Electrical Lab| Spectrum Lab |Testing Services

A selection of some of the products that Spectrum Lab can provide testing services for includes:

General

Are you looking to import and sell a product into New Zealand or Australia? Need help navigating Electrical Compliance? Our Compliance Engineers are available to discuss your products in complete confidence, review your test reports and arrange for top up testing or certification. Book an appointment at our Auckland lab, and bring in your samples for an assessment. Appointment request through outlook calendar?

Approvals & Certification (Electrical safety & EMC)
Supplier Declaration of Compliance (SDoC) Generation
Compliance Folder Management
Product Test Report Checking
Top Up Testing to AS/NZS Standards.

Full Testing

Spectrum has accreditation to test electrical and electronic appliances, lighting, power supplies, tools, information technology and light industrial equipment to a range of AS/NZS and IEC standards. Click here to view our latest scope of accreditation on the IANZ website https://cabis.ianz.govt.nz/ianzwebportal/ViewScope.aspx?Program=0e7e7577-b9b7-4093-990b-3563e5547e51 or contact us to determine if we can test your product

Spectrum Lab has been processing approval applications through both domestic and international governments, along with private certification companies, for many years and has acquired a wealth of knowledge that allows for efficient cost-effective consultancy.

Top Up Testing

Where an imported product has been previously tested overseas, we can carry out “top up” testing. This consists of testing the specific differences between the overseas standard and the relevant AS/NZS standard

Contact Spectrum to determine if you have the correct test evidence.

Product Development Testing

You may be developing a new product or importing a product to sell and require specific testing to determine if it’s worthwhile to put forward for full testing.

Spectrum can perform the following tailored tests to check your designs

Constructional review (creepage & clearance)
Electrical insulation
Power input measurements
Glow wire & needle flame tests
Ingress protection (to IP68)
Impact protection (to IK10)

Environmental Chamber Hire

Spectrum can hire out it’s full range Environmental Chamber for testing of products & materials. Over the years, we’ve tested many unusual products for their resistance to moisture and thermal shock, from a wide range of electronic equipment through to wine labels, welding rods and pumice materials!

Contact us with your test requirements – Spectrum can offer casual rates for unattended or client attended hire, or fully staffed by Spectrum Engineers for test routines requiring reporting.

Casual day rate and extended rental periods available
-45 to 190 °C
10% to 98% Relative Humidity (RH)
Accelerated life testing
Environmental simulation – real life humidity and temperature tests
Chamber capacity 97cm x 97cm x 97cm
Device Under Test (DUT) can be remotely operated/powered

Wood Fire Testing

Spectrum Lab test all forms of domestic solid fuel wood stoves, multifuel & pellet fires to ensure that they meet the performance and safety standards required by law.

Spectrum Lab can test with both softwood fuel for the New Zealand market and the denser hardwoods required in the Australian market.

Wood Fire Testing – Efficiency AS/NZS 4012

Spectrum Labs utilises a specially designed Calorimeter room, to accurately measure the heat transferred from the fire to the room. Varying test burns are conducted at high, medium and low settings, to obtain an average efficiency of the fire.

To meet the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality all wood fires are required to have a thermal efficiency of at least 65 per cent.
Burners that meet the National Environmental Standards may be installed on properties less than two hectares, anywhere in New Zealand, unless more stringent regional rules apply.

Wood Fire Testing – Emissions AS/NZS 4013

To meet the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality all wood fires are required to have a discharge of less than 1.5 grams of particles for each kilogram of dry wood burned (g/kg)

Conducted in the same Calorimeter Room, a flue gas dilution tunnel and filtration sample train is used for determining total particulate emissions. The emissions collected on the filters are accurately weighed and an emission factor calculated against the mass of fuel consumed. The emission factor is defined as the average of the particulate weight collected at the high, medium and low burn rates.

Pellet Heater Testing – Emissions (AS/NZS4886) and Efficiency (AS/NZS5078)

In addition to batch loaded wood fires, Spectrum has experience in testing pellet fires. Contact us for details.

Ultra-Low Emission Wood Burners ULEB

An ultra-low emission wood burner (ULEB) is a wood fire, that meets an emissions and efficiency standard of 38 milligrams per megajoule or emits less than 0.5 grams per kilogram of fuel burned. The thermal efficiency is required to be 65% or higher. ULEB fires that meet this “Canterbury Method” (CM1) performance, can be installed and used anywhere in New Zealand, including Canterbury & Rotorua.

Spectrum has assisted many manufacturers in achieving ULEB compliance through R&D programs at the lab. Contact us for more details.

Wood Fire Testing – Safe Clearance AS/NZS2918

Spectrum Lab’s Safe clearance testing of freestanding fires, are conducted in a purpose built “corner rig” that simulates the walls, floor and ceiling of a house.
Each surface is covered with a matrix of temperature-sensitive thermocouples; these are used to monitor the precise temperature of the surfaces around the firebox.
Each fire is operated at its maximum capacity as directed by the standard and the minimum safe clearance distances are established.
Spectrum Lab can also test inbuilt, insert and pellet-type fires. Contact us for details.

R&D – Wood Fire Development

Thinking of importing a solid fuel heater to sell in Australia & New Zealand or designing a new fire? Not sure of the performance with soft and hard woods? Spectrum Lab offers its busy test rig facility for preliminary R&D testing; In just 2-3 days, our experienced Engineers can determine whether your fire will likely be compliant to local standards. We can offer feedback and suggestions for design changes if requested to improve heater performance before full testing to AS/NZS standards is undertaken.

Clients are welcome to work on-site alongside our Engineers to view first-hand how their solid fuel heaters are performing.

Toy Testing

Spectrum Lab can test a wide variety of toys to EN 62115: 2005 + A2: 2011 + A11: 2012 the Electrical Toy Safety Test Standard.

Spectrum Lab’s many years’ experience with electrical safety testing of household appliances is brought to bear on the EN 62115 Toy standard. Children’s toys, categorised by age range, share many of the same safety testing requirements that utilise Spectrum Lab specialist equipment. Testing clauses include:

Marking and instructions
Heating and abnormal operation
Electric strength at operating temperature
Moisture resistance
Electric strength at room temperature
Mechanical strength
Construction
Protection of cords and wires
Screws and connections
Creepage distances and clearances
Resistance to heat and fire.

Spectrum Lab can review your toys samples and available test reports, to ensure they meet the international standards for safety.

Mechanical Testing

Spectrum Lab has highly qualified Mechanical Engineers, who can test your products for a wide variety of mechanical properties. With a large, fully equipped warehouse and a range of calibrated equipment and skills, Spectrum can research your product, select the most appropriate standard and suggest a test programme to meet your requirements.