Applus +RA Materials Testing

The Applus+ RA Materials Department specializes in testing vehicle materials and parts. Established in 2005, we are the first third-party organization engaged in the testing and analysis of automotive materials in China, and have rich experience in automotive materials testing.

We have been recognized by many OEMs both in China and abroad. Our testing abilities include: automotive polymer material testing, automotive coating/electroplating decorative materials testing, automotive coating and carpet materials, VOC testing, automotive parts testing, and more.

Our capability covers a wide range of testing scopes, and also can meet the various testing requirements of the automobile manufacturers for materials. With the rich testing experience, we can provide professional technical service to our clients according to their own requirements.  

​I  High polymer materials (plastic, rubber）

Vehicle high polymer materials testing is mainly used to test whether various indexes of materials meet the requirements for vehicle design. For the various types of polymer used in vehicles, we perform the different kinds of physical and chemical property testing - performance parameters that are most important aspects of material quality.

Mechanical performance

• Injection molding
• Stretching
• Lash
• Bend
• Fatigue
• Compress
• Scratch
• Tear up
• Hardness
• International rubber hardness
• Density
• Ash
• ARAMIS 3-D dynamic optical strain measurement system

Thermal performance  

• Mechanical thermal analysis
• Thermogravimetric analysis
• Linear expansion coefficient
• Melting temperature
• Infrared spectroscopic analysis
• Heat deflection temperature
•  Vicat softening temperature
• Melting quality index
• Melting volume index

Aging resistance

• Low temperature brittleness
• Ozone aging resistance
• Burning
• Fumigation
• Light aging
• Circumstance cyclic
• Cold/heat resistance
• Temperature and humidity aging
• Water mist, salt mist, Cass

Electrical performance

• Dielectric strength
• Burning silk
• Resistance current
• Leakage mark

II  Vehicle Coating & Electroplating Decoration Materials

Coating/electroplating decorative materials are used for interior trim & exterior trim for vehicles as appearance decorations, and the material performance requirements directly affect the practical application of products.

• Film thickness
• Adhesion
• Color, light fold, orange peel
• Saw mill
• Hardness
• Flexibility
• Potential difference (STEP)
• Scratch resistance
• Crushed stone, broken iron impact
• High pressure washing
• Heat impact
• Shockproof
• Peel off
• Cupping
• Micro-crack/ micropore number
• Wear resistance
• Reagent resistance
• Condensated water
• Hydrolysis resistance
• Light aging
• Corrosion
• Circumstance cycle
• Cold/heat resistance
• Temperature and humidity aging
• Water mist, salt mist, Cass
• Burning

III  Vehicle Cladding and Carpet Materials

The safety and quality of materials directly affect products’ performance. Our testing of automobile cladding and carpet materials includes various physical properties and reliability tests of leather, textiles, carpets and their finished products.

• Weight/thickness
• Suture fatigue
• Flexibility
• Static stretching and recovery
• Abrasion-resistant
• Peel off
• Stretching
• Tear up
• Suture strength
• Water absorption
• Waterproof test
• Flexibility
• Gas permeability
• Hook wire
• Shrinkage ratio
• Color fastness to rubbing
• Mouldy
• Contamination- resistant,
• Light aging
• Circumstance cycle 
• Cold/heat resistance
• Temperature and humidity aging
• Burning

IV  VOC and ELV testing

We do the comprehensive VOC testing through the whole vehicle level, parts level and material level. We can also provide customers with professional testing and technical services, helping them improve product quality, making products meet the requirements of international, national and enterprise standards to help build a green automobile industry chain.

• Smell
• Atomization
• Volatility semi-volatile organic compounds test
• Aldehyde ketone
• Formaldehyde
• Total carbon
•  Microcavity
• Bag method
• Cubic meter test
• Prohibited substance/ELV
• Asbestos
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon

V  Inspection of auto parts.

We provide various functional reliability and aging detection services for auto parts, so as to monitor the performance of auto parts well and ensure the safety of vehicle driving.

• Corrosion
• Three-dimension
• Weather resistance-environmental cycle/aging, etc.
• Volatile organic compounds /VOC
• Opening time
• Torque requirements
• Operating force
• Endurance of operation fatigue
• Stiffness
• Abuse power
• External lamp irradiation surface temperature