What Is Drop?
The drop test is a test in which the specimen is released in free fall from a defined height, onto a hard surface, in specified orientations, evaluating damage and loss of function. In battery applications, safety behaviour is also monitored.
Purpose of Drop
The purpose is to verify that the product withstands drops during transport and handling, that the packaging provides protection, and that battery-containing products remain safe.
Which Products Is Drop Applied To?
- Battery cells, modules and packages
- Packaged shipment products
- Electronic devices
- Hand tools and portable equipment
In Which Sectors Is Drop Used?
Standards Related to Drop
- IEC 60068-2-31drop and tipping test test
- ISO 2248
- ASTM D5276free fall test on packages test
- ISTA series
- IEC 62133-2Safety in portable lithium cells and batteries test
- UN 38.3Transport safety tests on lithium batteries test
- IEC 62133Safety in portable cells and batteries test
- IEC 62619lithium battery safety in industrial applications test
- IEC 62620industrial lithium cells and batteries test
- UL 1642safety in lithium cells test
- UL 2054Safety in home and commercial use batteries test
- UL 2580Safety in electric vehicle batteries test
- ISO 12405Test conditions for electric vehicle lithium battery packs test
- UNECE R100electric vehicle and battery safety test
Drop Conditions
- Drop height
- Defined according to product mass and the specification
- Surface
- Rigid, flat concrete or steel floor
- Orientations
- Corner, edge and face drops; sequence defined in the standard
- Repeats
- The defined number of drops for each orientation
Equipment for Drop
- Drop test machine
- Rigid impact floor
- High-speed camera (optional)
- Temperature and voltage recording (battery)
- Function-check arrangement
Sample Requirements for Drop
- The specimen must be the actual product, or the product in its packaging
- Function must be checked before the test
- The specimen must be fully charged in battery tests
- The number of specimens is set out in the specification
Duration of Drop
It depends on the number of drops; a typical set is completed in half a working day to one full day.
Drop Procedure
- 1The specimen is identified, and a function check and photographic record are made.
- 2The drop height and orientation sequence are determined according to the specification.
- 3The specimen is released in the defined orientation.
- 4Damage and function are checked after each drop.
- 5Voltage and temperature are monitored in battery tests.
- 6A final assessment is made after all orientations are completed.
Drop Acceptance Criteria
The acceptance criterion is defined in the specification: preservation of the safety function and continuity of function. In battery tests, the absence of leakage, fire and explosion is required.
Evaluation of Results
Structural damage, loss of function and safety risk are assessed separately. Whether cosmetic damage is acceptable is stated in the specification.
Drop Report
- Standard applied
- Drop height, surface and orientation sequence
- Number of drops
- Damage and function status at each stage
- Photographic records
Accreditation
EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.
Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Scope and authorisationsRelated Regulations
- UN 38.3 (battery transport)
- Packaging and transport specifications
Batarya Testleri — What Does This Testing Field Cover?
The section below describes the field that the Drop test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Battery testing answers three separate questions, each with its own body of standards: can the battery be transported, is it safe in use, does it deliver the declared performance? These three questions are often confused with one another, and the confusion has commercial consequences — a market cannot be entered with a transport report, and a shipment cannot be made with a product safety report.
On the transport side, UN 38.3 is a mandatory gate; a battery without that evidence cannot be shipped. On the safety side the application determines what applies: IEC 62133-2 for portable products, IEC 62619 and IEC 63056 for industrial and energy storage applications, UNECE R100, UL 2580 and ISO 6469 for electric vehicles. On the performance side, capacity, internal resistance, cycle life, self-discharge, charge acceptance and temperature-dependent behaviour are measured.
The distinction of LEVEL is essential in this family and is the subject that causes the most argument in the supply chain. Cell, module and pack are assessed separately; a certificate obtained for a cell does not demonstrate the conformity of the pack. Alongside the cells, the behaviour of the pack is determined by the battery management system, the cooling design, the mechanical structure, the interconnection arrangement and insulation coordination. Putting the cell supplier's report into the pack file is a common but inadequate approach.
