Archive for April, 2024

AWL are currently in discussion with manufactures of gel and 3D character digits with reference to their suitability and legality for sales within the UK . Gel and 3D plates are in popular demand for many car enthusiasts and dealerships but there is still an ongoing debate whether these are actually legal!

It is our opinion that as long as the digits pass the relevant clauses of BSAU145e:2018 there should be no reason why these should not be used, and we have recently helped a major UK supplier of number plates achieve conformance to 145e for both gel and acrylic 3D number plate constructions (reflective/adhesive/acrylic combinations) that can demonstrate 145e conformance on their own.

The gel and 3D digits will need to be tested as fully constructed number plates and should be submitted for testing according to Fig 1 within 145e the same as any other number plate. Digits should not be submitted for testing as stand-alone samples.

Initial concerns for manufactures should be their ability to remain stuck to the plate after testing without delamination, and retain the required contrast ratio, low retro-reflection and colour requirements after thermal cycling and UV weathering for ANPR capture.

We are pleased to be working with Dow Silicones UK Ltd to verify the UV resistance of various formulations of silicones in a relative performance trial using our array of accelerated weathering test chambers.

We are pleased to be continuing our longstanding partnership with Radmet Consulting Ltd for the provision of our corrosion testing services. Radmet Consulting are experts in metallurgical failure analysis, materials testing and expert witness representation.

We are pleased to announce that another automotive research centre has chosen AWL for VDA 621-415 corrosion testing for various components that require joints and coatings to withstand the corrosive conditions provided by this VDA test profile.

The test is essentially the same as ISO 11997 cycle B and is popular at AWL using our array of Ascott cyclic corrosion test chambers similar to the one shown below. Both VDA and ISO test profiles have shown to correlate well with natural exposure for vehicle corrosion mechanisms.

Constellium’s University Technology Centre (UTC), located at Brunel University London, is a centre of excellence for the design, development, and prototyping of aluminium extrusions and automotive components such as crash management systems, body structure components, and battery enclosures for electric vehicles.

We are pleased to be helping Speciality Operations (sub-division of the Solvay Group) confirm the durability of adhesive specimens using lap-shear joints against severe corrosive environments using both ASTM G85 Annex 2 and Annex 3 test conditions.

ASTM G85 test conditions are based on set of modifications to the ASTM B117 neutral pH salt spray test. These modifications provide more aggressive conditions (in terms of corrosivity) and are best used for relative performance testing.