What is BS EN 60068-1 - Guidance for environmental testing about?

BS EN 60068-1 is a standard that covers guidance for environmental testing, enabling the analysis of integrity, durability, and stability of products in varying environmental conditions.

BS EN 60068-1 includes a series of methods for environmental testing along with their appropriate severities and prescribes various atmospheric conditions for measurements and tests designed to assess the ability of specimens to perform under expected conditions of transportation, storage and all aspects of operational use.

BS EN 60068-1 is primarily intended for electrotechnical products, but it can also be applied to other fields.

BS EN 60068-1 test methods are based upon available international engineering experience and judgement and are primarily designed to provide information on the following properties of specimens:

Ability to operate within specified limits of temperature, pressure, humidity, mechanical stress or other environmental conditions and combinations of these conditions
Ability to withstand conditions of transportation, storage and installation

BS EN 60068-1 provides tests compatible with different intensities of environmental conditions depending on the severity. The severity will depend on factors such as time, temperature, air pressure or some other determining factor, separately or in combination.

BS EN 60068-1 provides the framework and necessary phases for the environmental test tailoring process for applicability in real environmental conditions. The test tailoring process is used to produce the required relevant test specification for a particular specimen.

Who is BS EN 60068-1 - Guidance for environmental testing for?

BS EN 60068-1 on guidance for environmental testing applies to:

Quality assurance services
Safety assurance services
Environment testing laboratories
Simulation testing services

Why should you use BS EN 60068-1 - Guidance for environmental testing?

Environmental testing is the process of determining product performance in specific environments, such as excessively hot or cold temperatures. Potential flaws can be found during testing, and product changes can be implemented at an early stage.

The IEC 60068 series provides a series of uniform and reproducible environmental, climatic, dynamic and combined tests, performed and measured under standard atmospheric conditions, for those preparing specifications and those engaged in the testing of products.

BS EN 60068-1 provides users guidance on the framework of the environmental test tailoring process to assist the production of test specifications with appropriate tests and test severities.

Tests in BS EN 60068-1 assist users to compare the performance of sample products. To assess the quality or useful life of a given production lot, the test methods should be applied following a suitable sampling plan.

With obedience and compliance to BS EN 60068-1, users can assess the products for varying environmental conditions, ensuring the quality and consistency of the product.

What’s changed since the last update?

BS EN 60068-1:2014 supersedes BS EN 60068-1:1995, which is now withdrawn.

BS EN 60068-1:2014 includes some editorial and technical changes with reference to BS EN 60068-1:1995. These include:

Updated normative reference list
Indication of normative and informative annexes
New informative Annex C, Environmental test tailoring

BS EN 60068-1:2014

Environmental testing - General and guidance

Current

Published:

31 Mar 2014