Test Laboratory

Best in class certifications

The Low voltage products test laboratory develops, certifies and performs production follow-up tasks for the electrical devices designed and manufactured in different ABB plants. The Laboratory provides a wide range of equipment and experience in electrical, mechanical, climatic and functional tests for low and medium voltage operating, control, safety and measuring equipment.

Performing tests and taking measurements correctly is a profession: a group of specialists ensures that the laboratory can provide valid support for its customers thanks to years of experience in many different fields.

Uncommon experimental equipment plus use of advanced measuring and testing techniques allow us to simulate the toughest installation conditions and meet the requirements of domestic and international standards.

Test laboratory

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Short-circuit

Experimental

Material

Electronic devices

Environmental reliability

Short-circuit tests

Short-circuit tests are performed to assess the behaviour of low and medium voltage circuit-breakers and switchgears in extreme operating conditions, such as those resulting from faults caused by lightning or negligent maintenance, or the conditions in electric power stations, industrial installations, chemical plants, off-shore oil rigs or in mines.
The results of these tests enable us to improve the characteristics of the apparatus itself, as well as the safety conditions for both people and the actual installations.
The laboratory equipment also allows us to simulate particular conditions, such as those in installations at high altitudes (with a corresponding drop in atmospheric pressure) or use with wind generators at variable frequencies and direct current photovoltaic systems.

Performance test

Experimental tests

The "Experimental test" laboratory can perform all sorts of tests essential in the development of robust, reliable and precise low voltage electrical devices. Besides the type-tests required by the standards, circuit-breakers, switchgear and contactors must operate correctly in extreme environmental conditions and with high levels of electrical, mechanical and environmental stress.
Due to continuous technological innovation these conditions are more and more frequent. In order to stress the products beyond their operating conditions and to assess their reliability over the years these kind of tests are performed: mechanical tests in the presence of vibrations and shocks, or with static and dynamic inclination, electrical life and overload tests, extreme thermal cycles in climatic rooms (-40° +100°C, 98% RH) or in corrosive atmospheres.
Strong vibrations, polar climates or wide temperature ranges, humidity and corrosive atmospheres can be reproduced with the test technologies used in the "Experimental tests" Laboratory

Performance test

Material tests

The "Material testing" Laboratory meets the need for information and measurements imposed by the continual technological innovation featured by today's metal and plastic materials industry. The vast array of tests the laboratory is able to perform include tensile, compressive and flexural strength tests, comparative tracking index tests (CTI), fire resistance and electrical resistance tests and tests to assess the melting and glass-liquid transition temperature of the insulating plastic materials used. In addition, the laboratory is equipped with a metallurgical microscope, FT-IR and ED-XRF spectrometers, salt mist corrosion test chambers and instruments for assessing the contact plates and their interaction with the electric arc.

Performance test

Tests on electronic devices

The "Electronic test" Laboratory can simulate any type of current and voltage to be found in the World, from the direct current of galvanic systems, solar parks or for powering submarines, to the 1000 Hz ratings of robotized assembly line installations.
We can generate harmonics and disturbance of up to 20 KHz, well over the disturbance that the inverters of wind power installations are able to create. The electronic section can subject all the electronic components to electromagnetic interference that's way beyond the 5kV Surge value (lightning simulation), the 6kV Burst value (ultra-high power Radio transmitter) and 20kV
of electrostatic discharge (ESD).
The electronic section was only created in 2001 but, thanks to continual investments, it has been equipped in little more than 10 years with the best instruments to be found on the market, both as to precision and test automation.
At the present time, this section of the Laboratory can count on ultra-high accuracy (0.1%) voltage and current generators, high resolution recorders, multi-channel calibrators able to simulate any type of load that may occur in an installation, climatic chambers that re-create real conditions of use (from -70°C to 350°C) and water in the circuits, Halt Hass chambers to stress even large components with mechanical and temperature shocks, spectrum analyzers and generators that comply with the most stringent electromagnetic compatibility standard.

