A thermal shock chamber is utilized to subject products to severe shocks by swiftly transitioning them from high to low temperatures, creating abrupt and repetitive temperature changes. The purpose is to identify faulty components and assess the product's reaction to thermal shocks. In such scenarios, materials may heat up or cool down at varying rates across different parts, depending on the nature of the material. If this involves significant contraction or expansion, the sample may endure substantial mechanical stress, potentially leading to damage.
The thermal shock chamber can be employed to test products across various industries, including construction materials, automotive, chemicals, wood, electronics, cosmetics, and aerospace.
1. Applications of Thermal Shock Chambers
- - Suitable for testing material durability across a wide temperature range.
- - Applied to assess the performance of sample products in aerospace, automotive, military, electronic components, and electronics industries.
- - Used in testing the impact of rapid temperature changes (thermal shock) on materials, components, semiconductor products, and electronic components. Employed in research on material properties such as heat-resistant glass, heat-resistant polymers, and alloys.
2. Reliability testing of Thermal Shock Chambers
It’s important to inspect products for dependability before discharging parts into manufacturing, guaranteeing that products may dependably endure different environmental conditions. It’ll lower costs related to warranties and recalls.
Reliability testing also aids customers in meeting supplier fundamentals. The most common forms of environmental testing include temperature and humidity.
2.1. Design validation testing
The design of the product is validated to guarantee the basic operation stays smooth in a normal environment.
During the production stage, the aim is:
- To succeed in the test
- To achieve the technical specifications without failure
- The product is free from defects
2.2. Product validation
The reason for product validation is to guarantee that the product achieves the requirements regulations and specifications for which it is meant.
The product validation process utilizes simulations like those of design validation to predict gaps or faults in the design or manufacturing phases which may cause failures.
2.3. Environmental stress screening
When customers use the product, environmental stress screening uses a variety of unique stresses such as thermal cycling to put latent defects. In newly repaired or manufactured components or products (digital usually), the probability of failure means devastating consequences.
The living products or components must have more outstanding dependability compared to similar unscreened products or components.
2.4. Product lifecycle testing
Producers will assess the product life cycle by simulating real environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity.
Many products are put through conventional testing procedures that are often accepted by the IEC, UL, UN.
3. Thermal shock chamber maintenance
The condenser must be cleaned regularly every three months.
For air cooling, the condenser must be overhauled regularly, and the condenser must be purified to make it have good heat transfer performance and ventilation. For water-cooled cooling, it must be ensured its pressure and temperature is in the specified range. It should also be ensured that there is an equivalent flow rate, and the condenser must be regularly cleaned and scaled to achieve its continual heat transfer performance.
For a thermal shock chamber to do low temperature for a long time, as a cycle, it must be set to 110 °C. Box door must be opened for 2 hours for defrosting treatment. And after each testing, the temperature must be set close to ambient temperature. Work must be close to 30 minutes, the power supply must be cut off, and the inner wall of the chamber cleaned.
Thermal shock chamber must be regularly cleaned. The cleanliness level of each sample is different and in the action of enforced circulation of wind, the evaporator condenses numerous small particles like dust, which must be regularly cleaned.
Circulating air blade and condenser fan of the low temperature test chamber must be cleaned and balanced. Just like the cleaning evaporator, since the operating environment of the chamber differs, the condenser fan and circulating air blade will condense dirt and some small object particles. Therefore the test chamber must be cleaned regularly.
In the case there is a need to shift the thermal shock chamber, the company's technicians must guide the operation to prevent damage to the test chamber. If a customer shifts the chamber alone, an electrician should authorize that the circuitry is safe before starting. Otherwise, the test chamber related parts will be burnt out.
If the thermal shock test chamber has been utilized for a long duration, and it must be frequently energized for at least 60 minutes every half a month, and the working of related components of the thermal shock chamber must be tested.
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