Category: Environmental Test Chambers

Ensuring your products are reliable, durable, and market-ready is essential for success. Across industries, product testing is a vital part of maintaining quality. Proper testing not only ensures that products perform as intended but also helps avoid costly recalls, protecting your brand’s reputation.

A key tool in this process are environmental test chambers, which allow manufacturers to replicate real-world conditions in a controlled setting. This article explores the importance of product testing and how environmental test chambers contribute to product success.

What is Product Testing?

Product testing is a thorough process that evaluates how well a product functions, holds up under stress, and remains safe for consumers. The primary objective is to identify and address potential flaws before the product reaches the market. By doing so, manufacturers ensure the product is both safe and effective.

There are several critical types of product testing that companies rely on, including:

• Functional Testing: Verifies that the product performs as expected in everyday use scenarios.
• Performance Testing: Assesses how well the product functions under specific conditions, including stress tests that simulate extreme environments.
• Reliability Testing: Measures the product’s ability to maintain consistent performance over time.

Through these types of testing, manufacturers can detect issues early in the production process, allowing them to resolve potential problems before the product reaches consumers. This saves time, money, and — most importantly — helps avoid damage to brand reputation. For example, electronics manufacturers often perform product testing to evaluate how their devices perform in varying conditions of temperature and humidity.

The Importance of Environmental Test Chambers

An essential part of modern product testing is the use of environmental test chambers. These chambers simulate environmental conditions such as extreme temperatures, humidity, altitude, and vibrations that a product may encounter throughout its life cycle. By exposing a product to these conditions, manufacturers can observe how it performs and identify any weaknesses.

Different types of environmental chambers are available, depending on what testing is required:

1. Temperature and Humidity Chambers: Temperature chambers expose products to extreme heat or cold to determine how they respond. Humidity chambers test the impact of moisture on a product’s internal components and materials.
2. Thermal Shock Chambers: Assess how a product handles sudden, extreme temperature changes, such as moving from cold storage to a warm environment.
3. AGREE Chambers: Simulate the physical stress a product might endure during transport or operation in high-vibration environments.

Using environmental test chambers in their product testing processes allows manufacturers to detect flaws that might otherwise go unnoticed. For example, automotive companies use these chambers to confirm that vehicle components can operate reliably under extreme weather conditions and during extended use.

Benefits of Environmental Test Chambers in Product Testing

Using environmental test chambers in product testing offers significant benefits, particularly when it comes to improving product reliability and compliance with regulatory standards.

Improved Reliability and Safety

Testing in controlled environments that replicate extreme conditions ensures that products can withstand the challenges they may face in the real world. This results in more reliable, safer products that are less likely to fail in customer hands. Products that pass these rigorous tests offer better protection for both consumers and brand reputation.

Early Detection of Design Flaws

Environmental test chambers allow manufacturers to identify weaknesses in product design and material choices. For instance, certain plastics may become brittle in extremely cold environments, or electronic components might overheat when exposed to high temperatures. Detecting these flaws early enables manufacturers to refine their designs and select better materials before mass production.

Cost Efficiency

Addressing design flaws early in the development process is far more cost-effective than issuing recalls or repairing products after they’ve reached the market. Preventing widespread failures or defects with environmental testing saves companies from the financial and reputational costs associated with these problems. Moreover, reducing the likelihood of product recalls helps ensure smoother production schedules and greater customer satisfaction.

Ensuring Compliance with Industry Standards

Many industries are governed by stringent safety and performance regulations. By testing products in environmental chambers, manufacturers can verify that their products meet or exceed these standards, ensuring compliance and reducing the risk of fines or product delays. This is especially important in highly regulated industries such as aerospace, automotive, and medical devices, where environmental test chambers are essential for meeting industry benchmarks.

In summary, product testing plays a critical role in the product development cycle, ensuring that products are safe, reliable, and capable of performing as expected in various conditions. The use of environmental test chambers enhances this testing by replicating real-world environments, helping manufacturers identify and address potential flaws before products reach consumers.
For companies that prioritize quality, incorporating environmental test chambers into their product testing process is a savvy investment. It boosts product reliability, reduces the risk of recalls, and ensures compliance with industry standards. Whether you’re manufacturing electronics, automotive components, or medical devices, robust product testing — particularly that using environmental test chambers — is key to delivering high-quality products that stand the test of time.

