What UN 38.3 means in the test plan
UN 38.3 is the transport test series for lithium cells and batteries in the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria. Without passed, documented tests the products usually cannot move as dangerous goods by road, rail, sea or air.
For validation teams UN 38.3 is rarely the only standard. It sits next to IEC 62619, OEM stress profiles and often the EU Battery Regulation. The plan has to separate cell, module and pack: the same spec paragraph often does not mean the same DUT level.
The eight test groups
| Group | Scope | Typical planning trap |
|---|---|---|
| T.1 | Altitude / low pressure | SoC and packaging not carried through |
| T.2 | Thermal cycling | OEM asks for harsher profiles without acceptance |
| T.3 | Vibration | Axes, fixturing and sample state unclear |
| T.4 | Shock | OEM pulse instead of the UN profile, no evidence path |
| T.5 | External short circuit | Conditions and protective devices unspecified |
| T.6 | Impact / crush | Cell vs battery applicability not settled |
| T.7 | Overcharge | BMS dependence without acceptance criteria |
| T.8 | Forced discharge | Chemistry and construction overlooked |
Note: This table is a planning grid, not a substitute for the standard. Profiles, sample counts and pass/fail live in the spec, the UN Manual and OEM addenda.
How Cevelar puts UN 38.3 on the chain
Requirements are extracted from the spec, mapped to T.1–T.8 plus OEM deltas, and gaps are flagged. The output is an auditable plan with sequence and traceability the lab can book. See test plan from an OEM spec sheet.