Group standard PV 1303

Issue 2021-05
Class. No.: 55031

Descriptors: color fastness, elastomer, elastomer part, film-laminated, heat resistance, high-temperature light
exposure, leather, light exposure, lightfastness, paint, planar fabric, planar part, plastic, plastic part,
resistance, textile, textile-laminated, vehicle interior, vehicle interior equipment, wood trim, wood trim
part, xenon arc light aging

Non-Metallic Materials
Xenon Arc Light Aging of Vehicle Interior Parts

Previous issues
PV 1303: 1987-05, 1989-11, 1993-12, 2001-03, 2015-11

Changes
The following changes have been made to PV 1303: 2015-11:
a) Section 1 "Scope" updated
b) Section "Basic quality criterion for vehicle interior parts" moved to informational appendix A
c) Section 4 "Test" revised (method updated; new test equipment added)
d) Section 4.4 "Xenon arc light aging procedure" revised
e) Section "Source of the blue scales" removed
f) Appendix A "Basic quality criterion for vehicle interior parts" added
g) Standard revised and structure updated

Contents
Page
1 Scope ......................................................................................................................... 2
2 Definitions .................................................................................................................. 2
3 Designation ................................................................................................................ 2
4 Test ............................................................................................................................. 2
4.1 Method ....................................................................................................................... 2
4.2 Test devices/light-exposure conditions ....................................................................... 3
4.3 Specimen preparation ................................................................................................ 4
4.3.1 Specimen size ............................................................................................................ 4
4.3.2 Specimen thickness ................................................................................................... 4
4.3.3 Specimen carriers ...................................................................................................... 4
4.4 Xenon arc light aging procedure ................................................................................ 5
4.4.1 Basic procedure ......................................................................................................... 5
4.4.2 Light-exposure period ................................................................................................ 6
5 Evaluation .................................................................................................................. 6
5.1 Evaluation principles .................................................................................................. 6
5.2 Visual evaluation ........................................................................................................ 6
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5.3 Colorimetric evaluation/gloss level after aging ........................................................... 7

6 Test report .................................................................................................................. 7
7 Applicable documents ................................................................................................ 7
Appendix A Basic quality criterion for vehicle interior parts ........................................................... 8

1 Scope
This standard specifies the testing of planar fabrics, plastic parts, elastomer parts, paints, leather,
wood trim parts, interior and ambient lighting packages, haptic controls, and textile-laminated and
film-laminated parts for the vehicle interior equipment, in terms of their color fastness and resist-
ance to UV light and heat, as well as the evaluation of light-aged specimens for sample monitoring
and monitoring conformity of production.
Without exception, testing relates to the exposure of specimens to filtered xenon arc light in the
test device.
Light-aged specimens can be used to determine residual tear strength, residual elongation at tear,
residual abrasion resistance, and color deviations.

2 Definitions

Always facing the light source

During the test procedure, make sure the specimens are continuously facing the light source.

Dry light exposure

Do not spray the specimens with water during this test.

3 Designation
Designation example of a drawing note:
High-temperature light exposure of vehicle interior as per PV 1303, 3 cycles

4 Test

4.1 Method
The specimens are irradiated under the equipment conditions of "facing the same direction" and
"dry light exposure." At the same time, the high thermal load of the trim materials in the vehicle
interior is taken into account (high-temperature light exposure).
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4.2 Test devices/light-exposure conditions

Xenon arc light aging devices must be used that conform to DIN EN ISO 105-B06 or that have
been tested by means of comparison tests with existing systems in this Test Specification (see sys-
tems in table 1).
To ensure comparable test results between supplier and purchaser, the equipment type to be used
in each particular case must be selected in consultation with the appropriate test laboratory within
the Volkswagen Group.
In addition, adherence to the parameters described in table 1 during the tests is mandatory.

