In Flash Technology’s Franklin, Tenn. headquarters all lights undergo stringent production testing before shipment to confirm function and compliance to FAA regulations. These quality control tests help ensure lights perform to the required standards, and is a verification that the lights are ready for installation.

Called “Burn-In,” the final test is where all FAA production testing occurs. The full process takes three days including photometric verification.

Operational Testing

Once the lighting system is energized, it operates a minimum of 24 hours at the highest intensity and 12 at the lowest intensity. A monitoring system analyzes all operational functions and generates alerts if any anomalies are detected.

After the 36-hour operational window passes, the light’s performance is evaluated for:

• Intensity step changes for day, twilight and night transitions
• Proper operation of the light’s monitoring system
• Performance of interlock switches
• Confirmation of specified flash rate
• Confirmation of failsafe and backup features
• Current leakage

Photometrics

After operational testing concludes, the system heads for the light tunnel. Flash’s light tunnels house specialized equipment that measures and reports the photometric qualities of the light’s output. Infrared tests are also conducted for obstruction lights manufactured under FAA AC 150/5345-43J. The beam pattern of the light is measured for proper candela and beam spread at each intensity step. The photometric test results must statistically show that the manufacturing process produces consistent and repeatable beam patterns and intensities from one light to another.

Equipment and Records

Documentation of each light’s result is logged by serial number. While the FAA requires maintaining these logs for three years, Flash maintains them longer than regulated by customer request.

A calibration program that complies with ISO-10012, Measurement Management Systems maintains the testing equipment’s accuracy. Further, we ensure that all production photometric testing equipment correlates to the third-party certifying laboratory within ±5 percent, and all photometric measurements must be based on a minimum five flash average.

Flash Technology teams are trained on FAA and international lighting regulations to ensure your site is lit properly for airspace safety. Please contact our lighting experts with any specific site questions or about our production testing processes.