What Information to Send a Testing Laboratory
Samples arriving without context cause delays and misdirected testing. A short submission sheet covering the points below prevents most of it.
Identify the sample
- Your internal reference or part number, and a unique ID per sample
- Material, grade, batch or lot number
- What the sample is: raw material, component, finished product, failed part
Describe the requirement
- The agreed method or standard, matching the quotation
- The question the result must answer
- Acceptance criteria or specification limits, if any
Give the context
- Relevant history: processing, service conditions, storage, prior testing
- For failure work: how and when the failure was found, and what changed
- Safety information: hazards, SDS for chemicals, decontamination status for used parts
State the logistics
- Contact for technical questions and for the report
- Return or disposal instructions for samples
- Any chain-of-custody or witnessing requirements
Common questions
- Do I need to send a safety data sheet?
- For chemical samples and anything hazardous, yes — laboratories need it to handle and dispose of the sample safely and legally.
- What if I don't know the material composition?
- Say so. Identification can be part of the work, but the laboratory needs to know that is the starting point.