Table 1
Test device Filter sys- Parameter
tem

Xenotest Alpha+a)
Xenotest Betaa), Xeno-
Xenotest Beta LMa) chrom 320 n
Xenotest Beta+a) ma)
Xenotest 440a)
– Black standard temperature (100 ±3) °C
Weather-Ometer Ci4000a) – Specimen room temperature (65 ±3) °C
Borosilicate/
Weather-Ometer Ci4400a) – Relative humidity (20 ±10)%
soda lime
Weather-Ometer Ci5000a) – Intensity of irradiation measured at 300 nm to 400 nm 60 W/m2

Q-SUN Xe-2a) Window-Qa)

Xenon Weather Meter GX75a)

Xenon Weather Meter SX75a) Q 320a)
Xenon Weather Meter GX90a)
a) Xenotest Alpha+, Xenotest Beta, Xenotest Beta LM, Xenotest Beta+, Xenotest 440, Weather-Ometer Ci4000, Weather-Ome-
ter Ci4400, and Weather-Ometer Ci5000 are the manufacturer's designations for products manufactured by Atlas Material Test-
ing Technology GmbH.
Q-SUN Xe-2 and Window-Q are the manufacturer's designations for products manufactured by Q-Lab Corporation.
Xenon Weather Meter GX75, SX75, and GX90 are the manufacturer's designations for products manufactured by SUGA Test In-
struments Co., Ltd.
Xenochrom 320 nm is the manufacturer's designation for the product manufactured by Atlas Material Testing Technology GmbH.
Q 320 is the manufacturer's designation of the product manufactured by SUGA Test Instruments Co., Ltd.
This information is only intended for informational purposes for the users of this in-house standard. This does not signify an en-
dorsement of the mentioned products by the Volkswagen Group. Equivalent products may be used if it can be verified that they
lead to the same results.
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4.3 Specimen preparation

4.3.1 Specimen size

Preferably, the specimen size must conform with the maximum clampable test surfaces in the origi-
nal specimen carriers of the test devices.
Xenotest Alpha+1): 130 mm × 45 mm
Xenotest Beta1): 300 mm × 80 mm or 130 mm × 45 mm
Xenotest Beta LM1): 300 mm × 80 mm or 130 mm × 45 mm
Xenotest Beta+1): 300 mm × 80 mm or 130 mm × 45 mm
Weather-Ometer Ci40001), Ci44001) and Ci50001): 130 mm × 45 mm
Q-SUN Xe-21): 122 mm × 46 mm
Xenon Weather Meter GX751), SX751) and GX901): 150 mm × 70 mm
For yarn tests, a continuous piece of yarn must be wrapped around the long sides of a PMMA plate
(150 mm × 50 mm × 3 mm) so that the windings are tight to each other and secured on the back or
in the area that will not be exposed.
Specimens that are smaller than the specimen carrier area must be mounted on white cardboard.

4.3.2 Specimen thickness

The specimens must be aged in the manufactured thickness corresponding to their installed condi-
tion. Laminations must be aged in the original thickness of the compound, if possible.
Due to the specimen carriers' design, the maximum thickness for all device types is specified with
15 mm. The specimen surface to be tested must always have the same distance to the light
source.

4.3.3 Specimen carriers

All specimen carriers must be equipped with full-surface, rustproof carriers (0,70 mm to 1,00 mm).
This prevents a drop in surface temperature due to air movement.
In the Xenotest Alpha+, Xenotest Beta, Xenotest Beta+, Xenotest Beta LM, and Q-SUN Xe-2 devi-
ces, the standard specimen carriers can be used for all specimens owing to their design.

1) Xenotest Alpha+, Xenotest Beta, Xenotest Beta LM, Xenotest Beta+, Xenotest Ci4000, Xenotest Ci4400, and Xenotest 440 are the
manufacturer's designations for products manufactured by Atlas Material Testing Technology GmbH.
Q-SUN Xe-2 and Window-Q are the manufacturer's designations for products manufactured by Q-Lab Corporation.
Xenon Weather Meter GX75, SX75, and GX90 are the manufacturer's designations for products manufactured by SUGA Test Instru-
ments Co., Ltd.
This information is only intended for informational purposes for the users of this in-house standard. This does not signify an en-
dorsement of the mentioned products by the Volkswagen Group. Equivalent products may be used if it can be verified that they lead
to the same results.
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4.3.3.1 Use of standard specimen carriers

These standard specimen carriers are used in tests of non-laminated fabrics, films, and loose non-
woven fabrics.
Due to their low inherent stiffness, these specimens with dimensions as per section 4.3.1 must be
mounted tension-free at their narrow sides, if necessary backed by a sheet of white cardboard.
These prepared specimens are then mounted in the specimen carriers.

