Exponent is the nation’s leading engineering and scientific consulting firm dedicated to analyzing and preventing technological and engineering-related failures. In the fields of personal identification and card technologies, we offer a wide range of services to make identification devices, cards, equipment, and processes more reliable including testing, design analysis, reliability studies, performance assessment, and engineering support.
Our services include:
Standards Testing
- FIPS201, ISO, ANSI, ICAO, and other standards testing for cards, e-passports, and other identification systems and devices
Compliance Testing
- Testing for compliance to existing specifications and preparation of specifications for future iterations of smart cards, machine readable travel documents (MRTDs), and other identification equipment and devices
Mechanical, Durability, and Reliability Testing
- Accelerated testing, wear testing, and service life prediction
Risk Mitigation
- Program risk mitigation consulting for smooth program Implementation
FMEAs
- Failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) on devices and applications
Failure Analysis/Investigation
- Failure analysis of chips, cards, products and equipment
- Nondestructive failure analysis (X-ray imaging, SEM, EDX, electrical tests)
Design Reviews and Engineering Support
Radio Frequency Tests
- RF and RF shielding tests; Electro-magnetically Opaque Sleeve testing; interference / EMC tests
- Functional and risk testing of contactless ID cards, financial payment cards, keyfobs, and e-passports
Our multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers has the capabilities needed to serve industries such as airlines, banking, gaming, government, health care, hotels, retail, travel and entertainment, and vending. Exponent is certified to ISO 9001 and is authorized by the Government Services Agency (GSA) to provide professional engineering services. Exponent participates in the ANSI and ISO Working Groups on Identification Cards and Related Technologies and helps write the standards relating to Physical Characteristics, Test Methods, and Interoperability.
We help our clients evaluate the quality, reliability, and interoperability of their contact and contactless cards, MRTDs, and identification devices by performing ISO, ANSI, ICAO, and other standard tests. A partial list of these tests includes:
Physical Parameters
- Height, width, thickness, corners
- Warpage
- Light transmittance
- Bending stiffness
- Blocking
- Temperature/humidity stability
- Flammability
- Delamination
Magnetic Stripe Parameters
- Placement
- Surface roughness
- Surface profile
- Resistance to chemicals
- Wear from read/write head
- “Window”and resolution test
- Erasure and demagnetization test
Magnetic Encoding Parameters
- Location of start sentinel
- Location of tracks
- Signal amplitude and “jitter”
- Character decode
IC Card and ID Device Tests
- Static electricity exposure
- Bending properties
- Torsion properties
- Profile of contacts
- EMC exposure
- UV light exposure
- ESD exposure
- Alternating electric fields
- Alternating magnetic fields
- Electromagnetic shield tests
Embossing Parameters
- Character placement
- Character relief height
Durability/Life Tests
- Abrasion tests
- Flexure tests
- Embossed character retention
- Chemical resistance
- Fade resistance
- Tamper resistance
- Environmental exposure
- Impact resistance
- Structural integrity
- Aging tests
- Stress tests
- 3-Roller tests
- Pressure tests
We help our clients evaluate the quality of their contact and contactless cards, e Passports, MRTDs, and identification devices by performing ISO (7810, 7811, 7816, 14443, 10373), ANSI (NCITS 322 etc.), ICAO, FIPS (FIPS201, PIV Card Test Procedure, etc.), and other standard tests.
A number of other specialized and client-specific quality, durability, and interoperability tests are performed on identification devices and related equipment and can be customized based on our client’s needs.