Six specialised test laboratories on more than 2,500 m² of testing floor, covering the electrical, mechanical, thermal, material and non-destructive testing of power cables, line materials and HV/LV electrical products.
test items in the accredited scope
national standards covered
dedicated test laboratories
of laboratory floor area
A sample arriving at reception is identified, photographed and bar-coded, then routed to the relevant laboratory and returned to controlled storage. One sample number runs from arrival to report issue.
Power-frequency withstand voltage, short-time voltage impulse, partial discharge, DC resistance, temperature rise and thermal cycling. This is the laboratory behind most of the type-test work on power cables, cable accessories, fittings, arresters, and on high- and low-voltage electrical products — pole-mounted circuit breakers, disconnectors, HV fuses and LV switchgear assemblies.
Failing load, slip load, tensile, fatigue and hardness testing. Long assemblies are tested on a horizontal 600 kN servo-hydraulic machine, so tension strings, jumper assemblies and tube busbar do not have to be rotated to fit a vertical frame.
Chemical composition of aluminium, copper and steel by optical emission spectrometry, alloy verification with handheld XRF, and sample preparation for metallographic examination.
Microstructure, grain structure, coating thickness and fracture surfaces under a metallurgical microscope, with high-magnification imaging and element mapping by scanning electron microscopy.
X-ray digital radiography, ultrasonic inspection, dye penetrant and magnetic particle testing for porosity, inclusions, incomplete fusion and wall-thickness loss — without cutting the part.
Routine and type testing of cable terminations, joints and sealing ends, of LV and MV power cables, and of surge arresters — with the thermal cycling and ageing programmes that these products are normally ordered against.
An indicative list of the main installations behind the test scope. A full equipment schedule and the calibration traceability records are available on request.
| Equipment | Specification | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Withstand voltage test set | 50 kW / 150 kV | Power-frequency withstand voltage testing on cable accessories, insulators and switchgear |
| Short-time voltage impulse equipment | 20 kV | Impulse and short-time voltage withstand tests |
| Temperature rise & thermal cycling equipment | 4,000 A | Temperature rise on connectors, busbar and clamp assemblies; thermal cycling |
| Partial discharge detector | pC-range measurement | Partial discharge on cable accessories and switchgear insulation |
| Over-current test instrument | Complete switchgear assemblies | Over-current and protection behaviour of pole-mounted equipment |
| Electro-hydraulic servo universal testing machine | MTS, 600 kN | Tensile, failing load and elongation tests on metal components and conductors |
| Horizontal tensile testing machine | 600 kN, servo-hydraulic | Failing load and slip load on long fittings assemblies and tension strings |
| Optical emission spectrometer | SPECTROMAXx | Chemical composition of aluminium, copper and steel |
| Scanning electron microscope | Thermo Fisher | High-magnification imaging, fracture surfaces and element mapping |
| Metallurgical microscope | ZEISS | Microstructure, grain structure and coating examination |
| Handheld XRF analyser | Olympus | Rapid alloy grade verification on incoming material and finished parts |
| X-ray digital radiography system | Varian | Internal defect detection in castings, welds and crimped assemblies |
Brand names are given so that a buyer can identify the class of instrument used. They do not imply endorsement by the manufacturers.
Items listed here are not automatically inside the accredited scope. The test plan tells you, item by item, whether the result will be accredited.
The sample is photographed as received, weighed where relevant and given a laboratory sample number. Non-conformities such as transport damage are recorded before testing begins.
The sample is routed to the laboratory named in the test plan and conditioned as the standard requires — time to reach ambient temperature, humidity conditioning, or pre-loading.
Measurements are recorded against the sample number. Instruments used and their calibration status are recorded with the result, not reconstructed afterwards.
Tested samples are retained for a defined period after the report is issued, unless the customer asks for them to be returned or the test was destructive. Retention periods are stated in the test plan.
Ask before you assume. Some test requirements are carried out through partner laboratories, and we will say so rather than accept work we cannot do properly.
