Pioneer constructed a test chamber at our Cincinnati headquarters to support rigorous product testing in simulated extreme conditions. The chamber is capable of housing a 20’ tall by 15’ wide unit. While we are not a certified laboratory, and thus would require a third party to certify a test, we are able to conduct test procedures to support any of the following tests: ASTM E283 (air leakage), ASTM E330 (structural performance), and ASTM E331 (water penetration).
The test chamber also supports various research and development efforts and is used by our design and engineering team and our field operations team. These efforts include visual mock-ups, field installation preparation and testing, and variations on the tests listed above to experiment with new designs.
The work in our own testing facility enables us to resolve potential problems early in the design cycle, sometimes independent of a project altogether which ultimately streamlines the design and testing phases of a particular project. Often, project requirements or our own quality assurance processes will require us to conduct field tests in accordance with AAMA 501.2-09 (water leakage), AAMA 501.3-94 (water and air leakage), and ASTM E1105-00 (water penetration). The pre-testing, completed in our own test chamber, allows us to conduct the field tests quickly and expeditiously, ensuring that we meet a project’s performance standards and maintain the project schedule.
In addition to our own test chamber and the field testing that we perform, Pioneer often performs tests at laboratories such as Architectural Testing, Inc. (ATI) in York, Pennsylvania. These tests support a variety of AAMA and ASTM standards. Again, Pioneer’s pre-work in our own test chamber prepares us well for these more formal tests.
We also study thermal performance using theoretical steady-state software simulation programs such as Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s (LBL) THERM, WINDOW, and OPTICS. We ensure that the resulting overall performance falls within the defined tolerances as defined by the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC). Finally, on a daily basis, we perform various structural silicone tests including Mixing, Adhesion, Snap Times and Peel Strength.