The Q-Lab Q-SUN Xe-8-HBSX Large Capacity Rotating Rack Xenon Arc Weathering Tester is a high-capacity xenon arc chamber for laboratories that need repeatable full-spectrum sunlight, heat, humidity and water spray exposure at scale. The Xe-8-HBSX uses four 4200 W LIGHT/YEAR xenon arc lamps, a rotating rack specimen system, integrated SOLAR EYE irradiance control and standard UC80 AUTOCAL calibration to support controlled accelerated weathering and lightfastness testing. It is designed for technical buyers evaluating large-volume test capability for plastics, coatings, automotive materials, textiles, packaging, sealants, electronics, photovoltaic materials and industrial products. For laboratories comparing Q-SUN platforms, the Xe-8 is the large-capacity rotating rack option, offering much higher specimen throughput than Xe-1, Xe-2 or Xe-3 chambers while retaining Q-Lab’s core control, calibration and ease-of-use features.
Test Standards Supported
The Q-SUN Xe-8-HBSX supports a broad range of xenon arc weathering, lightfastness and photostability methods. Exact suitability depends on the selected optical filter, irradiance control point, black panel or insulated black panel control, chamber air temperature, relative humidity, spray cycle and specimen configuration.
- ASTM G155, xenon arc exposure of non-metallic materials.
- ISO 4892-2, plastics exposed to laboratory xenon arc light sources.
- ISO 16474-2, paints and varnishes exposed to laboratory xenon arc light sources.
- ASTM D2565, xenon arc exposure of plastics intended for outdoor applications.
- ASTM D4459, xenon arc exposure of plastics for indoor applications.
- ASTM D6695, xenon arc exposure of paints and related coatings.
- ASTM D7869, xenon arc exposure of automotive coatings.
- SAE J2412, accelerated exposure of automotive interior trim components.
- SAE J2527, accelerated exposure of automotive exterior materials.
- AATCC TM16.3 and AATCC TM169, textile lightfastness and weather resistance methods.
- ISO 105-B02 and ISO 105-B04, textile colour fastness methods.
- ISO 105-B06 and ISO 105-B10, automotive textile exposure methods.
- IEC 60068-2-5, photovoltaic and solar radiation testing.
- ASTM C1442, xenon arc exposure of sealants.
- MIL-STD-810H, where the selected exposure cycle and configuration align with the test requirement.
Configuration Notes
- This Xe-8-HBSX model is a large-capacity rotating rack xenon arc chamber.
- This model includes full chamber air temperature and relative humidity control.
- This model includes water spray on the front and back of specimens.
- This model includes dual uninsulated black panels and dual insulated black panels.
- This model includes the UC80 ride-around Universal Calibrator System for AUTOCAL calibration.
- The Xe-8 specimen capacity is listed with specimen holders.
- Method suitability depends on the selected optical filters, control point and exposure cycle.
Key Features
- Large-capacity rotating rack chamber for high-throughput xenon arc weathering and lightfastness testing.
- Four 4200 W full-spectrum ozone-free LIGHT/YEAR xenon arc lamps for realistic sunlight simulation.
- LIGHT/YEAR lamp technology provides approximately 8000 hours of lamp life at typical irradiance settings.
- 100% air-cooled design to simplify installation and reduce maintenance compared with water-cooled lamp systems.
- Integrated SOLAR EYE irradiance control with onboard 340 nm, 420 nm and TUV sensors.
- Dual uninsulated and insulated black panel control for flexible temperature control across multiple standards.
- Full chamber air temperature and relative humidity control for demanding weathering cycles.
- Front and back water spray for methods requiring direct moisture exposure on both sides of specimens.
- UC80 ride-around Universal Calibrator System for fast irradiance and temperature AUTOCAL calibration.
- Dual colour touchscreen displays with Gen 4 controller, USB updates and 17-language interface.
Performance Specifications
- Chamber type: large-capacity rotating rack xenon arc weathering tester.
- Light source: four 4200 W full-spectrum ozone-free LIGHT/YEAR xenon arc lamps.
- Specimen capacity: 164 Q-Lab-size specimens at 51 x 102 mm.
- Specimen capacity: 96 Atlas-size specimens at 67 x 145 mm.
