Why is Comtest Engineering founder Hein de Groot holding a table tennis bat in this 1988 photo? This year, we are celebrating our 40th anniversary, and every five weeks, we share a bit of Comtest’s history.
In the heart of Italy’s military activities, we recently delivered a brand new chamber for Teslab that complies with MIL-STD-461 and DO-160 standards. Why a third chamber? Uliana Trucchi, Senior Technical Consultant at Comtest Engineering, states: “Teslab is a highly successful and fast-growing test facility, founded in Livorno, Tuscany, about thirty years ago by three brilliant men. One of them is Giorgio Romano, my primary contact during this project.
COMTEST
Hoge Rijndijk 205 | 2382 AL Zoeterwoude | The Netherlands | +31 71 541 7531 | Send us an email
Privacy Policy © Comtest 2025
COMTEST ENGINEERING BV
Hoge Rijndijk 205 | 2382 AL Zoeterwoude | The Netherlands | +31 71 541 7531 | Send us an email
Privacy Policy © Comtest Engineering 2025
Our services include maintenance and validated testing. We recommend that both are executed by authorized personnel only. Our expert teams can perform preventive maintenance on RF-shielded doors, mode-stirrer systems, and positioning equipment such as turntables. We also offer validation services to see if your EMC test chamber or RF-shielded room still functions within its intended limits and avoiding unexpected down-time or product recalls at the same time.
Our services include maintenance and validated testing. We recommend that both are executed by authorized personnel only. Our expert teams can perform preventive maintenance on RF-shielded doors, mode-stirrer systems, and positioning equipment such as turntables. We also offer validation services to see if your EMC test chamber or RF-shielded room still functions within its intended limits and avoiding unexpected down-time or product recalls at the same time.
A shielded room can perform conducted emission and immunity EMC measurements, eliminating harmful external influences, leading to more accurate and consistent test results. Being a Faraday cage, a shielded room will not only improve test results but will also form an excellent aid in protecting information and essential hardware. Comtest can assist governments, the military, financial institutions, and large corporations in protecting what matters most in critical situations. We offer the highest quality, sensitivity, and security before, during and after working with you.
A shielded room can perform conducted emission and immunity EMC measurements, eliminating harmful external influences, leading to more accurate and consistent test results. Being a Faraday cage, a shielded room will not only improve test results but will also form an excellent aid in protecting information and essential hardware. Comtest can assist governments, the military, financial institutions, and large corporations in protecting what matters most in critical situations. We offer the highest quality, sensitivity, and security before, during and after working with you.
Comtest has been building high-quality antenna test ranges for more than 20 years. We are dedicated to putting our experience to work for you, turning any problem you might have into a customized test solution. As for researching and developing your products, we know speed and return on investment are very important. That’s why we ensure your project is delivered on schedule, on budget and exactly as ordered.
Comtest has been building high-quality antenna test ranges for more than 20 years. We are dedicated to putting our experience to work for you, turning any problem you might have into a customized test solution. As for researching and developing your products, we know speed and return on investment are very important. That’s why we ensure your project is delivered on schedule, on budget and exactly as ordered.
Comtest offers semi and full anechoic chambers that shield almost 100% of ambient emissions and reflect minimal internal radiation. We deliver or build your custom test chamber at your location, depending on what size chamber you need. If you tell us your challenges, we’ll offer a tailored turnkey solution from design to installation, including upgrades and yearly certifications.
We are committed to helping you achieve the best EMC testing possible.
Comtest offers semi and full anechoic chambers that shield almost 100% of ambient emissions and reflect minimal internal radiation. We deliver or build your custom test chamber at your location, depending on what size chamber you need. If you tell us your challenges, we’ll offer a tailored turnkey solution from design to installation, including upgrades and yearly certifications.
We are committed to helping you achieve the best EMC testing possible.
Dirt on your test chamber doors can cause serious performance issues, leading to unnecessary costs, downtime, or even non-compliance. For tempest-shielded facilities, it could even lead to a security breach. Our colleague Joëlle Driessen-Verkuijlen, who oversees our maintenance contracts, explains these risks and has a simple solution.
Joëlle: “When dirt, like the visible kind in the photo, increases on your test chamber’s door knives, they cannot connect properly with the frame’s finger stocks. In that case, the chamber is not fully closed off, which creates the risk of RF leakage. Additionally, if this dirt is not removed on time, it can accumulate behind the fingerstocks, requiring extensive maintenance and potentially the removal and replacement of these door parts. And that leads to downtime of the chamber.”
How can it come this far?
Joëlle: “Not all clients add yearly maintenance agreements to their new Comtest chamber, while that would solve these problems easily. Some say they do not use the chamber that often and do not see the need for yearly maintenance. But the dirt is not coming from the chamber, but from space around where people walk by daily or after an internal renovation, when dust is formed.”
How does the maintenance program work?
Joëlle: “With our current clients, I first look at last year’s report with data on the battery’s condition and the fingerstocks. Then, I create a maintenance proposal for the client based on the previous year’s information, plan for a maintenance specialist, and order the necessary parts for him to bring with him. The Faraday cage is checked for performance during the visit, and the doors are thoroughly inspected and cleaned.
For new clients with a chamber we have not inspected, it is more challenging to determine which parts are necessary, which increases the risk that my colleague will have to return. My colleague, Edwin Van Der Ploeg, is preparing to provide in-house training for our clients, enabling them to manage simple maintenance themselves. Currently, it is in a trial stage, but it can help our clients understand that regular maintenance is essential, regardless of who performs it. However, remember that our five-year warranty requires an annual inspection by us.”
You can prevent downtime in your testing chamber caused by neglected maintenance by contacting Joëlle Driessen-Verkuijlen to discuss your options. It’s better to be safe than sorry…