A product can meet its operating specifications while still containing weaknesses that appear under greater stress. Highly accelerated life testing, or HALT, helps engineering teams investigate those weaknesses during development.
The Applied Technical Services Family of Companies (ATS FoC) provides environmental testing services in our HALT testing laboratories to support product improvement before broader production. Our HALT laboratories apply controlled temperature and vibration stresses to examine product behavior beyond expected operating conditions. We work with clients to define meaningful objectives, monitor performance, and document findings for engineering review.
What Should You Look for in HALT Testing Laboratories?
An effective HALT program starts with a clear understanding of the product. Its configuration, operating modes, mounting arrangement, and monitoring requirements influence how testing should proceed.
Chamber capability alone does not determine the usefulness of a test. The setup must also transfer stress into the sample and allow meaningful performance checks. When planning a project, consider whether the laboratory can address:
- Product dimensions and fixture requirements
- Electrical connections and operating support
- Temperature and vibration monitoring
- Access to critical functions during testing
- Documentation of interruptions and failures
- Communication when unexpected behavior occurs
We review these details before testing begins. This preparation helps connect laboratory observations with the questions your engineering team needs to answer. ATS’ HALT testing laboratories are ISO/IEC 17025:2017-accredited, ISO 9001:2015-registered testing laboratories.
When Should Your Team Schedule HALT Testing with ATS?
Prototype development often provides a useful opportunity for HALT. At this stage, engineers can investigate weaknesses while changes remain practical.
Testing may also support a revised design, a new component selection, or preparation for production. The sample should represent the features under investigation closely enough to provide useful findings. Organizations that commonly request HALT include:
- Electronics and equipment manufacturers
- Aerospace and defense suppliers
- Automotive component developers
- Medical device manufacturers
- Engineering and product development teams
Early coordination helps establish sample availability and monitoring needs. Because HALT can permanently damage test articles, teams should plan for potential sample loss.
How Do Our HALT Testing Laboratories Evaluate Products?
Our capabilities include hot and cold step stress, rapid thermal cycling, vibration step stress, and combined thermal and vibration exposure. The selected sequence depends on the product and project objectives. During testing, progressively increased stress can reveal temporary functional interruptions or permanent damage. These observations help engineers distinguish operating limitations from destructive limits.
Functional monitoring plays an essential role. A sample may appear intact while experiencing intermittent communication loss or another performance issue. We document observed behavior alongside the applied conditions. When a failure interrupts testing, the next step may involve investigation, an agreed modification, or additional testing.
What Can You Expect from ATS HALT Results?
Useful HALT results connect a product response with the conditions that produced it. Our reporting supports that review through documented test conditions, observations, and relevant supporting records. HALT does not independently establish service life or replace required qualification testing. Its value lies in finding weaknesses and informing improvements.
Contact Us
Bring us your product details, development stage, and testing priorities. Call ATS at +1 (888) 287-5227 or submit a request form on this page to discuss a HALT program suited to your samples and engineering objectives.