Thermal runaway and its propagation are the most critical subject in the field. A lithium cell may enter a self-sustaining chemical reaction when damaged or overheated; at that point removing the heat from outside is usually not possible. Modern standards therefore treat thermal runaway of a single cell as an UNAVOIDABLE fault scenario and change the question: does the event propagate to neighbouring cells, what does it release outside the pack, and how much time is left for the user to escape?
In this field the battery management system is assessed not as an electronic board but as a SAFETY FUNCTION. It is shown that overcharge, overdischarge, overcurrent and overtemperature protections actually operate, that the system falls to the safe side in a fault, and that its software has been verified. In industrial and vehicle applications this assessment is tied to functional safety frameworks.
The regulatory side is becoming rapidly more demanding. Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 goes beyond safety and introduces obligations for carbon footprint declaration, recovered content ratio, durability and capacity declaration, the battery passport, and removability for portable batteries. This takes the scope of testing beyond classical safety tests.
Method groups in this field
Electrical abuse
Overcharge, overdischarge, external short circuit, forced discharge and unbalanced charging. This is where it is seen whether the protection circuits actually work.
Mechanical abuse
Vibration, shock, crush, penetration, free fall and tipping. It is monitored whether internal short circuit conditions arise.
Thermal tests
Temperature cycling, thermal shock, high temperature storage, fire exposure and thermal runaway propagation.
Environmental tests
Humidity, low pressure, salt spray and, where required, immersion; these come to the fore in vehicle and outdoor applications.
Performance measurements
Capacity, energy and power, internal resistance, efficiency, cycle life, calendar life and temperature-dependent behaviour.
BMS verification
Verification of protection thresholds, the cell balancing function, communications and fault response.
Commonly confused in this field
- UN 38.3 is not a product safety certificate; it only demonstrates transport conformity.
- A cell certificate does not demonstrate pack conformity. The pack is assessed separately with its own architecture.
- Two packs built from the same cell give different results; cooling, interconnection and mechanical structure are decisive.
- A performance test is not a safety test. A cycle life report does not satisfy safety requirements.
- For an electric vehicle battery, a UL 2580 report and UNECE R100 approval are not the same thing; one is a standards assessment, the other a type approval regime.
- A vehicle battery moved into a second-life application enters a new usage profile; the earlier assessment does not carry over directly.
Which decisions these results support
- Transport conformity and the test summary for shipment
- Product safety declaration and market access
- Performance, durability and carbon footprint declarations under the Battery Regulation
- Assessing the impact of a cell supplier or BMS change
- Site acceptance processes for an energy storage system
Related Tests
Frequently Asked Questions About Drop
According to which standard is Drop made?
Drop is executed in scope IEC 60068-2-31, ISO 2248, ASTM D5276, ISTA series and IEC 62133-2. The limit values and acceptance criteria to be applied are defined in the product standard; The version valid for your product is confirmed in writing at the offer stage.
Which products does Drop apply to?
Mainly applied to Battery cells, modules and packages, Packaged shipment products, Electronic devices and Hand tools and portable equipment. Whether your product is included in the scope is determined by examining its technical specifications and intended use.
Under what conditions is Drop done?
The determining parameters are: Drop height — Defined according to product mass and the specification, Surface — Rigid, flat concrete or steel floor and Orientations — Corner, edge and face drops; sequence defined in the standard. The full terms are in the "Test Conditions" section on the page and vary depending on the product standard.
What kind of sample is needed for Drop?
The specimen must be the actual product, or the product in its packaging, Function must be checked before the test and The specimen must be fully charged in battery tests. The number of samples is determined according to the product standard and the scope to be reported.
How long does Drop take?
It depends on the number of drops; a typical set is completed in half a working day to one full day. This duration belongs to the experiment itself; sample preparation, queuing and reporting are also evaluated. A realistic schedule for your product is given in the offer.
What is the Drop result called "appropriate"?
The acceptance criterion is defined in the specification: preservation of the safety function and continuity of function. In battery tests, the absence of leakage, fire and explosion is required.