Environmental testing is a critical component across industries for designing and building safe and reliable products. Making products safer, stronger, and longer-lasting requires repeated exposure to extreme environmental conditions. The ability to produce those conditions within your facility provides flexibility and efficiency in delivering your products to market expediently. 

Some testing applications can be satisfied by a standard, off-the-shelf environmental chamber. These units are offered with pre-engineered dimensions, performance specifications, and features that provide effective and often economical testing capabilities. In some circumstances, the product being tested and/or the test specification requires a unique solution. These particular cases are accomplished with custom environmental chambers which can be designed to meet exact and specific test specifications and requirements. 

Determining Custom Environmental Chamber Features

When standard features and performance are insufficient, a custom chamber can be the right solution. Selecting the right equipment can be a challenge, so consider the following four features when determining whether a custom chamber might be required for your testing.

1. Performance

Performance is often the first consideration when buying an environmental test chamber. Temperature and product change rates are determined by your test specifications. Identifying your test profile will provide your manufacturer with valuable information in determining the compressor size and configuration required to achieve those defined parameters. When you need to achieve an elevated temperature ramp rate or pulldown, a more powerful compressor package might be required. 

2. Operating Conditions

The operating conditions under which your products need to be tested will dictate the level of heating and cooling customization. A typical standard environmental test chamber can operate within the range of -70°C to 180°C (-94°F to 356°F). Optimizing temperature and humidity within that range is accomplished through a circulation system designed to move conditioned air evenly across the interior workspace. A standard cooling system might incorporate a self-contained mechanical refrigeration system with an air-cooled condenser. A custom chamber that offers further temperature extremes (and temperature change rates) can be accomplished with boost cooling using liquid nitrogen (LN2) or carbon dioxide (CO2). 

3. Size

The size of the unit under test (UUT) plays a critical role in chamber selection. While a standard reach-in chamber might accommodate a wide testing variety, larger devices require a unique layout and design. Here your chamber manufacturer will help to navigate the number of products being tested at one time, the mass and materials of the UUT, the size and dimensions of the UUT, as well its fixture requirements. A custom environmental chamber can be designed to contain a unique component or sub-system, all the way up to a hangar-sized enclosure for walk-in or drive-in applications. 

4. Unique Features

Unique features and requirements can be a significant component of custom environmental chambers. Door configurations, for example, can be offered in hinged, bi-parting, or vertical lift (guillotine-style) in virtually any size. Your manufacturer can offer access ports in limitless size, configuration, and quantity, while portable or remote conditioning can be accomplished through insulated ducting. Intrinsic safety features like fire suppression, gas detection, and sheath limited heaters can be added to customize a battery test chamber.

What to Expect From Your Manufacturer?

The right environmental chamber manufacturer will walk with you through the selection process to determine the best fit for your testing operations. Because environmental chambers are used in almost every industry imaginable, the best manufacturers will have the right solution for each unique industry application. Prompt and regular communication from initial request to product selection, order, and delivery should be expected. The more complex the system, the higher level of involvement will be required through design and engineering to ensure efficient and timely delivery of a quality custom environmental chamber. 

Additional benefits of custom chamber design allow for unique building infrastructure and installation considerations where restrictions may limit normal facility access. Ultimately, a custom chamber design process is unique to each customer and application. The best custom environmental chambers are those designed and manufactured to meet your unique test requirements with reliability and longevity so your customers can count on your products with confidence.  

Russells Technical Products offers more than 50 years of experience designing, manufacturing, and supporting custom environmental chambers. Where other manufacturers cannot, Russells Technical Products can. Contact us today to learn why Fortune 500 companies and start-ups trust our team to create the right testing solution so they can deliver for their customers. 

Thermal analysis is a critical component in understanding how products respond to extreme environments and provides engineering insights into product longevity and reliability. For example, thermal testing for electrical vehicle (EV) batteries is critical for their qualification and validation. Thermal test chambers bring real-world environmental conditions into the laboratory space, allowing for the safe and effective exposure of products to variable temperature conditions. Exploring some of the industry uses and applications will help you assess if a thermal chamber is appropriate for your testing requirements. 

