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Certified Tough

MIL-STD-810F

Each Panasonic Toughbook® is designed and manufactured to meet a level of durability matched to an intended work environment. The range of Toughbooks cover the ruggedized Toughbook 19, Toughbook 30, Wireless Display, and include models with selected durability features like the remaining semi-rugged models.

At the very least, each Toughbook features a magnesium alloy LCD case, 20 times stronger than ABS plastic, to protect this critical and expensive-to-replace component. Other models include full magnesium cases to protect all system components. Hard disk drives are equipped with various degrees of shock insulation to protect mission-critical data from the dangers of shocks, bumps and drops. Some Toughbooks also offer spill-resistant keyboards to provide protection from the spills and splashes that are a frequent part of mobile computing environments.

The key to choosing the right Toughbook is to consider your work environment and your performance and feature needs - your Panasonic representative or reseller will help you understand which Toughbook is the right choice for your particular business requirements.

Our most rugged Toughbooks have been designed using MIL-STD-810F test procedures to measure levels of environmental reliability. Created by the U.S. government, the MIL-STD-810F specifications cover a broad range of tests that measure the durability of equipment used under harsh conditions. From the MIL-STD-810F test menu, Panasonic selected those that most closely reflect the challenges that mobile professionals face in the field, on the road, and in the office. These tests include drop-, shock-, moisture-, dust- and vibration-resistance, exposure to extremely low and high temperatures, and many others.

And even though Panasonic conducts these environmental tests in our own factories with our own equipment, we didn't stop there. After we finished our in-house tests on the ruggedized Toughbook 19, Toughbook 30, and Wireless Display, we gave it to one of the leading independent environmental test agencies in the United States to repeat all of the tests again. In the end, the results confirmed our own: the Toughbook 19, Toughbook 30 and Wireless display passed all challenges without failure.

And while not every Toughbook is designed to be as ultra-rugged as the Toughbook 19, Toughbook 30 or Wireless Display, tests like the MIL-STD-810F help us to understand how to design all of our Toughbooks with the best focus on durability features for the type of user and work conditions. The information below describes the tests we use to measure Toughbook durability.

MIL-STD-810F test procedures

The Drop test was performed in accordance with MIL-STD-810F, Method 516.5, Procedure IV (Transit Drop Test). The Toughbook notebooks were sequentially dropped in non-operating mode, onto each face, edge and corner for a total of 26 drops from a height of 36 inches. The drop surface was defined as two-inch-thick plywood over a steel plate over concrete. The Toughbook notebooks were visually inspected after each drop and a functional check (boot-up into Windows) was performed after each drop.

The Toughbooks boot Windows® following each drop.

The Vibration shall be performed in accordance with MIL-STD-810F, Method 514, Procedure I, Category 24 (Minimum Integrity Test) for the non-operational condition and Category 20 (Ground Vehicles) for the operational condition. The unit should be clamped to an aluminum plate (approximating rigid mounting), and subjects to the following levels of vibration:

Non-Operational (from Figure 514.5C-17 of MIL-STD-810F) 0.04 g2 /Hz at 20-1000 Hz, -6 dB/Octave at 1000-2000 Hz, 1 hour/axis duration.

Operational (Figure 514.5C-1 of MIL-STD-810F) 0.001 g2 /Hz at 12.5 Hz, 0.034 g2 /Hz at 20~40 Hz 5.70E-06 g2 /Hz at 200 Hz, 1 hour/axis duration simulating 1000 miles of transportation.

The hard disk drive was spinning during the operational test. A functional test was performed between each axis of testing, to catch any potential failures. The operational test was conducted using the vertical axis power spectral density (worst case condition for amplitude), as the orientation of the test item during transportation is not known.

All units passed the vibration test without incident.

The Water Resistance test was performed in accordance with MIL-STD-810F, Method 506.4, Procedure III (Drip). The test items were subjected to this test with the LCD open and the unit operating, but with ports closed. The Toughbooks were opened following testing to inspect for water intrusion.

The Toughbooks continued to operate during and following the 15-minute water drip test. There was no evidence of water intrusion.

The Humidity test was performed in accordance with MIL-STD-810F, Method 507.4 (Aggravated). The test items were tested for operation near the conclusion of the fifth and tenth cycles. Each cycle was one day (24 hours) and the entire test was performed over ten days.The temperature was cycled between 86 and 140°F with the relative humidity at 95% constant.

The Toughbooks continued to boot up and operate following each test, and there were no visual anomalies.

The Dust Resistance test was performed in accordance with MIL-STD-810F, Method 510.4, Procedure I (Dust). An operating temperature of 140°F was used for this test. The upper non-operating temperature of 140°F was incorporated into the test as this is the "default" temperature given by the MIL-STD-810F guidelines. Silica flour as defined by the test standard was used. Failure was considered to have occurred if moving parts bind or are blocked, or if contacts or relays malfunctioned. The units must have continued to function also.

The Toughbooks continued to operate following dust testing. The keyboards were usable.

High Temperature tests were conducted in accordance with MIL-STD-810F, Method 501.4, Procedures I (Storage) and Procedure II (Operation). Panasonic set the testing parameters as follows: 140°F Operational, 160°F Non-Operational

The Toughbooks continued to operate during the operational test and to boot and operate following the non-operational test. There were no visual anomalies.

The Low Temperature test was performed according to MIL-STD-810F, Method 502.4, Procedures I (Storage) and II (Operation). Panasonic set the low operating temperature at -20°F and non-operating temperature at -60°F.

The Toughbooks continued to boot and operate following each test, and there were no visual anomalies.

The Thermal Shock test was performed in accordance with MIL-STD-810F, Method 503.4. Panasonic set the high temperature non-operating temperature at 205°F and the low temperature non-operating temperature at -60°F. Three cycles were performed (high to low = one cycle).

The Toughbooks continued to operate during the operational test and to boot and operate following the non-operational test. There were no visual anomalies.

The Toughbooks continued to boot up and operate following the test exposure cycles of thermal shock from 205°F to -60°F.

The Altitude test was performed in accordance with MIL-STD-810F, Method 500.4, Procedure I (Storage) and II (Operation). The altitude level used for both procedures was 15,000 feet (highest equivalent altitude given within MIL-STD-810F for cargo pressures of military aircraft).

All Toughbooks passed the test without incident.

Full details of each test are contained in a test report that was produced by an independent, internationally recognized test laboratory.

Shown below are some of the tests we perform on Panasonic Toughbooks, and the corresponding challenges that mobile road warriors face in daily business.

MIL-STD-810F test challenge