What are Data Center Material Verification Services?
The Applied Technical Services (ATS) Family of Companies provides data center material verification services to confirm that critical materials meet specified compliance requirements. Material verification is the process of analyzing a material’s elemental composition, mechanical properties, and microstructure to confirm that it adheres to applicable specifications.
As demand for high-performance computing grows, data centers must increasingly rely on materials that meet stringent performance and durability standards. This evaluation provides critical insight into whether a material will perform reliably during intended use.
Material Verification Examples and Applications
Data centers depend on precision and uptime. Confirming that materials meet requirements before installation helps reduce risk, improve system performance, and support operational longevity.
For example, high-performance cables must efficiently transmit large volumes of data. Verifying their composition and conductivity ensures reliable data transfer and compliance with standards. Structural steel used in data center construction must also meet strength and integrity requirements. Proper verification confirms that the steel can safely support the facility and reduce the risk of structural issues.
What Types of Testing are Used to Verify Materials for Data Centers?
Materials verification confirms reliability at every phase, supporting the integrity of large-scale facilities both inside and out. Our technicians can verify materials from construction components to electrical cooling systems.
Electrical Testing
Data centers rely on electrical signals to transmit information, so electrical testing plays a key role in identifying functional or malfunctioning components. Our electrical testing labs evaluate characteristics, including but not limited to:
- Contact Resistance
- Dielectric Strength and Constant
- Conductivity
- Voltage Drop Testing
- Insulation Resistance
Mechanical Testing
Mechanical materials testing verifies whether a material withstands applied forces. For data centers relying on structural integrity to maintain uptime, this testing is vital to construction and material conformance. Our technicians perform mechanical testing methods, including but not limited to:
- Tensile Testing
- Fastener Testing
- Hardness Testing (Brinell, Rockwell, Leeb)
- Vickers Macrohardness
- Fracture Toughness
- Notched Bar Impact
- Fatigue Testing
- Drop Weight
Metallographic Analysis
Metallographic analysis provides insight into a sample microstructure, which plays a key role in the material’s performance. This testing can identify grain size, grain structure, intergranular corrosion, and porosity. ATS performs various metallographic testing methods, including but not limited to:
- Weld Examination and Testing
- Coating Weight and Thickness
- Computed Tomography
- Conductivity Measurement
- Failure Investigation
- SEM/EDS
Non-Metals Testing
Testing non-metallic materials is designed to evaluate their properties, including polymers, elastomers, and composites. This category of testing encompasses a wide range of testing methods, including:
- Hardness Testing
- Flexural Properties
- Tensile Properties of Plastics
- Flammability Testing
- Paint and Varnish Testing – Evaluation of Coating Degradation
- Paint and Varnish Testing – Resistance to Cyclic Corrosion
- Coating Impact
Elemental/Chemical Testing
Data center materials verification can use testing methods such as energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) to identify elements or compounds present. These types of testing can be performed to standards, including ASTM D934 or ASTM E1508. In addition to EDS and XRD, our experts can perform other chemical services for material verification, including:
- X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF)
- Optical Emissions Spectroscopy
- Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP)
Additional Testing Methods
In addition to the above testing methods, the ATS Family of Companies can also perform special testing, environmental testing, non-destructive testing, and other services to confirm the suitability of materials.
How ATS Takes You from Confidence to Certainty
Since our founding in 1967, ATS has grown into a Family of Companies (FoC) dedicated to providing quality testing, inspection, calibration, and forensic services. We maintain ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditations and ISO 9001:2015 registrations across our organization as a testament to how ATS can support your business needs from ideation to ongoing maintenance.
Contact Us
If you’re looking for data center material verification services, contact ATS by calling +1 (888) 287-5227 or filling out our webform.
