Product testing is also known as Certification testing of products and is done in the laboratory, following the set test protocol. It can be defined as a set of actions aimed at determining the compliance of commercial products with the safety requirements and validating the quality of the same as stated by the manufacturer.
A test protocol is set to define the process of product testing, after which the issuance of the certificate of compliance is done. Product testing is carried out in testing laboratories or accredited test centres. Testing laboratories are accredited by the Federal Service.
There is no other body that conducts such accreditation of test laboratories or test centres. The only exception can be when certain certification tests are specified and carried out on a given venue or site. The equipment and participants in the procedure must be verified and certified for reliability and objectivity by an expert in the tests.
The following are the characteristics of product testing:
- Needs unique stands which require a lot of money to manufacture
- Unit production
- Some equipment consume a lot of energy
- Transportation is quite hectic due to the large sizes of test objects
- Difficulty in maintaining equipment’s especially in explosive and hazardous companies.
There are two types of tests, namely:
- Destructive test – the test sample is totally destroyed
- Non-destructive test – the test sample can be used afterwards
In order for a certificate to be issued, the test result must be positive. The certificate is only issued once the external factors such as evaluation, analysis and measurement of the sample are done, and the qualitative and quantitative aspects are assessed. The qualitative and quantitative aspects are those that promote the safety of the product to the environment and for human health. They should also comply with the given indicators.
Indicators of tests that have complied with the test protocol
The following indicators should be checked once the test is completed:
- safety to human health
- friendliness to the environment
- reliability
- must conform to the specific product requirements
Not every product stands the test of the modern safety standards. It takes time before positive test results are given. Revision must be done.
The following are carefully monitored in the test protocol:
- detailed description of test procedure
- characteristics and descriptions of the samples submitted
- a study test
- details of manufacturer such as the address, taxpayer identification number and main state registration number
- the performance must follow the set regulations
- detailed information about the various equipment used for certification testing
- detailed test procedure description
- date that test was done
- final test results
A certificate of compliance is obtained once the product passes the certification product testing. The test is only recognized as legit if carried out by an accredited test centre and if it follows every step of the set test protocol to the finest details.