UV Box

The accelerated UV aging test reproduces the damage caused by sunlight, rain and dew. In a few days or weeks our UV BOX reproduces the damage that occurs in months or years of outdoor exposure.

To simulate aging due to external atmospheric agents, UV BOX exposes materials to alternating cycles of UV radiation and humidity at controlled high temperatures. The instrument simulates the effects of sunlight through the use of special UV fluorescent lamps and the simulation of the dew and rain effect occurs through condensation or a water spray (Spray option). UV radiation is responsible for almost all photodegradation processes of durable materials exposed to the external environment. The fluorescent lamps used in the UV BOX simulate short-wave length UV 340 and realistically reproduce the damage caused by sunlight. The damages that can be simulated with the UV BOX are as follows: color change, loss of gloss, chalking, cracking, cracks, blistering, blooming, fragility, loss of strength and oxidation.

UV lamps

UV fluorescent lamps are more stable than other types of lamps and offer the best UV sun simulation. The spectral distribution (SPD) is not modified with the aging of the lamp, even after thousands of hours of operation, and this feature leads to more reproducible results, lower frequency of lamp replacement and reduction in operating costs.

UVA-340 lamps

The UVA-340 lamps offer the best simulation of sunlight in the area of critical wavelength from 365 nm up to the solar cut-off value of 295 nm.

UVB-313 lamps

UVB-313 lamps maximize acceleration through the use of more aggressive short-wave length UV than those that normally arrive on the earth’s surface. Consequently for some materials these lamps can produce results that are too severe.