Applied Technical Services is on the prestigious list of ITAR registered companies as a multidisciplinary testing provider. Our labs perform a wide array of services compliant with ITAR security requirements, qualifying ATS to help defense contractors ensure materiel meets the United States military’s stringent standards for arms and equipment. We offer a comprehensive suite of military testing capabilities to provide our clients with a reliable partner, available to aid them in every step of validating the user reliability of their product. Some of the ITAR-compliant testing services we perform for our clientele include:
Environmental Testing
This branch of testing determines the subject’s resistance to a variety of environmental stimuli, from heat to vibration to humidity to barometric pressure. By requesting environmental testing, clients can rest assured that their product will stand up to the rigorous conditions they can expect it to encounter. Clients can also make adjustments based on our recommendations, improving their design until it performs to requirements. We regularly perform the following environmental testing methods on defense articles:
- Abrasion
- Accelerated Life Cycle
- Adhesion
- Altitude
- Color
- Cyclic Corrosion
- Drop
- Flammability
- Gloss
- Ingress Protection
- Salt Spray
- Thermal Cycling
- Thermal Shock
- Ultraviolet (QUV)
- Vibration / Shock
- Xenon Weathering
Chemical Analysis
While also useful for design validation, ATS’ chemical analysis services applicable to military testing more pertain to verifying the chemical makeup of materials. Our labs can verify the composition of metal alloys, identify the makeup of polymer samples, determine the presence of organic contaminants, and quantify each of these constituent elements using our advanced instrumentation — among all the other services we perform for civilian clients.
Mechanical Testing
To understand a design’s physical durability, our technicians perform mechanical testing methods on material samples and subassemblies. Tensile strength, impact resistance, fatigue characteristics, and several other qualities can either determine the suitability of the product to its intended service environment or invalidate its design. Our mechanical testing lab is outfitted with the equipment necessary to characterize samples’ durability according to applicable standards.
Failure Analysis
One of the best methods of improving upon a failed product is to understand why it stopped performing to expectations. To this end, ATS also offers our failure analysis services on defense articles to determine root causes and help identify steps toward remediating the problem. Our team of metallurgists and polymer experts provide their keen insight into what factors led to a material or component failure, whether improper use of an assembly or an existing defect from a flawed production process or any other circumstances that created the issue.
Calibrations
Our calibration capabilities serve needs at two different phases of a defense article’s life cycle. We can perform exhaustive dimensional inspections on integral components to find whether their actual measurements fall within the geometric tolerances given in their design specifications — an important aspect of a more comprehensive first article inspection to validate production processes. After materiel has spent some time in service, we can also calibrate any components that measure stimuli such as acceleration, humidity, pressure, or electric current to ensure precisely accurate readings.
Nondestructive Testing
Another service we offer before or after defense articles have entered service is nondestructive testing. These inspection services allow our technicians to detect minute flaws present in materials and components without causing any lasting damage to the subject. ATS inspectors maintain ASNT-SNT-TC-1A certification to perform the following NDT methods:
- Visual Inspection (VT)
- Penetrant Testing (PT)
- Eddy Current Testing (ET)
- Magnetic Particle Testing (MT)
- Radiography (RT)
- Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
- Ultrasonic Testing (UT)
- Phased Array (PA)
- Ultrasonic Thickness (UTT)
Our technicians can perform the above methods either in the field at the client site or in our lab — whichever best suits their needs. Our lab is Nadcap accredited to perform MT and PT, as well as dozens of chemical analysis, mechanical testing, and environmental testing methods. Furthermore, we maintain certification with the European Aviation Safety Administration (EASA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as designated aircraft repair and maintenance stations.
For the most complete nondestructive diagnosis of a given component, we can scan it using computed tomography (CT) to yield a highly detailed CAD model that images the subject’s inner features as well as its outer geometry.
Consulting Engineering
Finally, ATS’ team of Professional Engineers (PEs) provides an array of consulting services to support our varied ITAR-compliant testing capabilities. Beyond their invaluable input in matters related to inspections and failure analyses, they also perform diagnostic services such as Finite Element Analysis (FEA), reliability services such as preventive maintenance inspections, and safety services such as certifying facility fall protection systems. This team is made up of PEs from several engineering disciplines, available to travel to the field as relevant to the scope of services requested.
ATS: A New Force Among ITAR Registered Companies
Since our founding, Applied Technical Services has dedicated itself to cultivating a portfolio of testing, inspection, and consulting engineering capabilities of the highest caliber. Good fortune and the hard work of our dedicated employees have helped our company to grow immensely in the 50+ years ATS has been in business. Three engineers started a consulting service in 1967, aiding local businesses from the founder’s basement. Today, we employ over 1,000 inspectors, Professional Engineers, technicians, chemists, metallurgists, calibrators, scientists, forensic investigators, and trainers to serve clients operating in the United States of America. Although we work with many clients in the civilian sector, our capacity as an ITAR registered testing company exclusively serves clients in the defense industry.
In Constant Pursuit of Peerless Quality
ATS performs many military testing services under the scope of our rigorous quality management system, registered to ISO 9001:2015. To maintain the ISO 9001:2015, we subject our business processes to an exacting auditing process, performed by certified inspectors every two years, to verify that they comply with the internationally recognized standard of effective quality management practices. These experts have determined that we comply with these requirements after every assessment since we first earned our registration in 1998. We invite this level of scrutiny into our processes because we want to both hold ourselves publicly accountable for the quality of service we provide and continually improve upon that quality of service. We aim to give clients every reason to do business with us again in the future. To this end, we uphold the following customer satisfaction policies:
- Our testing and inspection experts return clear, detailed, and accurate reporting
- They do so to empower clients to make timely, informed decisions regarding their results
- We retain a squad of customer service representatives who receive clients reaching out for clarification
- These customer relationship specialists connect clients with the most relevant staff member to assist
- These subject matter experts remain accessible to clients who reach out with questions about either the status or results of their testing or inspection
- They remain responsive to client needs and engaged in helping them solve their problems
If your organization needs testing or calibration or inspection or consulting engineering from a laundry list of ITAR registered companies, maybe just contact ATS instead for a free quote — We take a closer look!
