is advised that you use more particular search engines like PTL and Intota. These sites are solely focused on the locating of a detailed list of product testing labs.
Searching on the internet is straightforward and convenient since search engines are easy to navigate. Results from a standard search engine may look a little like this:
The first step in finding a product testing lab nearby is to develop a list of potential labs to take into consideration. The phone book and the web are the simplest, most logical places to start. By making use of a main search engine and entering “product testing lab”, a listing of potential labs will likely be generated.
7. Understanding the Testing Process
The simple answer there is via a prevention and appraisal concept. The cost of fixing a fault increases as the project moves towards and into production. A system fault found during design will cost 1 unit to fix, the same fault found during testing is 7-10 units to fix and the cost rises to 15-100 units if the fault is found in production. How many times have you cursed for producing shoddy software? These companies aren’t daft, they know full well that their software is shoddy but their philosophy is to fix the faults later on. Testing cannot find all of the faults in a system but a good system test can find the majority and the wider towards the start of the project that the faults can be found then the less cost and pain to the client in the future.
The first step in understanding the testing process is to realize that testing is a very integrated effort that has to be understood by the entire development team. It’s not an afterthought activity that some throw over the wall to a testing team. Testing is a part of each and every phase of development and if done properly can prevent faults from happening. That’s right, testing can prevent faults from happening. How?
8. Ensuring Accurate and Reliable Test Results
During testing, the on-line verification of test data with the product supplier is effective in avoiding errors and misunderstandings. An essential requirement is that a QCP is specific and contains measurable criteria.
Before testing begins, it is critical to agree on realistic test objectives and expectations with the test lab. The achievement of these can be verified by using Statistical Quality Control techniques, such as a Quality Control Plan. A QCP is a detailed description of how a product test will be carried out and provides explicit instructions and/or illustrations to the lab technicians on each step. This technique is widely used in the textile and automotive industries and requires a judgment on product quality and risk assessment for procedural elements of the test. A QCP may also be used during testing to make on-line adjustments to test parameters.
It is critical that test results are accurate and reliable, as they are used as the legal proof of due diligence and care in case of legal action. Unreliable test data can be very damaging, particularly for a brand or company’s reputation. At worst, it can lead to interventions being taken for the wrong reasons. Data falsification and having tests carried out with known or likely to fail samples can be extremely damaging and dangerous. Therefore, it is important to ensure that an adequate level of quality is maintained in all areas of a test program. This can be done using a range of measures before, during, and after testing.
9. Cost of Product Testing Services
Product testing is a critical step in getting a product to market. Cutting corners in testing can result in expensive product recalls, potential loss of life, litigation and damage to brand and company image. As such, product testing is a necessary expense yet this does not mean it should not be cost effective. When seeking product testing services, it’s important to shop around to find the best value offering. This however does not mean going for the cheapest option. Remember that an inaccurate test can often provide misleading data and results, potentially leading to further expenses to re-run the test or fix the issue after the product has moved in production or to market. Always look for a test lab that demonstrates industry expertise, consulting resources and produces high quality, comprehensive test reports.
This can only be determined based on the scope of work. Aspects such as test plan complexity, time frame (rush or standard service), and type of report required all affect the cost. Another key driver is the level of support and consulting required by the client. In order to provide an accurate estimate, the lab will require the client to specify in detail the scope of testing required. An accurate test plan is essential for the lab to provide a realistic cost estimate. Without this, many labs will add contingency costs into their estimates. This is to cover the situation where the client has under specified the test requirements and the lab needs to renegotiate the test plan and cost, having a direct impact on the lab’s pricing competitiveness.
10. Testimonials from Satisfied Clients
Our company is frequently chosen over other alternatives for reasons beyond a lab’s testing credentials. Important, though often invisible details such as convenience of location, speed of service, and the quality of customer service can make all the difference in a hectic product development project when timing is everything. And while we’re on the topic of credibility and recognition, there is no greater endorsement of any company than a satisfied customer. At the end of the day, all the promises, fancy talk, and advertising in the world are no substitute for a customer who would go out of their way to return to our services or refer us to a colleague. The following are just a few of our clients’ comments regarding their experiences with us. Should you require more details, references, or would like to speak with some of our clients in person, we would be happy to assist with setting that up.
11. Case Studies: Successful Testing Partnerships
At the outset of a product development project, Tyco Electronics had established a quality and reliability engineering division to coincide with consumer demands for higher quality products. Quality engineering is defined as the product and process development stage where Quality Function Deployment and other quality tools are applied by engineering in developing processes and product designs to assure product reliability and the robustness of the process. Tyco Electronics quality engineering used various forms of FEA and material tests to simulate failure modes of existing product designs and develop new designs to increase product performance and reliability. This testing phase proved effective in identifying and preventing potential problems in new designs, saving the need for costly redesign iterations.
In these case studies, engineering analysis and testing are shown to generate substantial product performance improvement and cost savings. Although each company featured is of considerably different industry and product type, the value of up-front applied engineering analysis within each is of parallel benefit. Step changes in product performance, reliability, and cost reduction are shown to result from a combination of testing to failure, applied R&D phase development, and proof of concept analysis for new design ideas.
