Reliable Material Testing – For Safety, Durability, and a Long Service Life

Whether in vehicles, energy technology, or sensitive electronics—choosing the right material is crucial for durability, performance, and safety. Temperature, humidity, mechanical stress, chemicals, and UV radiation all contribute to material aging, fatigue, and ultimately failure. 

At AUCOTEAM’s accredited testing laboratory, we conduct comprehensive testing of materials and components—physically, mechanically, climatically, and visually. Our material testing is designed to identify weaknesses, evaluate service life, and guide future product development.

Why perform material testing?

Material testing is crucial for product quality. It helps

  • selecting the appropriate material for new applications,
  • assessing the impact of stress and environmental factors,
  • meeting the requirements of standards and guidelines,
  • preventing complaints and material failures.

In doing so, we do not merely examine individual material properties such as hardness, shape, or color, but analyze overall performance under realistic conditions—including interactions with climate, humidity, chemicals, or UV exposure.

An Overview of Our Material Testing Methods

Media & Chemical Resistance

We test the resistance of your materials against:

  • Oils, fuels, cleaning agents, salt solutions
  • Moisture, mist, or spray water
  • Combined chemical and climatic stress

The tests are conducted in accordance with ISO 2812, ISO 16750-5, and customer-specific load profiles, among others.

Material behavior under mechanical stress and fire behavior

We analyze the mechanical strength and durability of your materials and evaluate their fire behavior:

  • Compression/tensile tests under static or cyclic loading
  • Impact test, drop test
  • Deformation and tear behavior
  • Material reactions under long-term loading or thermal expansion
  • Glow wire test

Response to climatic influences

Material properties change under environmental influences. We conduct combined climatic material tests—for example:

  • Humidity-heat exposure
  • Cyclic climate tests
  • Analysis of embrittlement, cracking, and color change

Dimension and Tolerance Inspection

Using high-resolution measuring instruments and tactile and optical technology, we inspect:

  • Dimensional accuracy of plastic or metal parts
  • Tolerance deviations in molded parts, enclosures, or assemblies
  • Gap analysis, e.g. for enclosure connections or connectors

Packaging inspection

For products that are sensitive to transport conditions, we also conduct packaging tests—for example, to assess their protective performance during storage, handling, and transport.

Visual inspection & microscopic analysis

  • Documentation of surface changes
  • Detection of cracks, blisters, and delamination
  • Microscopic evaluation (e.g. fiber composites, coatings)

Aging test

Aging processes affect many materials—especially plastics, seals, and coatings. We simulate:

  • Artificial aging caused by UV light, temperature, and humidity
  • Solar radiation (sunlight) simulation according to DIN 75220 or artificial weathering according to DIN EN ISO 4892-3
  • Functional performance before and after aging

Standards and Quality Assurance

Our material tests are based on the following standards:

  • DIN 75220 – Weathering of automotive components
  • ISO 4892-3 – UV weathering
  • ISO 16750-4 / -5 – Environmental influences on automotive electronics
  • DIN EN ISO 2812 – Chemical resistance
  • DIN EN IEC 60695-2-10 / -11 / -12 / -13 – Glow wire
  • DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025 – Accreditation by the national accreditation body of Germany (DAkkS)

 

More about accreditation

Industries and areas of expertise

We test products across many industries—including prototypes, development samples, and items subject to special international requirements.

Automotive & E-Mobility

Connectors, plastic housings, gaskets

Railway Technology & Infrastructure

Durable materials for control cabinets and lighting fixtures

Medical Technology

Device enclosures, user interfaces, protective covers

Energy & Building Services Engineering

External components, control housing

Industrial Electronics

Circuit boards, connector systems, potting compounds

Test Automation and Customized Test Benches

For complex material testing requirements, we design and build customized test benches—for example, to combine climatic, mechanical, and electrical loads in a single cycle. This includes:

  • Electrical contact monitoring
  • Real-time data acquisition
  • Long-term testing with automated evaluation

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How does UV radiation affect the aging behavior of your plastics?
  • How do a sealing systems respond to high humidity and elevated temperatures?
  • Is dimensional stability and shape integrity maintained under thermal stress?
  • How do surfaces change when exposed to chemicals?
  • Are there measurable differences before and after climatic stress exposure?

We deliver reliable, data-driven answers—based on practice-oriented test programs and comprehensive documentation.

Customer Benefits at AUCOTEAM

  • Comprehensive material testing for a wide range of industries
  • Seamless integration of climatic, mechanical, and electrical testing
  • High-precision measurement technology for dimensional and tolerance verification
  • Accurate test methods combined with reliable, expert evaluation
  • Technical consulting by experienced test engineers
  • 2,000 m² of state-of-the-art laboratory space with fast availability

Your contact for testing procedures

© AUCOTEAM
Christian Kretschmer
Head of Testing

Have Your Materials Tested Now!

Would you like to qualify a material, perform failure analysis, or have new materials screened?
We provide individual consultation—and find the right testing strategy for your application.