What is Temperature Testing? Understanding Thermal Test Chambers

Thermal test chambers (or temperature test chambers) are widely used in a variety of industries and applications. Common uses include steady-state or stability testing, thermal cycling or thermal shock, and other applications for today’s testing needs. Key industry requirements define specific testing protocols and standards which are frequently updated to keep pace with the dramatically accelerating advancements in consumer technologies. Several key industries and applications include:

EV Batteries

With the increasing demand for vehicle electrification, OEMs, suppliers and manufacturers must keep pace with the changing technologies and regulatory environment. While a variety of methods and specifications exist, several key applications for EV battery test chambers include thermal cycling and thermal shock, reliability, and robustness from vibration, overcharge and discharge protection, and over-temperature protection. Thermal chambers are especially useful for simulating cold start conditions where various temperature extremes need to be verified. Several common standards for vehicle battery certification include UL 1642 (lithium cells), IEC 62660, ISO 12405, SAE J1772, and IEEE 1725.

Aerospace and Defense

Various space and defense programs rely on ground testing to ensure the proper and successful operation of components, systems, payloads, sensors, and more. Thermal shock chambers allow for thermal cycling of components to simulate the harsh environments experienced at altitude, while thermal vacuum chambers allow space components and subsystems to endure both extreme temperature and deep vacuum. Commercial, military, and aerospace industries require exact thermal temperature tolerances as defined by industry standards including MIL-STD-1540, MIL-STD-750, EIA-364-32, and more.

Electronics

Thermal testing and cycling of electronics and components is generally accomplished by exposing parts to temperatures exceeding normal operating temperature to detect for defects including solder joint and hermetic seal failure, as well as lead and marking damage. Thermal induced stress on electronics and components also helps to identify changes to the physical characteristics of components which could lessen the reliability and lifespan of those products. In other cases, thermal testing is used to produce component validation where wider temperature ranges exceeding normal operation are used to identify the maximum and minimum operating temperature for those components. Various industry standards exist, though the widely accepted eleven standards that comprise JDEC 51 specifically address thermal measurement of component packages in various environmental conditions. 

Other Industries

There are extensive industries and services which develop products that must comply with national and international standards using forms of thermal testing. Some industries and standardization bodies include building and construction materials (ASTM, ANSI, ISO), chemicals, energy commodities, consumer products, and healthcare including pharmaceutical and medical devices. 

What are the Most Important Considerations for Thermal Chambers?

While the industries and uses of thermal chambers are nearly limitless, it is important to define a few key parameters when sourcing a thermal chamber for your testing requirements. 

Performance

In order to secure the right thermal chamber, it is critical to define key performance parameters including the desired temperature range, temperature and product required change rates, and your complete test profile. Will your testing incorporate humidity as well as temperature? If so, how will this impact your product and test specification? How often will you be testing? Understanding the duration and frequency of your thermal testing will help to better define the parameters of your desired thermal chamber.

Size

Knowing the size, material composition, fixture requirements, and total mass to be tested at one time will help define the dimensions of the thermal chamber for your requirements. Benchtop and reach-in thermal chambers are designed to maximize space and efficiency in your lab, formatted with the standard performance of larger chambers, but with a condensed footprint. Larger devices under test (DUT) may require loading via a cart, pallet jack, or forklift, which generally requires a walk-in chamber to meet your specifications. Understanding your lab or facility floor space, utilities, and infrastructure is critical to ensuring the right system is selected and installed. 

Timeline

Once you have defined your performance and sizing requirements, you will want to understand the timeline and budget considerations that could impact your testing plans. Most reach-in and smaller thermal chambers are offered from various manufacturers at reduced lead times, sometimes even in stock and ready to ship. As such, these chambers are more economical than their comparable walk-in and drive-in alternatives. Lead times vary across the industry, but a general principle to apply is to give yourself a year timeline to plan, search, purchase, receive, install, and validate a walk-in or drive-in thermal chamber. 

At Russells Technical Products, we go beyond providing environmental test chambers. We’re a total partner in the industry, offering one-on-one support throughout your process, from acquisition to installation. Our primary goal is to develop a relationship based on trust and confidence so you can deliver on your objectives. Contact us today to get started. 

Precise temperature and humidity control within an environmental chamber is a complex issue. To understand the nuances of humidity control, one must understand the importance of precise temperature control and the meaning of “relative” in relative humidity readings.

A good example of the importance of temperature control in relative humidity calculations is found in ASHRAE 1993: At a constant moisture content [a true measure of humidity] of a 12°C dewpoint at 23°C and 50%RH, a short-term temperature fluctuation of +1°C results in a fluctuation of relative humidity readings between 47% and 53%, even though the true moisture content in the humidity test chamber hasn’t changed.

This is the result of relative humidity being calculated by the measured moisture content of the air relative to the moisture-holding capacity of the air at any given temperature, referred to as the dry-bulb temperature. 

