Five tips for choosing and using a test lab

Test labs are an important part of the aerospace and automotive industries. There are so many regulations that it's impossible for an aerospace or automotive manufacturer or supplier to have all the necessary test equipment, test facilities, and test expertise, so manufacturers depend on test labs to perform critical design and manufacturing tests.

Our Directory of Automotive & Aerospace Test Labs (beginning on p. S5) can help you find labs that perform the tests you need. The first section of the directory lists labs by the types of tests they perform, such as acoustics or safety tests. The second part provides contact information.

Yet, working with a lab requires more than just finding one that performs the necessary tests. To make sure you find the "best fit" lab and get the most out of the experience, follow these five tips:

You'll want to develop a list of questions that cover the specifics of your application, but be sure to ask these general questions, too:

• Does the lab have experience with the types of tests you need?
• Does it have the equipment and personnel needed to run the test?
• Is it accredited to run that type of test?
• Are the lab's test systems compatible with your design systems?

Just as you would for any product or service, get quotes from more than one test lab. Quotes for test services can vary widely. Some labs charge a high rate when they don't have the equipment or expertise for a particular test—they need to charge you extra so they can gain that experience or buy the equipment. Another lab that already has the equipment and expertise may perform the test at a much lower cost.

To get comparable quotes, you need to supply each lab with the same set of requirements. The document should include:

• a description of the vehicle or component you want tested,
• the number of vehicles or components the lab will test,
• the test specifications,
• the start and end dates for the test program, and
• the type of test report that you expect the lab to provide.

If you can fit it into your budget and your schedule, arrange to take a tour of the test lab. This is, of course, easy to do if the lab is only a short drive away, but even if the lab is thousands of miles away, touring the test lab may be worth the expense and effort.

By touring a test lab, you will get to meet the engineers and technicians who will perform your tests. Getting to know each other on a personal level will help you work together on a test program, and thereby improve the chances for success.

One of the most common mistakes that test lab customers make is not giving themselves or the test lab enough time to complete a test program. Remember that the elapsed time will be longer than the actual test time. Make sure you build in sufficient time to ship your equipment under test to the lab and for the lab to complete the necessary test reports after conducting the tests.

Once a test program is complete, review the entire process. What worked? What didn't? Documenting these things will help you avoid mistakes in future test programs and make them more successful.