MIL-STD-810 shock testing is performed to evaluate materiel’s ability to withstand dynamic stresses during transportation, handling, and operation. It can also be performed to determine overall fragility during early development and be used to assess crash hazard safety. These tests are described in Method 516.8 of the standard.
Shock is generally defined as a dynamic event caused by an impact or rapid change in velocity. The shocks simulated in Method 516.8 are usually under a 0.1 seconds in duration and under 4,000 Hz in frequency. Shocks with frequency content that correspond with equipment resonances will have a greater potential for causing damage.
Limitations of Method 516.8
Shock testing per Method 516.8 does not include pyroshock (shock from explosions) ballistic shock, gunfire shock, or shocks encountered in loose cargo transportation. These dynamic stresses are addressed in other methods in MIL-STD-810. Additionally, the method is not intended for replication of combination of vibration and shock scenarios that would be better performed with Time Waveform Replication (TWR).
Procedures Under This Method
MIL-STD-810 Shock is comprised of eight procedures to address specific shock scenarios:
- Functional Shock: Intended to access ability of equipment to operate as specified during exposure to shock.
- Transportation Shock: Used to replicate transportation stresses using sawtooth wave excitation.
- Fragility: Used to assess design prototypes for design verification.
- Transit Drop: Testing using actual drop scenarios of packaged and unpackaged equipment from various heights
- Crash Hazard Shock: Used to ensure that equipment mounted to platforms does not endanger human life or restrict ingress or egress during crash events. Functionality of equipment is not necessarily required after this shock.
- Bench Handling: Used to replicate possible shocks encountered during maintenance or packaging.
- Pendulum Impact: This testing is intended for large shipping containers to replicate accidental handling shocks
- Catapult Launch/Arrested Landing: Used for equipment intended for fixed wing aircraft that will be subject to launchings and landings on aircraft carriers.
Developing Required Test Program Documentation
It is important to make determinations beyond contractual requirements to ensure that a product will perform as specified throughout its life time. This requires the development of a Life Cycle Environmental Profile (LCEP) to identify anticipated stresses during transport, storage, and operational phases. Information gleaned from this process can then be fed into an Environmental Issues/Criteria List (EICL). The EICL is used as design and test parameters.
Once these tasks have been completed a Test and Evaluation Master Plan (TEMP) can be created to map which testing is to be performed. The TEMP is also used to develop test sequences that replicate anticipated environmental stress sequences. Then Detailed Environmental Test Plans (DETP) can be developed to specify how each test is to be conducted. This description should include required operational tests, data to be recorded, and pass/fail criteria.
CVG Strategy Test and Evaluation Expertise
CVG Strategy can assist you in developing a comprehensive MIL-STD-810 test program by performing an LCEP to determine appropriate test criteria. We can then provide guidance in the development of a comprehensive Test and Evaluation Master Plan. This TEMP includes all required testing including EMI/EMC requirements.
We can also perform Test Program Management and Test Witnessing to provide a complete defense product test and evaluations services for companies that may lack the bandwidth or expertise of the test and evaluation process.
CVG Strategy EZ-Test Plan Templates
CVG Strategy provides a wide array of test plan templates including MIL-STD-810 Shock, Method 516. This documentation ensures that testing is performed accurately and that necessary data is collected. These documents help communicate test requirements to test facility operators and test engineers. Test plans are available for the following standards:
- MIL-STD-810 Environmental Engineering Considerations and Laboratory Tests
- MIL-STD-461
- MIL-STD-704
- MIL-STD-1275
- MIL-STD-1399-300B
- IEC 60529
Several categories of test plans are available for developmental test and evaluation of defense products. These include:
Ingress Protection test plans are available for testing per IEC 60529 for enclosure testing against dust, penetration, water splash, water jet spray, and immersion.
MIL-STD-810 Training
CVG Strategy offers a two-day Training for MIL-STD-810 Program designed to provide you with a solid basis to build your knowledge and expertise. This live training webinar will give you and your employees who are new to environmental and dynamic testing a jump start towards understanding and learning the very complex and lengthy testing standard and its methods.
CVG Strategy Test and Evaluation Expertise
CVG Strategy can assist your product development team with test and evaluation expertise. We provide can provide compliance by analysis reports, create custom test program documentation, provide troubleshooting and analysis for difficult EMI/EMC issues and perform finite element analysis.