How do electronics companies know that their devices will survive a drop into the ocean or remain operational as temperatures dip toward zero? How does a car manufacturer construct its warranties? How do you know your phone battery won’t overheat and combust when it’s left in the sun?
Companies in all industries—but especially those that produce electronics, medical devices, automobiles, and anything that operates with a lithium-ion battery—put their products and components that make up those products through rigorous environmental tests.
This is completed with the use of environmental test chambers.
1. What are environmental test chambers
An environmental test chamber, also known as an environmental chamber or climatic chamber, is a system that enables users to manipulate the environmental conditions of an enclosed space to run controlled tests on a subject. Researchers, engineers, scientists, and manufacturers utilize these conditions to push innovation and ensure whatever products they produce are safe for use.
Environmental test chambers can range in size from half-a-cubic-foot benchtop models all the way up to 12,000-cubic-foot, drive-in rooms.
There are also multiple environmental conditions that test chambers can recreate: temperature and humidity conditions, temperature only conditions, and corrosive conditions through the use of salt spray.
If properly maintained, test chambers can remain operational for 10 years or more.
>> References:
- - How to select a suitable Environmental Test Chamber for your application
- - Important things before starting environment testing project
- - Terminology for environmental test chamber
2. Types of environmental test chambers GPower Vietnam is providing
>> Reference: Environmental testing equipment
2.1. Temperature Humidity Environmental Test Chamber
Temperature and humidity test chambers can simulate a wide range of temperature conditions from -70℃ to 150℃ (customized available), for example, constant extreme cold and hot, basic temperature cycling, accelerated stress test, also able to combine with humidity (from 20%RH to 98%RH) and vibration.
2.2. Thermal Shock Environmental Test Chamber
Thermal Shock Chamber provide the sudden temperature changes between extreme cold and extreme hot from -65℃ to 150℃ (customized available), specially for environmental stress screen test of the industries that rely on thermal testing, such as component, board electronic assemblies, defense, material stress, consumer products etc. The thermal shock test can cause faulting or crack by the expansion and contraction on the products, indicates the hidden manufacturing defects.
>> Reference: Thermal Shock Chamber: Introduction, Classification, Operating Mechanism
2.3. Walk-in Environmental Test Chamber
Walk-in Environmental Test Chambers are available in large capacity test requirement, especially the EV battery, storage system and solar panel.
2.4. Altitude Environmental Test Chamber
Combined Temperature and Altitude Test chambers are available to control the temperature when doing altitude test, to test the components or parts that use in various industries, especially the aircraft avionics.
2.5. Other Environmental Test Chambers
Such as vacuum dry oven, salt spray test chambers, rain spray test chambers, sand and dust test chamber, etc.
3. How does an environmental test chamber work
An environmental chamber is an enclosed space in which various environmental conditions such as humidity and temperature can be controlled. Some environmental chambers even account for corrosion through the introduction of salt spray into the chamber.
4. Q&A
Whar customization options can I choose when buying an environmental test chamber?
- - Test space (capacity) of the chamber
- - Temperature (and Humidity) range
- - Heating rate (℃/min, Linear or Non-Linear)
- - Refrigerating rate (℃/min, Linear or Non-Linear)
- - Water-cooled or air-cooled condenser
- - Other functions, such as Explosion-proof device, fire-extinguisher.
How about buying a used environmental chamber
Before purchasing used environmental test chambers, you'd better think about the following questions:
- - Is the mechanical structure rickety?
- - What is the condition of the refrigeration unit?
- - Does the chamber insulation work well?
- - Will Maintenance and repair easily drain all the money you saved on the purchase?
How to choose the right environmental test chamber manufacturers or suppliers
When choosing your environmental test chambers supplier, you should think about the following questions:
- - Will the manufacturer customize your chamber type, cooling/heating systems, chamber layout and accessories according to your needs.
- - From where are they sourcing their test chamber components?
- - If the test chamber manufacturer is not producing all of the components that are required to produce your chamber, make sure that the components they purchase are from reputable manufacturers as well.
Contact GPower Vietnam for detailed advice on environmental test chamber solutions and products.