4.3.3.2 Use of special specimen carriers

These special specimen carriers are used to test all materials that are more than 5 mm thick, or
materials that cannot be mounted on standard specimen carriers due to their structural properties.
If the specimens are too small or have insufficient inherent stability, they must be mounted on a
white cardboard sheet (in the case of textile specimens that are too small, the procedure in
section 4.3.3.1 must be followed).

4.4 Xenon arc light aging procedure

4.4.1 Basic procedure

Check the devices and clean the filters regularly in order to maintain the devices in proper condi-
tion. Check the filter systems of all devices mentioned in section 4.2 regularly and clean them with
distilled water as necessary.
Measure the intensity of irradiation on all devices after 500 h for a period of at least 30 min, e.g.,
using a XenoCal2) UV measuring device and adjust it as necessary. In accordance with the manu-
facturer's specifications, calibrate the Q-SUN Xe-2 as well using the radiometer after 500 h. Adjust
the devices from other approved manufacturers with the corresponding UV measuring devices in
each case. This also applies to the Xenon Weather Meter GX75, SX75, and GX90 devices.

2) XenoCal is the manufacturer's designation for the product manufactured by Atlas Material Testing Technology GmbH.
This information is only intended for informational purposes for the users of this in-house standard. This does not signify an en-
dorsement of the mentioned product by the Volkswagen Group. Equivalent products may be used if it can be verified that they lead
to the same results.
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4.4.2 Light-exposure period

See table 2.

Table 2
Device Irradiation dose Irradiation time Filter system
a)
Xenotest Alpha+
Xenotest Betaa)
Xenotest Beta LMa) Xenochrom 320a)
Xenotest Beta+a)
Xenotest 440a)
Weather-Ometer Ci4000a) 14 MJ/m2 approx. 64 h Borosilicate/soda
Weather-Ometer Ci4400a)
lime
Weather-Ometer Ci5000a)
Q-SUN Xe-2a) Window-Qa)
Xenon Weather Meter GX75a)
Xenon Weather Meter SX75a) Q 320a)
Xenon Weather Meter GX90a)
a) Xenotest Alpha+, Xenotest Beta, Xenotest Beta LM, Xenotest Beta+, Xenotest Ci4000, Xenotest Ci4400, and Xenotest 440 are
the manufacturer's designations for products manufactured by Atlas Material Testing Technology GmbH.
Q-SUN Xe-2 and Window-Q are the manufacturer's designations for products manufactured by Q-Lab Corporation.
Xenon Weather Meter GX75, SX75, and GX90 are the manufacturer's designations for products manufactured by SUGA Test In-
struments Co., Ltd.
Xenochrom 320 nm is the manufacturer's designation for the product manufactured by Atlas Material Testing Technology GmbH.
Q 320 is the manufacturer's designation of the product manufactured by SUGA Test Instruments Co., Ltd.
This information is only intended for informational purposes for the users of this in-house standard. This does not signify an en-
dorsement of the mentioned products by the Volkswagen Group. Equivalent products may be used if it can be verified that they
lead to the same results.

5 Evaluation

5.1 Evaluation principles

The light-aged specimens must be colorimetrically evaluated with respect to the color change (e.g.,
bleaching) referenced against an unaged specimen.
Should a colorimetric evaluation not be possible due the part's properties, the specimen must be
visually evaluated as per DIN EN 20105-A02 (gray scale).

