Additional Industries

Automotive

The automotive industry is always evolving. Because auto manufacturing comprises several industries and processes, many different types of materials and chemicals are used during production. Today’s vehicles must meet strict safety standards and regulatory compliance requirements before they can hit the road. 

This is why the NSL team applies high quality, detailed metallurgical and chemical testing methods to ensure all standards are met. We perform extensive analysis on all metals, composites, forging and casting materials, batteries, polymers, paint and coatings and more as they apply to the auto industry. 

From advanced microscopy, to compatibility testing, material qualification, and surface, metallurgical and failure analyses, our expert team delivers the reliable, repeatable test results that auto manufacturers can count on to assemble safe, compliant vehicles and parts.

Electronics

Electronic devices are basically arrays of transistors, resistors, capacitors, and semiconductor devices arranged on printed circuit boards (PCBs) that drive computers, cell phones, keyboards, cameras, televisions, radios, and the unending multitude of software programs that enable so many people to be so productive.

Modern printed circuit boards are the most complex devices imaginable. Today’s PCBs consist of multilayer boards arrayed with ever-smaller devices connected in novel ways to reduce size and weight. They combine through-hole and surface mount processes involving thousands of components that require precision to less than a millimeter, and often down to micron levels.

General Manufacturing

Manufacturers need to assure their customers that their products will function as promised, and one of the primary ways to do this is documentation from an independent laboratory. Here at NSL, we characterize numerous products, including huge springs, tiny stents, wrenches, and jet engine fan blades to name a few.

In addition to proper function, manufacturers also want to guarantee that their products are free of lead and other hazardous or regulated materials. For this reason, here at NSL, we analyze electronic circuit boards, toys, and products that contain a variety of materials. In addition, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission mandates certain tests for a range of products.

We do extensive analyses of aerospace forgings made of advanced high-strength steels, stainless steels, titanium, and nickel-base alloys. For example, to evaluate landing-gear forgings, we do impact testing, stress rupture testing at elevated temperatures, and tensile testing at elevated temperatures. We also do metallographic analyses for microstructure, and macroscopic examination to evaluate grain flow.

Automotive component manufacturers send us a wide range of parts for evaluation, characterization, testing, and failure analysis. For camshafts and crankshafts, we test for case depth to be sure that the heat-treating process was successful, analyze for correct chemistry and microstructure, and test for mechanical properties such as hardness, strength, and ductility.

Another important service we provide manufacturers is that of reverse engineering for replacement parts in outdated equipment. We determine the chemistry of the alloy and how the part was made by carrying out a series of physical and mechanical tests. We reverse engineer bearings, which frequently include multiple components such as steel, alumina, and hard chrome, with elastomer seals and a plated or thermal spray coating.

No matter what the material or product is manufactured, at NSL we pride ourselves on precise data, reliable results, and rapid turnaround. NSL Analytical Services is equipped to perform a variety of General Manufacturing materials testing services.

Learn how NSL supports innovation by testing powder metal feed stock, proto-type designs and final product in the Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing Industry.

Medical Devices

Medical devices consist of instruments such as needles, forceps, and scalpels; bone implants such as artificial hips and knees; small tubular structures called stents, which serve to open clogged blood vessels; and functional devices such as artificial hearts, cochlear implants, and batteries.

Medical Device Testing

Instruments are almost always made of stainless steel; bone implants are made of stainless steel, cobalt-chromium, or titanium, with specialized coatings to ensure bone ingrowth; stents are made of cobalt-chromium, shape-memory alloys, or other advanced alloys, and are frequently coated with medications; functional implants are essentially electronic devices inside biocompatible packages made of a variety of advanced alloys, polymers, and/or ceramics.

Hip joints are the most frequently implanted devices, and they have changed significantly over the past 30 years. The biggest driver for change is that people with hip implants are typically much younger today, and much more active. The result is that implants must last longer and function more effectively.

Today, a hip implant might consist of a titanium or stainless steel or chromium-cobalt femur, with a ceramic ball joint. This ceramic ball moves in a metal cup lined with ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene, a tough polymer that functions as the bearing surface, where it must withstand chemical attack, abrasion, impact, and wear for several decades.

Medical devices thus vary widely in both materials and structures, and characterizing them requires a variety of chemical, mechanical, and physical analyses by advanced instrumentation. We analyze materials to ensure that the correct polymer is being used, that the correct alloy has been specified, and that coatings are the specified thickness and material. We document that materials are free of contaminants and that they meet all regulatory and industry standards.

NSL Analytical Services is equipped to perform a variety of medical device testing services. Request a quote today!

Plus, you can learn how NSL supports innovation by testing powder metal feed stock, proto type designs and final product in the Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing Industry.

