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Comparative Tracking Index Tester

Comparative Tracking Index Tester
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Product Categories
Cable & Wire Testing Equipment
Standards
IEC 60112
IEC 60335-1
IEC 60598-1
IEC 60950-1
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Comparative Tracking Index Tester - QualiFlame™ CTI

Comparative Tracking Index (CTI) and Proof Tracking Index (PTI) Test Apparatus

The QualiFlame™ CTI comparative tracking index tester measures how well solid insulating materials resist surface tracking when contaminated water contacts them under electrical stress. The instrument determines both the comparative tracking index (CTI) and the proof tracking index (PTI). Qualitest supplies it to appliance makers, luminaire manufacturers, connector producers, and material laboratories. Two platinum electrodes rest on the specimen while an electrolyte drips between them at a set rate. A fully enclosed cabinet keeps the operator clear of live parts throughout the run.

A test specimen sits on a glass plate inside a well-lit chamber, and the electrodes lower onto its top surface. A gauge block supplied with the instrument sets the 4.0 mm electrode gap accurately. The adjustable table height fixes the electrode angle and the drop height above the specimen. Operators set test voltage, limiting current, drip rate, and drop count at the control panel, then close the door and run the sequence from outside the chamber.

Test voltage covers 100 V to 1000 V with r.m.s. display, and the current reading holds a 1.5% tolerance. The PLC controller with touch interface handles sequencing, drop counting, and fault detection. An alarm sounds when a tracking failure persists for two seconds or longer, marking the endpoint without requiring constant operator attention. Observers still watch for flaming ignition, which the method records separately from tracking failure.

Comparative Tracking Index Tester - QualiFlame™ CTI Applications

The QualiFlame™ CTI serves manufacturers and laboratories that qualify insulating materials for creepage distance design and electrical safety approval.

  • Household Appliance Manufacturing: establishes the CTI value used to set creepage distances in appliance enclosures, terminal housings, and control assemblies
  • Luminaire and Lighting Component Production: qualifies lamp holders, driver housings, and insulating supports that operate in humid or dusty installations
  • IT and Audio-Video Equipment: verifies tracking resistance of insulating parts in power supplies, adapters, and equipment enclosures
  • Connectors and Terminal Blocks: rates the insulating bodies that separate adjacent live conductors at close spacing
  • Switchgear and Circuit Protection: tests barrier materials and molded housings in breakers, contactors, and distribution boards
  • Thermoset and Thermoplastic Compounding: ranks resin grades and filler systems by tracking performance during material development
  • Printed Circuit Board Laminates: measures surface tracking behavior of substrate materials carrying closely spaced traces
  • Automotive and EV High-Voltage Components: qualifies insulating parts in battery packs, junction boxes, and charging assemblies exposed to condensation
  • Certification and Third-Party Laboratories: generates CTI and PTI data for material datasheets and product approval submissions
Comparative Tracking Index Tester

Standards

The QualiFlame™ CTI is designed to align with the tracking index method and the product safety standards that reference it as a material qualification route.

  • IEC 60112 - Method for the Determination of the Proof and the Comparative Tracking Indices of Solid Insulating Materials
  • IEC 60335-1 - Household and Similar Electrical Appliances, Safety, Part 1: General Requirements
  • IEC 60598-1 - Luminaires, Part 1: General Requirements and Tests
  • IEC 60950-1 - Information Technology Equipment, Safety, Part 1: General Requirements

Comparative Tracking Index Tester - QualiFlame™ CTI Key Features

The QualiFlame™ CTI pairs automated test control with the mechanical setup aids that repeatable tracking work depends on.

  • Fully Enclosed Test Cabinet: keeps the operator away from exposed high-voltage electrodes while the test runs with the door closed
  • PLC Control with Touch Interface: sequences voltage application, drop timing, and drop counting without manual intervention
  • 99% Minimum Purity Platinum Electrodes: resist oxidation and erosion, so electrode condition does not skew results across repeated tests
  • Chisel-Edge Electrode Geometry: holds the 30° ±2° edge angle the method defines, keeping the contact footprint consistent between specimens
  • Supplied Gauge Block: sets the 4.0 mm electrode separation quickly and repeatably at the start of each setup
  • Adjustable Table Height: lets the operator dial in the electrode angle and the drop fall height for the specimen at hand
  • Programmable Voltage and Limiting Current: covers 100 V to 1000 V so a single instrument handles both PTI proof runs and full CTI determinations
  • Two-Second Tracking Failure Alarm: signals the endpoint automatically, removing the need to watch the current meter continuously
  • Dual Dripping Nozzle Sizes: accommodates the different drop volumes required by solution A and solution B testing
  • Illuminated Chamber: gives a clear view of scintillation activity, surface erosion, and any flaming ignition during the run
  • Calibrated 1.00 N Electrode Force: reproduces the contact pressure the method specifies, keeping results comparable between laboratories
  • Customizable Power Supply and Interface Language: adapts the instrument to local mains configurations and operator requirements

Theory and Method

Surface tracking is a progressive failure, not a sudden breakdown. A conductive film of contaminated water bridges part of the gap between two live points on an insulator, and leakage current begins to flow. That current heats the film unevenly, and dry bands form where evaporation is fastest. Voltage then concentrates across each dry band, producing small surface arcs called scintillations. Repeated arcing pyrolyzes the polymer surface, leaving carbon residue that conducts better than the original material.

Each new carbon deposit shortens the remaining insulating path, so the process accelerates as it proceeds. The test drives this mechanism deliberately. Two chisel-edged platinum electrodes press on the specimen at 1.00 N with a 4.0 mm gap, and an electrolyte drop falls between them at fixed intervals. Solution A is a dilute ammonium chloride electrolyte. Solution B adds a wetting agent that lowers surface tension so the drop spreads across hydrophobic surfaces, which makes the test more severe.

Failure is declared when leakage current exceeds the method threshold for two seconds or more, or when the specimen ignites. The proof tracking index confirms that a material survives 50 drops at one nominated voltage. The comparative tracking index reports the highest voltage at which the material withstands 50 drops without failing, which translates directly into the creepage distances a designer may use. Platinum electrodes matter here because a reactive metal would contribute its own oxides to the track.

Comparative Tracking Index Tester - QualiFlame™ CTI Technical Specifications

ParameterSpecification
ModelQualiFlame™ CTI
ControllerPLC with integrated touch interface
Control LanguageEnglish (other languages available on request)
Electrode MaterialPlatinum, 99% minimum purity
Electrode Separation4.0 mm ±0.1 mm
Electrode Angle60° ±5°
Electrode Width5 mm ±0.1 mm
Electrode Thickness2 mm ±0.1 mm
Electrode Length>12 mm
Electrode End Chisel-Edge Angle30° ±2°, platinum
Electrode Pressure1.00 N ±0.05 N
Test Voltage100 V to 1000 V, adjustable, r.m.s. display
Test Currentr.m.s. display, tolerance 1.5%
Dripping Nozzle, Solution A0.9 mm to 1.2 mm outer diameter
Dripping Nozzle, Solution B0.9 mm to 3.45 mm outer diameter
Dimensions (L × W × H)1100 × 740 × 1250 mm
Voltage220 V, 50 Hz to 60 Hz, single phase, 800 W (110V is also available)

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