SIST EN 60068-2-68:2001

Overview

EN 60068-2-68:1996 - Environmental testing - Part 2: Tests - Test L: Dust and sand (adopted by CLC) defines test methods to assess the effects of dust and sand suspended in air on electrotechnical products. This standard is part of the EN/IEC 60068 family for environmental testing and is intended to reproduce real-world abrasive and particulate exposure conditions in a controlled laboratory environment to evaluate product robustness, performance degradation and failure modes related to particulate ingress.

Key Topics

• Scope and purpose - Specifies laboratory procedures for exposing electrotechnical equipment to airborne dust and sand to determine functional and mechanical effects.
• Test methods and apparatus - Describes general approaches for creating suspended dust/sand atmospheres and for mounting specimens during exposure.
• Specimen preparation and conditioning - Covers preparation, orientation, and pre-test conditioning of equipment under test to ensure repeatability.
• Particle characteristics - Addresses selection and handling of dust/sand types and particle size distributions appropriate for test objectives.
• Exposure parameters and control - Outlines controlled variables such as dust concentration, airflow, duration and sequence of exposure to simulate different environmental severities.
• Post-test assessment - Defines inspection, functional checks and criteria for evaluating damage, ingress, abrasion and performance changes after exposure.

(Note: EN 60068-2-68 establishes test principles; specific numeric parameters and pass/fail criteria are defined within the standard text and by the product specification or test plan.)

Applications

• Product qualification and verification for devices used in dusty, sandy or desert-like environments (outdoor electronics, telecommunications, automotive, military, industrial controls).
• Design validation for enclosures, seals, ventilation and filtration systems to prevent particulate ingress.
• Comparative testing for supplier selection, component robustness and lifecycle planning.
• Supporting regulatory compliance and reliability claims where dust and sand exposure is a known field hazard.

Who Uses This Standard

• Test laboratories and environmental test engineers performing dust/sand exposure testing.
• Product designers and R&D teams validating enclosure integrity and protection measures.
• Quality assurance, reliability and compliance managers preparing product dossiers or seeking certification.
• Manufacturers of outdoor, automotive, industrial and defense electronics.

Related Standards

• EN/IEC 60068 series (environmental testing)
• IEC 60529 (IP code for ingress protection) - complementary for assessing enclosure protection against solids and dust

Using EN 60068-2-68 for dust and sand testing helps organizations mitigate field failures, improve product lifetime and demonstrate suitability for harsh particulate environments. Keywords: EN 60068-2-68, dust and sand testing, environmental testing, electrotechnical products, dust ingress, sand exposure.