Applied Technical Services offers Amazon product testing to help combat the spread of counterfeit items across the online retailer and to ensure compliance with safety regulations (such as CPSC/CPSIA). The number one digital marketplace in the world maintains its supremacy by adding new vendors, both to broaden the selection of products offered and to drive down the cost to consumers by increasing competition. However, as Amazon continually expands its list of partnered merchants, deceitful sellers peddling bogus products slip through the cracks of their authentication process. Amazon does use algorithms to find and block sketchy listings before they go live but ultimately leaves spotting fraudulent merchandise after the point of sale to the brands themselves due to the sheer size of their platform.
The manufacturers behind authentic wares increasingly turn to third-party testing labs like ATS to analyze the phonies and help report them to Amazon. Additionally, manufacturers/importers partner with ATS to ensure they meet necessary compliance testing regulations in order to provide Amazon with a safety testing certification.
The Importance of Amazon Product Testing
The bad imitations that secure an Amazon listing tend to sell for cheaper than the original article because they cannot compare in terms of quality, whether due to inferior materials, shoddy manufacturing practices, or blatant disregard for the consumer’s well-being. While this trend proves inconvenient for the brand-hawks cheated out of a luxury item à la shady Manhattan street-corner watch salesman, more concerning are the knockoff consumer products hosted throughout the site that do not meet safety or FDA requirements — including cosmetics, car seats, and baby formula, to name a few. ATS’ Amazon product testing services help prevent potentially dangerous items from making it to market.
About Our Methods
We use a variety of testing methods to determine whether a suspicious product conforms to consumer protection standards and regulations. Although clients often request custom specifications for their product testing, our labs perform their analysis according to internationally recognized standards to ensure accurate and reproducible results. Some of the methods and standards that we use most often in Amazon product testing include the following:
Chemical Analysis
| Method | Standards |
|---|---|
| Material Identification | |
| Inductively Coupled Plasma/Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) | ASTM E1479*, ASTM E1613*, ASTM F963 Section 8.3* |
| Combustion Analysis (via LECO) | ASTM E1019*, ASTM E1447*, ASTM E1941 |
| Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) | ASTM E1252* |
| Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) / Spark Test | ASTM E415*, ASTM E1086*, ASTM E1251*, ASTM E3047* |
| Compound Detection and Measurement | |
| Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy (UV-Vis) | AATCC 112, EN ISO 14184-1, ASTM D5582, IEC 62321 |
| Triple Quadrupole/Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectroscopy (LC-MS-MS) | ATS 367* |
| Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectroscopy (GC‑MS) | EPA 24*, VDA 278*, GMW 15634*, PV 3341*, EPA 8260C, ASTM D4526, EPA 5021 |
| Thermal Properties | |
| Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) | ASTM E1131*, ASTM E1641*, ASTM E1868*, ISO 11358 |
| Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) | ASTM D3418*, ASTM E1356*, ASTM E793*, ASTM E794* |
| Ash Testing | ASTM D2584, ASTM D5630 |
Metallurgy
| Method | Standards |
|---|---|
| Material Identification | |
| Scanning Electron Microscope/Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) | ASTM E1508*, ASTM B748*, ASTM E1245 |
| X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) | ASTM D934*, ATS 962* |
| Optical Assessment | |
| Metallography | ASTM E3*, ASTM A380, ASTM E562* |
| Inclusions | ASTM E45* |
| Grain Size | ASTM E112* |
| Coating Thickness | ASTM B487*, ASTM B568 |
| Material Characterization | |
| Macro-Indentation Hardness (Brinell, Leeb, Rockwell, Superficial Rockwell) | ASTM E10*, EN 1043-1*, ISO 6506-1*, ISO 6507-1*, ASTM E18*, EN ISO 9015-1*, ASTM A956* |
| Micro-Indentation Hardness (Knoop, Vickers) | ASTM E92*, ASTM E384*, ISO 9015-2*, EN 1043-2*, ISO 6507-2*, ASTM B578, SAE J423* |
| Corrosion Detection / Susceptibility | ASTM A262*, ASTM G1, ASTM G28, ASTM G34, ASTM G46, ASTM G48*, ASTM G66, ASTM G67, ASTM G110, ASTM G112, ASTM G161, ASTM G209 |
| Polymer Testing | |
| Elmendorf Tear Resistance | ASTM D1922 |
| Adhesion | ASTM 4541, ISO 4624, ASTM D3330, ASTM D6252, ASTM D903, ASTM D1876 |
Environmental Testing
| Method | Standards |
|---|---|
| Resistance to Weathering | |
| Altitude | MIL-STD 202G 105C-A/B/C/F*, MIL-STD 810G Procedure I, II, & III, RTCA/DO-160G |