Performance test

Environmental reliability tests

Every day, our circuit-breakers are used in the farthest corners of the World. They are subjected to extreme temperatures and must withstand the heaviest duty mechanical stress.
To make sure they are able to stand up to this rough treatment, we test all the components at Arctic temperatures (-40°C) through to the hottest temperatures of the most scorching desert.
That's not all. To make sure that they are sturdily built, we apply thermal shocks that bring our circuit breakers from -40°C to 150°C with a very high humidity rate (98% RH).
We check the behaviour of the hardware and software of the more critical components during 17°C/minute thermal shocks while applying 30 g vibrations (much more than the acceleration that occurs on a Caterpillar).

Performance test

ACCREDIA
(Italian Accreditation System)

ACCREDIA, is a non-profit body whose purpose is the accreditation of test laboratories. By means of periodic inspection visits, ACCREDIA accredits the laboratory, for each single test, only after having ascertained the existence of precise technical and organizational requirements, so as to guarantee the metrological references, the reliability and repeatability of implemented procedures, the use of suitable instruments, the personnel’s skills, the neutrality of personnel assigned to the tests according to the provisions of standard UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17025 and its prescriptions.

The results contained in the test reports concern exclusively the tested object. The test reports do not entail the product certification.

ACCREDIA is a member of EA (European co-operation for Accreditation) and ILAC (International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation).

Visit the site www.accredia.it

Accreditation number 0062

Read more about accreditation

ACAE
(Association for the Certification of Electrical Equipment)
ACAE is an independent product certification body whose members include independent bodies operating in the certification sector, electrical equipment users and manufacturers, research institutions and test laboratories. It is accredited by ACCREDIA for the certification of low and high voltage electric equipment in accordance with standard EN 45011 (“General criteria for product certification bodies”) and it is founding member of the LOVAG (Low Voltage Agreement Group) for the mutual acknowledgement of certifications within the EU. It promotes the mutual acknowledgement of certificates of conformity issued by itself and by other Italian, EU and foreign certification bodies.

www.acaecert.it/en/

ETL SEMKO
ETL SEMKO is a world-wide body specialized in product testing, inspection and certification. ETL SEMKO verifies and certifies full compliance of the products to electromagnetic compatibility standards and to performance tests, offering manufacturers a chance to distribute their products throughout the world.

UL
Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) has been a leading independent body since 1894 in safety tests and product certification; UL is the most well-known trademark in the United States, and it has become one of the most widely recognized product conformity suppliers in the world.

ASTA
ASTA was founded in 1938 as the Association of Short-Circuit Authorities. Intertek's ASTA Services team delivers leading services for the electrical industry. Their services include schemes truly recognized internationally approvals for low, medium and high voltage certification. The ASTA marks and/or type test certificates clearly indicate that the product has been independently tested to comply with the relevant clauses of the applicable standards. ASTA Certificates/Reports have International recognition, including a very high profile in Asia and the Middle East, often ‘specified’ by major end-users.

ANCE
The Asociación de Normalización y Certificación A.C. (ANCE) is the Mexican body that comprises all standardization and conformity assessment services. It is the body accredited throughout Mexico for product certification.

CSA
The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) is a not-for-profit organization whose declared mission is to develop standards for use in various different fields of specialization. CSA is formed by representatives from the government, from industry and consumer associations.
CSA began in 1919 at federal level as Canadian Engineering Standards Association (CESA) for the purpose of creating standards. Now, CSA is accredited by the Standards Council of Canada as an organization that develops standards and as a certification body.

Test Laboratory in Bergamo, Italy

The ABB SACE Division Test Laboratory develops, certifies and performs production follow-up tasks for electrical devices.

ABB SACE Division Test Laboratory: World-proof

Special experimental equipment plus advanced measuring and testing techniques allows our Test Laboratory to simulate the toughest installation conditions.

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Circuit breakers

System Pro E Power

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Test Laboratory

Best in class certifications

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Discover more

Our tests offering

Certifications and acknowledgements

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Short-circuit tests

Experimental tests

Material tests

Tests on electronic devices

Environmental reliability tests

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