- Specimen area: 77.5 x 47.5 cm rack area, equal to 11,560 cm².
- Specimen orientation: 90° measured from horizontal.
- Maximum evenly distributed specimen weight: 68 kg.
- Black panel temperature range: 39 to 100 °C in light and 25 to 45 °C in dark.
- Insulated black panel temperature range: 39 to 110 °C in light and 25 to 45 °C in dark.
- Chamber air temperature range: 35 to 65 °C in light and 25 to 45 °C in dark.
- Relative humidity range: 20 to 95%.
- Water spray consumption: 1.0 L/min front spray or 1.5 L/min front and back spray.
- Humidifier water consumption: 0.4 L/min at 100% duty cycle.
- External dimensions: 173 x 204 x 104 cm.
- Weight: 518 kg, with actual shipping weight dependent on shipment type.
- Electrical requirements: 3-phase 208/230 V at 80 A or 400 V at 50 A.
Specimen Capacity and Configuration
The Q-SUN Xe-8-HBSX is designed for laboratories that need large-volume xenon arc exposure without sacrificing control of irradiance, temperature, humidity and water spray conditions. Q-Lab lists capacity for 164 specimens at 51 x 102 mm using Q-Lab-size holders, or 96 specimens at 67 x 145 mm using Atlas-size holders. The rotating rack specimen area is 77.5 x 47.5 cm, equal to 11,560 cm², with specimen orientation at 90° measured from horizontal.
This high specimen capacity is valuable for laboratories running large screening programmes, multiple formulations, customer comparison work or routine production quality control. The reversible holder concept and rotating rack format are useful where users need efficient loading, consistent exposure geometry and practical specimen handling. The maximum evenly distributed specimen weight is 68 kg, which should be considered when testing heavier mounted samples or mixed specimen loads.
Operating Specifications
The Xe-8-HBSX requires high-purity water because it includes front and back water spray. Q-Lab lists inlet water pressure at 2.1 to 6.2 bar, resistivity greater than 5 MΩ.cm, conductivity less than 0.2 μS/cm, total dissolved solids less than 0.1 ppm and colloidal silica less than 0.1 ppm. Q-Lab also recommends maintaining pH 6 to 8 and using a reverse osmosis/deionisation system for best performance.
For facility planning, the chamber external dimensions are 173 x 204 x 104 cm and the listed unit weight is 518 kg. The electrical requirement is 3-phase 208/230 V at 80 A or 400 V at 50 A, with voltages shown at plus or minus 10% and 50/60 Hz. Compressed air is required at 85 to 115 psi, equivalent to 5.9 to 7.9 bar. The recommended laboratory ambient condition is 23 ± 5 °C and 50 ± 25% relative humidity, and Q-Lab states that the tester should not be operated above 36 °C ambient or above 80% RH.
Why Choose the Q-Lab Q-SUN Xe-8-HBSX?
The Q-Lab Q-SUN Xe-8-HBSX is suited to laboratories that need large-capacity rotating rack xenon arc testing with full environmental control. Compared with smaller Q-SUN models, it provides much higher specimen throughput while retaining precise irradiance control, black panel and insulated black panel temperature capability, full chamber air and RH control, and front/back water spray. This makes it suitable for high-volume quality programmes, automotive weathering, coatings qualification, textile testing, packaging durability studies and R and D screening across many materials.
For technical buyers, the main commercial value is test throughput and operating control. The Xe-8 combines high specimen capacity, long-life air-cooled lamps, durable optical filters, standard UC80 calibration and a front/top service design that reduces the operational burden of running a large-format xenon arc chamber. It is a strong option when the laboratory needs to reduce outsourced testing, improve turnaround time, support customer specifications or build a larger in-house durability testing programme.
John Morris Group supplies Q-Lab capital test equipment across Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and the Pacific Islands, supporting customers with model selection, facility planning, calibration workflow, water quality requirements, electrical planning, compressed air requirements and after-sales support. Contact John Morris Group for a quote on the Q-Lab Q-SUN Xe-8-HBSX Large Capacity Rotating Rack Xenon Arc Weathering Tester, including confirmation of the correct optical filters, specimen holders, UC80 calibration requirements, water purification and installation services for your test programme.