Nutraceutical

Nutraceuticals are foods or food components that provide health benefits by prevention or treatment of disease, especially chronic diseases. Some nutraceuticals are made from herbal/botanical raw materials. In some cases, they include the entire food, such as yogurt with active bacteria or tea with ginseng; while in other cases one component is isolated from the food, such as carotene from carrots.

The industry is growing at about 8% per year, with more than 100 million customers in the United States. One reason for the popularity of nutraceuticals is that they do not have the side effects of many medications because they are derived from natural sources. Another reason is that no prescription is needed to buy them. Examples include probiotics (live microorganisms such as the bacteria in yogurt); antioxidants (which can prevent cell damage); and phytochemicals (certain plant compounds that may help prevent diseases).

Because the industry is largely unregulated, consumers are sometimes skeptical that the products contain the nutraceuticals listed. To address this issue, manufacturers can establish credibility by having an independent testing lab such as NSL analyze their products and guarantee the presence of the beneficial chemicals they claim.

NSL offers chemical analysis for supplement and nutraceuticals. Testing can determine elemental concentrations of toxic heavy metals including arsenic, calcium, lead, and mercury.

Ophthalmic

In 2004, The Vision Council (TVC) approached NSL Analytical with a testing project focused on Titanium (Ti) content in ophthalmic frames. NSL had not yet participated in the optical industry; but was chosen due to the analytical nature of our business.

Analytical Ophthalmic Testing Services

The word “analytical” refers to the study of the separation, identification and quantification of chemical components – both natural and artificial materials. As a commercial testing laboratory, this is the core strength of NSL Analytical. We can identify differing chemicals or elements in samples and determine the amount of such components in a given substance – down to parts/billion when applicable. So TVC’s project on Ti content was the perfect opportunity for NSL to demonstrate the scientific/analytical nature of our business.

In 2008, TVC decided to take the next step by designating a particular scientific laboratory as “The Vision Council’s Preferred Testing Laboratory.” After a vetting process that included several competitors, TVC landed upon NSL Analytical. Almost immediately, NSL was directed toward lens testing – so we began acquiring the appropriate testing equipment and the knowledge needed to serve TVC Members on a regular basis.

NSL’s Lens Advisory Board

In September 2009 the industry came together at NSL in Cleveland for what we termed our “Lens Advisory Board” (LAB). 

The purpose of that meeting was to begin bonding with the ophthalmic scientific community through the evaluation of current lens tests and to begin thinking about what new testing we might bring to the table – our “mandate” from The Vision Council. NSL was specifically encouraged to review ISO 8980-4 and 8980-5 as those two tests offered international acceptance and would be good starting points as we looked at scratch resistance and AR Coating performance. At the end of the 2-day event, NSL Analytical began walking down the path toward new test development with the promise of continuing scientific review from our LAB participants.

Ophthalmic Testing Expertise

Since that time, NSL has tested thousands of lenses. Objectivity and repeatability are the primary concerns in new test development, so we performed the same tests repeatedly, making precise adjustments to be certain that the methodology was in keeping with our ISO 17025 accreditation. Throughout, NSL reported to and sought valuable input from our LAB participants. Then finally, after nearly 5 years of work, the Enhanced Simulated Wear Test (ESWT) was born – read more about it here.

Ophthalmic Regulations

On the Eyewear & Accessories/Sunglasses & Readers sides of the industry, NSL brings our knowledge of federal and state regulations to the table. Any and all ophthalmic products (including lenses) sold in the State of California are subject to Proposition 65 while CPSIA is a primary concern for those who distribute cases and optical accessories to children. FDA regulations (UV & Impact) come into play with imported products. When the industry concern is regulatory, NSL is here to help.

As NSL Analytical continues to build relationships and serve TVC members, we hope to have the opportunity to meet with you. Please look for us at an upcoming Vision Expo East or Vision Expo West we are a participating exhibitor, every year. Or if you simply want further information on our Technical Services and Consulting capabilities, please complete an online information request.

Regulatory

Companies that use materials regulated by government agencies must deal with far more than manufacturing a product that will function effectively. They must be able to prove that they follow all regulations by keeping detailed records complete with documentation. 

Because such proof must be provided by an unbiased source, it becomes the responsibility of certified and approved testing companies such as NSL Analytical to thoroughly understand and apply the appropriate regulations.

Materials are regulated and monitored by many federal and state agencies. The following are the major federal agencies that regulate materials:

• Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC): enforces federal safety standards for many products, especially children’s toys. They also enforce standards for regulated materials such as lead, mercury, and cadmium.

• Food and Drug Administration (FDA): administers federal food purity laws, drug testing and safety, and cosmetics, which must be shown to be free of hazardous materials.

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): develops and enforces federal standards and regulations related to safe working conditions.
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC): licenses and regulates nuclear facilities. These facilities must document that they comply with all regulations related to radioactive materials.