What Is MIL-SPEC-810G or MIL-STD-810G?
The phones certified with MIL-STD-810G, making themselves strong enough to resist possible damage.
When you buy a ruggedized product like a rugged phone, it is very likely for you to see labels like “MIL-STD-810G” with pictures showing the device on a muddy puddle or rugged rock or with images displaying a soldier using the device in the military. Then you may guess that MIL-STD-810G is some sort of certification that proves how tough and wear-resistant a device is.
But some of you may wonder what MIL-STD-810G actually means, why some peoples like to buy military grade smartphone, and why it can prove the toughness of a product. Well, in this article, we are going to run through the definition and content of this certification to help those who are interested have a deeper knowledge of it.
What is MIL-STD-810G?
MIL-STD-810G also named MIL-SPEC-810G. MIL-STD stands for Military Standard and MIL-STD-810 is the Department of Defense (DoD) Test Method Standard: Environmental Engineering Considerations and Laboratory Tests. This standard was originally put forward to tell private contractors what standard their product should meet if they are going to win the bid offered by the DoD department so that the department knows the products they are buying are combat-ready and able to withstand harsh conditions in a battlefield.
The first version of MIL-STD-810 was released in 1962. Revisions are made in alphabetical order and the MIL-SPEC-810G, made in 2008, is the seventh version of the standard. MIL-STD-810H is the most recent version of the Standard, published in January 2019.
While MIL-SPEC-810G is specifically for military equipment and applications, the standard is now often used for commercial products, too. Especially rugged device makers like Blackview will publicize their devices with MIL-STD-810G certification in order to clarify the degree of toughness.
What are the Objectives of MIL-STD 810G?
The test standard outlines a number of objectives, including but not limited to the following:
1. Define the environmental stress sequences, durations, and levels of life cycles for the product, its components and materials.
2. Serve as a resource to develop analysis and test criteria tailored to the product and its environmental life cycle.
3. Evaluate product performance when exposed to a life cycle of environmental stresses.
4. Identify deficiencies, shortcomings, and defects in product design, materials, manufacturing processes, packaging techniques, and maintenance methods.
5. Demonstrate the compliance with contractual requirements for the product.
What does MIL-SPEC-810G Consist of?
MIL-SPEC-810G has been written on paper for over 1,000 pages in length and mainly consists of three parts: Environmental Engineering Program Guidelines, Laboratory Test Methods and Wold Climatic Regions.
The second part, the Laboratory Test Method is the one which manufacturers are concerned with the most. That’s because the Test Method determines the worthiness and durability of a product and the cost to produce it. Here we will have a look at the second part.
The Laboratory Test Method consists of 29 tests, and here they are:
But if you are interested in the full information of MIL-STD-810G, click here to check out the PDF file.
Do MIL-STD-810G Standards Include an IP68 rating?
If a device boasts MIL-ST-810G compliance, it should, in theory, be durable. It should be far more likely to survive drops and harsh environmental conditions like water or raindrops. But is a MIL-STD-810G certified device completely waterproof? The water-proofness of a device is mostly based on another certification called IPxx rating.
You may hear of IP68. The IP is the acronym of Ingress Protection, and it shows the dust- and water-proofness of a device. The IP standard has been put forward by the International Electrotechnical Commission, and it is not part of the MIL-STD-810G standard. But it is a significant measure to show how endurable a rugged device is when facing water and dust.
The first number after 'IP' in IP68 represents the quality of protection from dust (solids) - 1 being the lowest and 6 being the highest. The second number measures the degree of protection against water (liquids) - 1 being the lowest and 8 being the highest.
Some manufacturers are providing more than just IP68 protection and are choosing to include MIL-STD-810G standards to make their devices more durable and shock resistant. Blackview is such a manufacturer. Smartphones like BV4900s, BV6600 Pro thermal camera phone, BV6600E, BL5000 5G rugged gaming smartphone, BL6000 Pro 5G rugged smartphone, BV5100, BV9900E, etc., are all MIL-STD 810G and IP68 certified.
Beyond that, Blackview has managed to upgrade its smartphones from MIL-STD-810G to MIL-STD-810H since May this year.
In short, MIL-STD-810G is obviously an encouraging measure to see how tough a rugged device is and the next time you buy a rugged device, maybe you should ask the salesman whether it is MIL-STD-810G certified so that you know whether you are getting the enough ruggedness you are expected.
