The Center is part of JLT’s expansion and growth strategy and the company’s commitment to excellence in its markets.
Environmental testing is crucial to the performance, durability and reliability of rugged computing equipment as it routinely undergoes stress in excess of what standard consumer technology can handle.
“We want for our customers to rest assured that we’ve always tested every aspect of the units that their business relies on in detail and to the extreme. With our new test center, we can subject our products to the harshest environmental punishment they may encounter in the field, and beyond, without the need to involve external testing labs and with minimal time delays. If something breaks, we go back to the drawing table to make it better and stronger, right here in our own facilities,” said Per Holmberg, CEO, JLT Mobile Computers.
“We can test for shock and vibration, temperature extremes, humidity, impact resistance and we also do radio frequency testing. This enables us to develop the ultimate balance between the highest quality, reliable products, internal efficiency, and production costs.It is also a great facilitator for future innovation.”
While JLT has been testing computing equipment at its facilities before, the new and expanded JLT Test Center ensures greater inhouse capabilities. For example, the new vibrator/shaker can test PCs and displays for shock and vibration resistance, both perennial issues for units deployed in moving vehicles and multi-shift operations. Testing for weak points and making the necessary adjustments maximizes uptime and can add years to a product’s life.
JLT’s new programmable climate chamber can run automated temperature sequences for hours and days, closely matching real-world temperature cycles and extremes. And the chamber’s humidity control adds a new dimension to inhouse testing, measuring the impact of extreme humidity and changes in humidity on performance and reliability.
The test center’s radio lab allows JLT to prequalify components and designs for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and electromagnetic interference (EMI) before sending devices for official testing and certification, reducing uncertainty and expediting time to market. The radio lab also allows configuring for optimal radio performance and wireless connectivity under varying conditions and usage scenarios.
All of this allows the JLT Test Center in Växjö to do the kind of development testing that enables the company to detect and fix issues early in the development process, test new design ideas, test specific custom designs, and even replicate a customer’s specific working environment.