BTMA - British Textile Machinery Association

Q-Lab Corporation provides quality testing equipment and services that are used to predict the resistance of materials to indoor or outdoor weathering and light damage. The US-based company was established in 1956. Q-Lab is committed to providing the latest testing technologies through its locations in the US, Europe and China, as well as its global network of representatives.

The company's focus on lightfastness and weathering provides the textile industry with affordable, practical equipment designed to meet the needs of even the smallest labs.

Xenon test chambers for lightfastness

In the past, Xenon lightfastness testing was complicated and expensive. Today, Q-Sun Xenon test chambers make lightfastness testing to ISO 105 BO2, BO4, AATCC TM 16 and AATCC TM 169 easy and affordable.

Using full-spectrum xenon arc lamps - UV, visible light and infrared - the Q-Sun can realistically reproduce outdoor sunlight, sunlight through window glass, or bright indoor lighting such as that found in retail or commercial environments. It can be used to test for lightfastness, colour change and strength loss.

Like all of Q-Lab's products and services, the Q-Sun is affordable, with a lower purchase price, lower lamp prices and lower operating costs than competitive xenon testers. A practical design makes it easy to install and use and simple to maintain.

QUV weatherability testing

The QUV is the world's most widely-used accelerated weathering tester. It tests materials by exposing them to alternating cycles of UV light and moisture at controlled, elevated temperatures.

Economical UVA-340 lamps provide the most realistic laboratory simulation of short-wave UV radiation (295 nm to 365 nm), the most damaging range of sunlight in terms of physical property changes. QUV weatherability testing of fabrics used outdoors is described in AATCC TM 186.

Since the first QUV was introduced 40 years ago, it has been updated regularly with technological advancements, including the patented Solar Eye irradiance control and the AutoCal automatic irradiance calibration system. The QUV controller is designed to store pre-programmed, commonly used test cycles. Built in computerized data logging ensures a quick and easy connection between the QUV and a PC or LAN.

ISO 17025 accreditation

The accuracy of the Q-Sun and QUV test results for ISO compliance is assured by annual recalibration of the testers' radiometers. Recently, this process has been streamlined for European customers. The calibration lab of Q-Lab Europe Ltd., in Bolton, England now is accredited by United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) for the ISO 17025 calibration of radiometers.

This accreditation will help to ensure the accuracy, repeatability and reproducibility of QUV and Q-Sun results.

Q-Lab's Ohio lab is accredited to ISO 17025 and calibrates radiometers for all its weathering devices (described in ASTM, ISO, SAE and AATCC weathering test methods).

Weathering research service

Contract laboratory testing and natural exposure testing services are offered by the Q-Lab Weathering Research Service, near Miami, Florida and Phoenix, Arizona. Both calibration labs are A2LA accredited.

Real-time, outdoor exposure testing in these extreme climate conditions is considered the international benchmark for comparability and verification of accelerated testing results. Outdoor under-glass exposures reproduce bright indoor conditions and may require only a few weeks to test for fade in textiles.

Simplicity - the ultimate sophistication

What distinguishes Q-Lab Corporation's Q-Sun and QUV models from other lightfastness and weatherability testers is the simplicity of design that makes them less costly to purchase, to operate, and to maintain. The company encourages wider adoption of testing for textile industries worldwide by providing more practical, economical equipment.

All Q-Lab equipment is manufactured at its US headquarters facility in Cleveland, Ohio.