The warmer the air, the more moisture it can hold within the same volume of space, therefore it takes significantly more water vapor, in general, to elevate the relative humidity of air as it increases in temperature. The opposite is true as the air cools. Due to this fact, 50% relative humidity at a dry bulb temperature of 85°C is an exponentially higher moisture level than  50%  at a  dry bulb temperature of 10°C. 

At lower temperatures, the relative humidity measurement reading is affected by a change in overall moisture content of just a few grains per pound of air, whereas it may take grams of moisture to change the relative humidity reading at significantly higher temperatures.

 Stability is the Key to Humidity Control

The key then to precise humidity control in an environmental test chamber is stability. Typical environmental chamber control tolerance is +1°C and +5% relative humidity after stabilization. Stabilization is defined within the industry as the point when the chamber interior surfaces and unit under test (UUT) change temperature less than 2°C per hour, and without variations in load either external or internal (i.e., door openings or varying heat loads generated by the UUT).

Challenges exist with environmental chamber control when instability created by constant or intermittent changes in temperature and/or humidity is required within environmental testing profiles. These are commonly referred to as cycling profiles, which consist of infinitely variable combinations of “ramp” and “soak” steps in a specific sequence.

 A ramp step can change temperature, humidity, or both simultaneously in either direction up or down at linear rate over a set time period. A soak step holds a constant temperature and humidity setpoint for a set time period. In complex cycling profiles, the chamber heating, cooling, humidification, and dehumidification systems work together, essentially chasing the elusive ever-moving setpoints.

It is during cyclical profiles that maintaining typical stability tolerances can become all but impossible because instability is intentionally introduced. Setpoint changes across a short-range and/or time period create less instability compared to wide-ranging changes over shorter periods of time, which further impact the chamber’s ability to precisely control the ever-changing variables. This often results in short-term oscillations of temperature and/or humidity beyond the limits of stabilized control tolerances.

 Other Considerations for Precise Humidity Control

Temperature and humidity control can be further upset when chamber mechanical systems change from one state to another. For instance, a ramp step might require a chamber that is operating at a high temperature/low humidity to simultaneously change to a low temperature/high humidity within a span of “x” minutes. 

Contrary to what one might think, “cooling” and “humidifying” systems may not be initially required to operate, but instead the chamber control system simply reduces heating and dehumidification outputs, allowing the chamber to do a controlled drift which follows the moving setpoints of temperature and humidity. 

However, at some point during that ramp step, reducing heating and/or dehumidification fails to provide the response necessary to chase the setpoint, and the controller energizes the chamber cooling and humidification systems by requiring small but steady increasing outputs of cooling and humidification. During these changeover periods, it is also common to see short-term oscillations in temperature or humidity control.

There can also be situations where a cyclical profile has ramping requirements that exceed the capability of the chamber being used, but these are typically related to chamber capacity and not control.

Chamber Capability is Dependent on the Desired Profile

In summary, short-term oscillations that extend beyond normal stabilized control tolerances are common and expected with cyclical profiles. Considerations must be given to the ranges, ramp rates, and complexity of cyclical profiles. 

Except in very rare cases, these short-term oscillations have no negative impact on the quality or legitimacy of the overall test sequence, providing that the final setpoint conditions for temperature and humidity are fully achieved and are not beyond the capability of the chamber being used.

Russells Technical Products is your subject matter expert for thermal cycling chambers and humidity chambers. Our team of application engineers will walk with you through the process of understanding your testing specifications and applying the right solution to meet your requirements. Contact us to learn more today.

Advancements in automotive technology are accelerating at an increasing rate. Combustion automobile engines have persevered and adapted through generations, although the emphasis on reduction in fuel consumption and elimination of greenhouse emissions has paved the way for their electric successors. In fact, a recent executive order calls for half of new cars to be electric or hybrid plug-ins by 2030. Automotive manufacturers have since doubled down on these regulations, hedging their futures on a fully electric infrastructure to support their products. For example, Toyota recently announced plans to invest $13.5 Billion by 2030 to develop batteries and the underlying supply chain, while Volvo has committed to putting 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2025, some 50% of its total car sales. 

With the shift toward vehicle electrification, the demand for autonomous vehicles continues to grow. As this technology develops, we can anticipate the number and complexity of electronic sub-systems to keep pace with consumer demand. These components have long been subject to environmental simulation and reliability testing in the consumer automotive space, and automotive manufacturers must follow specific testing mandates to ensure product safety and reliability certification before their wider application in the consumer market.

