New Product: Full spectrum monitoring device from Atlas enables audit test compliance

• 
  Atlas LS-200

Product Briefing Outline: To help customers show objective evidence that they are in compliance with test specifications during ISO 17025 quality audits, Atlas now offers the ‘Atlas LS-200’ Full Spectrum Monitoring device. The LS-200 has been specifically designed for use in Ci Series ‘Weather-Ometers’ to precisely measure the SPD output of the xenon lamp. Validation tests have shown that this device has excellent correlation to the spectroradiometers used in the Atlas Calibration Laboratory.

Problem: The output of the calibrated lamp is dependent on the power it is supplied, therefore great care must be taken to perform initial and all subsequent Wattmeter calibrations as accurately as possible. Any alteration of the environment (geometry) will impact the calibration. This would include, for instance, using the calibrated lamp in an instrument for which it is not intended, as well as performing a calibration in an instrument that has samples mounted on its exposure rack. With the advent of performance-based standards which identify the spectral power distribution and not specific filter combinations, users have had no way to verify that they are actually meeting the test method they are running.

Solution: The device is easily mounted on the specimen rack, and the output is measured over a short amount of time (30 minutes is sufficient). The data can be downloaded and exported into a common spreadsheet program and analyzed to quickly and easily determine compliance to the performance-based standard that is running. There is no need to retrofit the device for older Ci Series instruments. The LS-200 works with any generation of Weather-Ometer. For labs that may not have the resources to purchase the device, Atlas' Technical Service group offers measurement of customer instruments, in addition to normal preventive maintenance and calibration services.

Applications:  The LS-200 has been specifically designed for use in Ci Series Weather-Ometers to precisely measure the SPD output of a xenon lamp.

Platform: Atlas is planning to adapt the LS-200 device to be used in any Atlas xenon weathering instrument, including the ‘Xenotest’ and ‘SUNTEST’ lines.

Availability: February 2010 onwards.