We help customers reduce qualification and performance risk through independent testing, fluid compatibility assessment, and applied elastomer expertise focused on understanding material behaviour under representative service conditions.
Supporting Elastomer Performance and Qualification
Elastomer performance can significantly affect sealing integrity, durability, and long-term reliability in defense systems operating under demanding environmental and fluid exposure conditions. Smithers expertise in elastomer qualification and performance assessment includes:- Mechanical property testing, including tensile, elongation, and hardness assessment
- Fluid compatibility testing for fuels, hydraulic fluids, lubricants, and other service fluids
- Accelerated ageing and lifecycle assessment
- Comparative material benchmarking and qualification support
- Guidance on environmental exposure, degradation, and long-term performance
- Support for supplier changes, reformulation, and material obsolescence
- Qualification support for elastomer materials used in UAV, autonomous, and uncrewed defense systems
Elastomer Testing and Performance Assessment
Smithers combines applied elastomer materials expertise with independent testing and analysis to support qualification, durability, and performance assessment for elastomer applications used in defense environments. Our capabilities include:- Polymer and elastomer physical testing
- Fluid susceptibility and compatibility assessment
- Thermal ageing and environmental exposure testing
- Material characterization and comparative analysis
- Failure investigation and root-cause support where required
Defense Fluid and Environmental Applications
Smithers supports the qualification and assessment of elastomer materials used in demanding defense operating environments, including:- Seals, gaskets, O-rings, and fluid-handling components
- Hoses, cable protection, and flexible polymer systems
- Hydraulic, fuel, and fluid-transfer applications
- UAV, autonomous, and uncrewed defense systems
- Naval, maritime, and environmentally exposed defense systems
Standards and Qualification Support
Qualification programs are aligned to relevant military, industry, and application-specific standards and requirements, including:- ASTM D412
- ISO 48
- MIL-STD-810
- Customer-defined and application-specific qualification protocols
Why Smithers
- Independent specialist in polymer and elastomer materials
- ISO 17025 accredited laboratories
- Cyber Essentials certified
- JOSCAR registered
- NADCAP accredited capabilities
- Deep expertise in elastomer materials behaviour under demanding operating conditions
- Environmental simulation and fluid compatibility assessment expertise
- Support from material qualification through to in-service investigation
