Qualification Testing

Following visual and dimensional inspection, six qualification tests were conducted. The procedures and results are shown below.

Weight

      • Test Procedure
          • Equipment
              • Scale / Balance
          • Fixturing / Support
              • No support or fixturing required
          • Loading / Environmental Conditions
              • No loading
              • Conducted at room temperature
      • Results
          • Weight
              • 19.5 lbs

Strut Strength / Stiffness

      • Test Procedure
          • ASTM D7250
          • Equipment
              • Weights totaling 150 lbs
              • Dial Indicator
          • Fixturing / Support
              • Table
              • Assembly
          • Loading / Environmental Conditions
              • 150 lbs of weights distributed uniformly across the top surface of the assembly
              • Conducted at room temperature
      • Results
          • Displacement at 150 lbs
              • 0.285 in

Horizontal Panel Strength / Stiffness

      • Test Procedure
          • Equipment
              • Load Frame
          • Fixturing / Support
              • 4-point flexural fixture
          • Loading / Environmental Conditions
              • Loaded the test specimen at a rate of  0.25  in/min
              • Conducted at room temperature
      • Results
          • Displacement at 150 lbs
              • 0.2789 (in)
          • Load at 0.119 in Displacement
              • 63.82 lbs
          • Load at failure
              • 406.5 lbs
          • Displacement at failure
              • 0.7663 in
          • Failure mode
              • Top Surface Sheet

Impact Resistance

      • Test Procedure
          • ASTM D7766 (Procedure C)
          • Equipment
              • Drop Weight Impact
          • Fixturing / Support
              • Specimen holder
          • Loading / Environmental Conditions
              • 10 lbs. amount of weight dropped from 8.85 in height resulting in 7.38 ft-lbs of energy
              • Conducted at room temperature
      • Results
          • Amount of deformation from 7.38 ft-lbs impact
              • 0.025 in
          • Failure mode
              • Dent
          • Note: The impact head was a ½ in radius. If tested across a 4 in2 area, damage would be extremely minimal

Water Resistance

      • Test Procedure
          • Equipment
              • Load Frame
              • Large bucket of water
          • Fixturing/ Support
              • 4-point flexural fixture
          • Loading / Environmental Conditions
              • Soaked specimens in water for 5 hours
              • Loaded the test specimen at a rate of _0.25  in/min
              • Conducted at room temperature
      • Results
          • Displacement at 150 lbs
              • 0.2482 (in)
          • Load at 0.119 in Displacement
              • 56.7 lbs
          • Load at failure
              • 363.8 lbs
          • Displacement at failure
              • 0.6821 in
          • Failure mode
              • Top Surface Sheet
          • Flexural Strength Retained
              • 88.49%

Scratch and Chip Resistance

      • Test Procedure
          • Equipment
              • Rockwell Hardness Tester
          • Fixturing / Support
              • No support or fixturing required
          • Loading / Environmental Conditions
              • Loaded using Rockwell Hardness Tester and converted to Shore D Scale
              • Conducted at room temperature
      • Results
          • Hardness (Rockwell – HRD)
              • 73.5
          • Hardness (Shore D Scale)
              • 87