IEC 60068

IEC 60068
Title	IEC 60068
Status	Published
Year	1960s
Organization	International Electrotechnical Commission
Domain	Environmental testing for electrotechnical products

IEC 60068 IEC 60068 is an international series of standards addressing environmental testing for electrotechnical products and equipment, developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission. The series defines test procedures for conditions such as temperature, vibration, humidity, corrosion and shock to assess the ability of devices to withstand operational and transportation environments. Widely referenced in International Organization for Standardization, European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and industry specifications, the series underpins qualification regimes used by manufacturers, certification bodies and procurement agencies.

Overview

IEC 60068 provides a systematic framework of environmental tests, linking procedural definitions with acceptance criteria used in compliance assessment by organizations such as Underwriters Laboratories, TÜV SÜD, CSA Group, BSI Group, and Federal Communications Commission. The standard suite interacts with test laboratories accredited under International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation, American Association for Laboratory Accreditation, and national accreditation bodies in Germany, United Kingdom, United States, France, and Japan. Manufacturers in sectors ranging from Siemens and General Electric to Apple Inc. and Bosch reference the series alongside sector standards from IEEE, ASTM International, and SAE International.

Scope and Purpose

The scope and purpose of the IEC 60068 series are to define environmental test methods for assessing electronic and electrical components and assemblies produced by companies such as Intel, Qualcomm, Samsung, Panasonic Corporation, and LG Electronics. It aids conformity assessment for procurement by agencies like NATO, European Space Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and Department of Defense (United States), and for markets regulated under directives such as the Low Voltage Directive and industry regimes including Automotive Industry Action Group and Airbus. The purpose includes harmonizing test terminology, reducing duplication with standards from MIL-STD-810G, RTCA DO-160, and regional regulations in Canada and Australia.

Test Methods and Procedures

IEC 60068 details procedures for thermal cycling, damp heat, salt mist, vibration, shock and combined environmental stresses used by test houses like Intertek, Element Materials Technology, and Eurofins. Specific methods reference climate chambers by manufacturers such as Thermo Fisher Scientific and vibration tables by companies including Bruel & Kjaer; tests traceable to metrology institutes such as Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt and National Physical Laboratory (United Kingdom). The procedures align with data acquisition practices from firms like National Instruments and Keysight Technologies and are used in product lifecycle validation for programs like Hubble Space Telescope servicing, Boeing airframe electronics, and Siemens Energy turbine controls.

Organizational Structure and Parts

The IEC 60068 series is organized into multiple parts covering general definitions, conditioning, and individual test methods; working groups within IEC Technical Committee 104 and liaison organizations such as ISO/TC 44 and CENELEC manage development. Drafts and revisions involve stakeholders from corporations including Schneider Electric, ABB, Honeywell International, and research institutions like Fraunhofer Society and TNO. Parts of the series correspond to other hierarchical standards frameworks used by European Space Agency Procurement and industry consortia such as JEDEC and ETSI.

Applications and Industry Adoption

IEC 60068 is applied across sectors including consumer electronics by Sony Corporation and Huawei, automotive components tested by Ford Motor Company and Volkswagen Group, aerospace avionics from Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies, and industrial control systems by Mitsubishi Electric and Rockwell Automation. Certification schemes by UL Solutions and product approvals in markets administered by Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (China) often reference IEC 60068 procedures. Research projects at universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, and ETH Zurich use the series for experimental validation.

Relation to Other Standards

IEC 60068 interfaces with standards including MIL-STD-810, RTCA DO-160, ISO 9227, IEC 60721, IEC 60529, and test guidance from IEEE 1680 and ASTM B117, creating cross-references used by procurement documents from European Commission tenders and military specifications like NATO STANAGs. Harmonization efforts involve collaboration with ISO technical committees and regional committees such as VDE and AFNOR to reduce conflicting requirements across international markets.

Historical Development and Revisions

The IEC 60068 series originated in the mid-20th century as postwar industrial expansion increased demand for standardized environmental testing; early contributors included laboratories and firms from United Kingdom, United States, Germany, and France. Over successive revisions the series incorporated advances driven by events and programs such as commercial aviation growth in the Jet Age, the Apollo program electronics requirements, and the miniaturization trends led by Moore's Law influences from Intel Corporation. Recent updates reflect input from global consortia and respond to technological shifts in telecommunications and renewable energy systems promoted by initiatives like the Paris Agreement.

Category:International Electrotechnical Commission standards