5.2 Visual evaluation

Light-aged specimens that cannot be measured due to a non-uniform surface or surface issues
due to the part's geometry, must be evaluated with respect to color change using the gray scale
(DIN EN 20105-A02), under suitable lighting as described in DIN EN ISO/CIE 11664-4.
The light-aging results must be specified as a gray-scale grade as per DIN EN 20105-A02.""
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5.3 Colorimetric evaluation/gloss level after aging

Colorimetric evaluation as per DIN EN ISO /CIE 11664-4. Volkswagen standard VW 50190 may be
applied for further evaluation. The preferred device is the spectrophotometer CM-2500c CT3) or
CM-25cG3) (instrument geometry 45°/0° circular, illuminant D 65 10°).
The gloss level must be evaluated as per DIN EN ISO 2813 from a viewing angle of 60°. The gloss
level for high-gloss specimens must be evaluated as per VW 50190 from a viewing angle of 20°.

6 Test report
If required in the pertinent Technical Supply Specifications, the following information must be speci-
fied in the test report with reference to this standard:
1. Test device
2. Number of light-exposure periods
3. Gray-scale grade/GSL only for visually evaluated specimens
4. Colorimeter
5. Brightness difference and discoloration dL*, da*, db*
For specimens that showed a color shift, only the direction of the change must be indicated.

7 Applicable documents
The following documents cited in the standard are required for the application of this standard:
Some of the cited documents are translations from the German original. The translations of Ger-
man terms in such documents may differ from those used in this standard, resulting in terminologi-
cal inconsistency.
Standards whose titles are given in German may be available only in German. Editions in other
languages may be available from the institution issuing the standard.

VW 50190 Vehicle Interior Equipment Components; Measurement-Based Evalua-

tion of Color and Gloss Level; Visual Evaluation of Chrome Surfaces
DIN EN 20105-A02 Textiles - Tests for colour fastness - Part A02: Grey scale for assessing
change in colour
DIN EN ISO/ Colorimetry - Part 4: CIE 1976 L*a*b*colour space
CIE 11664-4
DIN EN ISO 105-B06 Textiles - Tests for colour fastness - Part B06: Colour fastness and age-
ing to artificial light at high temperatures: Xenon arc fading lamp test
DIN EN ISO 2813 Paints and varnishes - Determination of gloss value at 20°, 60° and 85°

3) Cm-2500c CT is the manufacturer's designation for the product manufactured by Konica Minolta Holdings K.K.
This information is only intended for informational purposes for the users of this in-house standard. This does not signify an en-
dorsement of the mentioned product by the Volkswagen Group. Equivalent products may be used if it can be verified that they lead
to the same results.
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Appendix A (informative) Basic quality criterion for vehicle interior parts

The test as per Test Specification PV 1303 simulates UV light and thermal load during open-air
weathering in a vehicle in a dry, hot climate (Arizona or Kalahari). As per this test method, the
weathering load is applied in the form of light-exposure periods (approx. 64 h/period or ap-
prox. 14 MJ/period). The location-dependent loading of the parts in the vehicle is incorporated into
the number of periods.

Legend
5 periods
3 periods
2 periods
Figure A.1

The visual evaluation of specimens/materials as per DIN EN 20105-A02 must only be applied if a
colorimetric evaluation is not possible (geometry, size of surfaces that are not uniform).
This corresponds to the following evaluation criteria:

Technical measurement evaluation of discoloration (example)

Colorimetric evaluation as per DIN EN ISO /CIE 11664-4. VW 50190 may be applied for further
evaluation. The preferred device is the spectrophotometer CM-2500c CT4) or CM-25cG4) (instru-
ment geometry 45°/0° circular, illuminant D 65 10°).
The deviation dL, da, db must be determined on colorimetrically measured specimens. Light or
dark specimens are classified as follows:
Light: L* > 40°, dark: L* < 40°
Any occurring deviations or tolerances on tested materials must be taken from the pertinent draw-
ings, Technical Supply Specifications (TL), and/or corresponding documents.
Additional requirement: No cracks, holes, or changes to the surface must occur within 2 years of
open-air weathering in a dry, hot climate.

4) Cm-2500c CT is the manufacturer's designation for the product manufactured by Konica Minolta Holdings K.K.
This information is only intended for informational purposes for the users of this in-house standard. This does not signify an en-
dorsement of the mentioned product by the Volkswagen Group. Equivalent products may be used if it can be verified that they lead
to the same results.