| Ingress Protection | ISO 20653, IEC 60529* |
| Humidity | ASTM D2247*, ASTM D4585* |
| Salt Spray (Cyclic Corrosion, Filiform Corrosion, CASS, NASS) | ASTM B368*, DIN EN ISO 9227*, ASTM B117*, ASTM G85 (Appendix 1, 2, 3, 5)*, FLTM BI 103*, GM 4298P*, DIN 50021*, ISO 7253*, GM 9540P*, SAE J1563*, GMW 14872* |
| Temperature Cycling | GM 9505P*, IEC 60068–2–30*, BMW TS 308*, PrV303* |
| Ultraviolet (UV) Exposure | ASTM G154*, ASTM D4329*, ASTM D4587*, ASTM D4674*, ASTM D5894*, ISO 11997-1*, EN DIN ISO 4892–3*, SAE J2020*, ISO 11507* |
| Xenon Exposure | SAE J1885*, SAE J2412*, SAE J2527*, ASTM G155*, ISO 4892–2*, ASTM D2565*, ASTM D6695*, ASTM D4355*, ASTM D4459*, ASTM D5071, ASTM D7869*, FLTM BO 116‑01*, GMW 14162*, GMW 3414*, ISO 105–B02*, ISO 105–B04*, ISO 105–B06, PV 1303*, PV 3929*, PV 3930*, VDA 75202* |
| Efficacy of Coatings | |
| Abrasion (Taber and Crockmeter) | ASTM D4060 |
| Adhesion | ASTM D3359*, ASTM D2197, ASTM D6677, ISO 2409*, FLTM BI 106* |
| Chemical Resistance | ASTM D543, ASTM D1308, MA-0015, STD 1026.8177, PPS 1002, GS 95003-5 |
| Color and Gloss | ASTM D523*, ASTM E1331, ASTM D2244*, ISO 7724*, ISO 2813* |
| Immersion | BI 104-01, ASTM D870 |
| Stone Chip Resistance | SAE J400*, ASTM D3170* |
| Resistance to Shock and Vibration | |
| Vibration (Sine on Random, Transportation Vibration, Resonance Search and Dwell, etc.) | IEC 60068-2-27*, IEC 60068-2-6, IEC 60068-2-64* |
| Seismic | GMW 3172, IEEE 344*, GR-63-CORE*, AC-156* |
| Shock | MIL-STD-810G (Method 516)*, RTCA DO 160 Section 7 & 8*, IEC 68‑2‑27*; -29; -31*, SAE J1455, MIL-STD-202G (Method 202), MIL-STD-202 (Method 205 / 213) |
| Reliability Testing | Customer Specifications |
| Flammability Characteristics | |
| Automotive Interiors | FMVSS 302*, ASTM D5132, SAE J369, ISO 3795, DIN EN ISO 75200*, 49 CFR 571.302, GB8410, TL1010, DBL 5307, GS 97038, HES D6003*, GMW 3232 |
| Clothing/Textiles | ASTM F963-17–Section A5*, ASTM F963–A6, CFR 1610* |
| Plastics | UL 94*, ASTM D4804, ASTM D635, ASTM D3801 |
Mechanical Testing
| Method | Standards |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Hazards | |
| Use and Abuse | ASTM F963*, ASTM F2923, EN 71-1*, 16 CFR 1500*, 16 CFR 1501*, 16 CFR 1203*, and client specifications |
| Sharp Edges / Points | |
| Small Parts | |
| Stability | |
| Cycling | |
| Impact | |
| Loading | |
Electrical Testing
| Method | Standards |
|---|---|
| Electrical Characteristics | |
| Surface Resistivity | ASTM D257, IEC 60093 |
| Dielectric Constant | ASTM D150, IEC 60250 |
| Dielectric Strength | MIL-STD-202G (Method 301)* |
| Insulation Resistance | MIL-STD-202G (Method 302)* |
| Contact Resistance | MIL-STD-1344A (Method 3004.1)* |
| Voltage Drop | |
| Conductivity | ASTM B193 |
Computed Tomography
- Failure Analysis
- Dimensional Inspection
- Defect Detection
- Forensic Investigation
*bolded test standards indicate ISO 17025 Accreditation
About ATS
Applied Technical Services offers testing, inspections, and consulting engineering capabilities of incomparable quality. Since our founding in 1967, we have grown tremendously from our humble beginnings in our founder’s basement. No longer a group of three engineers serving local businesses, ATS now constitutes a multidisciplinary firm employing over 1,000 technicians, chemists, Professional Engineers, calibrators, scientists, inspectors, trainers, and investigators to serve the needs of clients around the world. Although we perform the above testing services for dozens of industries in a wide range of applications, our capacity as an Amazon product testing provider exclusively benefits clients in the following sectors:
- Automotive
- Consumer Products
- Insurance/Legal
Quality is Our Priority
ATS’ testing professionals perform all of the above methods in accordance with our ISO 9001:2015-registered quality management system. This certification means ISO-approved auditors assessed our business processes and affirms that our quality assurance program complies with the internationally recognized standard outlining effective quality management principles. By closely following these guidelines, we set the groundwork to continually improve the quality of service we provide our clients. To ensure the best customer experience we can possibly deliver, ATS upholds the following practices:
- Our lab personnel return clear, accurate, and detailed results within a short turnaround window
- Our customer service personnel direct clients with questions to the relevant testing professionals
- These specialists remain accessible to client outreach and stay engaged when helping to secure solutions to their concerns
If your company needs Amazon product testing from a capable provider, contact ATS today for a free quote — We take a closer look!