For any manufacturer, the decision to proceed with product development and to launch a new or improved product is a risky venture. Up-front assessment of potential market reception as well as technical and financial risks and rewards is essential to project success. All too often, companies forego rational engineering analysis for common sense speculation and interaction with the product until a severe problem arises. When this leads to frequent design iterations or product failure and postponement due to oversight of mechanical or electrical phenomena of the product’s operation, analysis may be deemed fruitless or too costly.
12. International Standards and Regulations
International standards and regulations for product testing can be quite complex, vague, and even arcane. The difficulty, however, is often justified by the diversity of products, consumers, and market conditions in different nations. One of the most advantageous benefits to exporters is that once a product has been tested to conform to a certain standard, it has a high probability of being accepted in all member nations that recognize and participate in programs to harmonize standards. An example of this is the European Union’s Low Voltage Directive whereby any electrical product that has been safety tested to IEC standards will likely be accepted in any EU member nation. This agreement reduces the multiple forms of product testing and the risk of not being accepted in a nation due to the unfamiliarity with the product or standard.
The prominence, consistency, and favoritism of international merchandise in nearly all consumer and industrial market segments initiates various standards and regulations in these markets. These requirements, whether they are product performance or prescriptive oriented, can be obligatory or voluntary. The general intention of these requirements, though, is to afford the consumer with the highest quality of product which identifies acceptable safety factors and performance. Due to the understanding that governmental controls can easily become technical barriers to trade, international trade organizations, such as the GATT, and its successor the WTO, have very strong agreements that encourage the use of international standards and regulations by its member nations.
13. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Manufacturers and suppliers have a legal responsibility to deliver products that are safe for their intended use and comply with national and international standards. Laws such as the ACL in Australia and the General Product Safety Regulations in the UK (to name just two) require businesses to produce risk assessments for products and maintain a high safety standard. Compliance with these laws is often reflected by adherence to product safety standards that require testing as a means to show the product is safe. High safety standards and a good safety track record can assist in the defense of a legal claim that a product is unsafe.
Products should be tested in the developmental stages to address safety concerns prior to production. Testing will identify any potential hazards and/or areas of risk that may be associated with the use of a product. Design improvements can be initiated in response to testing findings in a more cost-effective manner than if the same changes were made at a later stage of development or in connection with a production problem. A key benefit of product safety testing is the prevention of accidents or injuries in relation to the use of a product, which may have been costly in terms of litigation, compensation claims, adverse media, or a loss in consumer confidence in the brand.
Product safety testing, through development or improvement, is the process of assessing the potential hazards and unwanted events which may occur in connection with the use of a product. It is a systematic examination of a product at various stages of development or production to specific standards to identify any potential hazard or area of risk. These findings allow product safety improvements to be made in a cost-effective manner prior to production, avoiding possible redesigns at a later stage where they would be more costly. Testing will also assist in ensuring your product meets national and international standards and hence help to smooth its passage into your chosen markets.
14. Expert Advice on Choosing a Testing Partner
Consider the location of the lab. Although often overlooked, the location of a testing lab can be of great importance. If your product is location specific e.g. it is intended for use in a marine environment, there may be an advantage in testing the product in a lab with a similar location. In other cases, it may be necessary to transport the products to the lab, in which case you should factor in any additional costs and time constraints, whilst considering the possible impact of transportation on the products being tested. Finally, some companies simply prefer to use local labs in order to establish a closer business relationship. This may be of benefit if you intend to use the lab frequently, or if the test requirements are likely to change in the future.
Examine the lab’s qualifications. A crucial factor in choosing a lab is to ensure that it is well qualified to perform the tests. Many labs claim to be capable of performing a wide variety of tests, but in reality may not have the experience or technical expertise to back up these claims. Asking the lab for details of their experience in performing the specific test methods that you require is a useful way of assessing their expertise. A good lab should be able to provide evidence of their competence in testing your type of product, possibly provided through case studies or examples of similar work that they have done.
Once you have decided to find a product testing laboratory, meeting your needs can become quite challenging. In order to achieve accurate and reliable results, it’s essential to select a lab that is experienced in the type of testing that you require. You will want to use the following guidelines when choosing a lab.
15. Conclusion
We may not be your specific product testing lab, but we are a full-service reliability and material testing facility that offers multiple product testing services. G2MT Labs offers corrosion testing, failure analysis, material performance verification, and fitness-for-service and remaining life assessment procedures. Your detailed results will not only help you successfully bring your product to market but will help optimize design and avoid costly failures in the future. Contact us today to get a quote on your product testing needs or to see if we are the right lab for your specific product. Thank you for using G2MT Labs as part of your mission to discover the right product testing lab for your needs. We know that quality data is the key to making it in the competitive business world, and we are here to produce quality results for you. However large or small the product, we work with you to make sure it gets the right tests, delivering results that are both technically correct and pose the information in a clear and understandable format. G2MT Laboratories can be your trusted partner throughout the lifecycle of your product, providing failure analysis when something goes wrong, helping select the right material for a redesign, or even conducting third-party testing on products you receive to ensure they are up to your standards. We hope to hear from you soon to see how we can become your trusted testing partner!