National foreword

This British Standard is the UK implementation of EN 60068‑2‑31:2008. It is identical to IEC 60068‑2‑31:2008. It supersedes BS EN 60068‑2‑31:1993 and BS EN 60068‑2‑32:1993, which are withdrawn.

The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted to Technical Committee GEL/104, Environmental conditions, classification and testing.

A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on request to its secretary.

This publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.

Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

This British Standard was published under the authority of the Standards Policy and Strategy Committee on 31 January 2009.

This European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 2008-07-01. CENELEC members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.

Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the Central Secretariat or to any CENELEC member.

This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation under the responsibility of a CENELEC member into its own language and notified to the Central Secretariat has the same status as the official versions.

CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Foreword

The text of document 104/458/FDIS, future edition 2 of IEC 60068‑2‑31, prepared by IEC TC 104, Environmental conditions, classification and methods of test, was submitted to the IEC-CENELEC parallel vote and was approved by CENELEC as EN 60068‑2‑31 on 2008-07-01.

This European Standard supersedes EN 60068‑2‑31:1993 and EN 60068‑2‑32:1993.

The major changes with regard to EN 60068‑2‑31:1993 concern the introduction of soft packaging tests, where appropriate. EN 60068‑2‑31:2008 now incorporates EN 60068‑2‑32:1993.

The following dates were fixed:

Annex ZA has been added by CENELEC.

Endorsement notice

The text of the International Standard IEC 60068‑2‑31:2008 was approved by CENELEC as a European Standard without any modification.

1 Scope

This part of IEC 60068 deals with a test procedure for simulating the effects of rough handling shocks, primarily in equipment-type specimens, the effects of knocks, jolts and falls which may be received during repair work or rough handling in operational use.

This procedure does not simulate the effects of impacts received during transportation as loosely constrained cargo. Where the effects of loose cargo transportation are to be assessed, test Ee: Bounce should be used. Also this procedure does not simulate the effects of shock applied to installed equipments. Where this effect is to be assessed refer to test Ea: Shock.

Testing should only be specified for equipment likely to receive such rough handling, for example those of small to medium size and mass, and should only be applied to those faces and corners where there is a risk of such treatment being encountered.

In general, equipment which is frequently handled and serviced (for example field equipment and unit spares) can be considered at risk, whereas equipment forming an integral part of a permanent installation would not normally be considered at risk and need not be tested.

Testing may not be applicable to fragile unprotected equipment of irregular shape (for example aircraft nose radar) which, when removed from the installation would be contained in a handling frame or jig. It may however be applicable to these items of equipment when they are in their transit case or in their handling frame or jig.

For equipment which stands only on one face (for example the normal base) the test is generally only applied to that face.

Shock tests are performed on the specimen when fixed to the test machine. Drop and topple, free fall, repeated free fall and bounce tests are performed with the specimen free.

2 Normative references

3 General description of test

4 Initial measurements

5 Testing

5.1 Drop and topple

5.2 Free fall – Procedure 1

5.3 Free fall repeated – Procedure 2

6 Final measurements

7 Information to be included in the relevant specification

7.1

7.2 Free fall and free fall repeated tests

8 Information to be given in the test report

BS EN 60068-2-31:2008

Environmental testing - Tests. Test Ec. Rough handling shocks, primarily for equipment-type specimens

Current

Published:

31 Jan 2009