Test Standards for Today’s Demands

Environmental simulation mimics the conditions which a product or sub-system may experience over its normal life cycle. In a ‘test to pass’ method, products are exposed to a variety of temperature, humidity, and vibration simulations which generally don’t exceed the conditions of their intended use, and are considered safe for consumer markets once the simulation is passed. Some of the more common automotive tests, their standards, and equipment include:

Temperature and Humidity Cycling

These tests can be conducted on either complete vehicles or vehicle sub-systems, including electronic systems, to identify the adverse effects of temperature and humidity extremes. Examples include rapidly changing temperature tests for electronics enclosures to prevent cracking or warping or moisture condensation in circuits or sensors which could invalidate or undermine performance. Various standards for temperature and humidity testing include:

• IEC 60068-2-1 (low temperature wake-up)
• IEC 60068-2-64 (thermal cycling with vibration)
• ISO 16750-4 (high temperature degradation)
• Ford FLTM BO 040-01 (short term cycling and long term heat exposure)

Rapid temperature and humidity cycling can be accomplished using a variety of equipment including reach-in chambers and thermal shock chambers. Applications for larger components or full vehicle systems can also be accommodated in walk-in or drive-in temperature and humidity chambers. Key indicators for consideration include temperature uniformity and effective airflow to facilitate heat transfer from the chamber to the product under test. Typical temperature range and rates for these systems are -70°C to 180°C with temperature change rates of 5°C to 15°C per minute. 

Vibration Compatible Testing

Combined vibration and environmental simulation testing yield important qualification insights for product structural and total reliability. Users can combine temperature, humidity, and sine or random vibration using both mechanical and electrodynamic shakers to simulate road vibration or sudden impact from a pothole. Several common standards for vibration testing include:

• SAE J1211 (robustness validation of electric modules)
• GM 3172 (environmental durability for electrical components)
• ISO 16750 (environmental conditions and testing for road vehicles)

AGREE chambers were originally developed for military and aerospace applications requiring temperature, humidity, and vibration simulation. The technology has since been adapted to conform to automotive industry standards to perform reliability and qualification testing. A vibration compatible chamber can be designed to seamlessly integrate with an existing shaker to perform simultaneous temperature, humidity, and vibration with thermal change rates as high as 30°C per minute. 

Testing for the Future, Today

While emerging battery and autonomous vehicle technologies gain traction over the next decade, properly working components are as critical as ever. As the automotive industry adapts, and consumers increase dependence on electrified vehicles, the complexities and number of electrical components and systems will continue to grow. Battery testing and environmental simulation of these products will not only ensure their effectiveness, but moreover pave the way toward a safe, reliable, and autonomous driving infrastructure of the future. 

Russells Technical Products has the environmental test chamber to fit your automotive testing needs. Contact us today to start a conversation. Our products are designed and built with your products in mind, for over 50 years in Holland, MI. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the way we think about work, specifically related to our relationship with remote work. As we navigate the future of employment from remote locations, the evidence suggests the adjustments may in fact remain indefinitely. Pre-pandemic, estimates figured roughly five percent of employees worked remotely, while that amount is subject to settle at or around 20-30 percent depending on geography and industry.

Research suggests the shift to remote work has positively impacted productivity. One recent study revealed some ninety-four percent of employers reporting productivity at or above pre-pandemic levels, indicating that the perception of remote work has changed to support a potentially large, permanent increase in remote work.

This shift presents new challenges for organizations involved in routine and complex testing using environmentally controlled test chambers. Attention to detail is critical, and a hands-on approach has historically been required to ensure tests are completed accurately and effectively.

A Simple Interface with Powerful Flexibility

The ability to manipulate and operate your test chambers remotely is critical to moving your testing forward without interruption or downtime.

Organizations today that routinely utilize environmental test chambers demand the ability to monitor and conduct complex testing from anywhere, with the ability to share results and collaborate efficiently.

Fortunately, the Russells One Chamber Controller provides a simple user interface with powerful data collection and unprecedented flexibility, allowing users to conduct tests from anywhere on a laptop, desktop, or tablet. Whether you run benchtop battery testing, temperature and humidity chamber profiles, or complex altitude or rapid decompression, the russellsOne can handle it all – remotely.

With reliable operator control over ethernet, a technician needs only to place the unit under test (UUT) into the workspace, while remote associates can run standard or complex profiles by logging into the built-in network server. Additionally, this allows custom programs, such as those written with LabView, C#, or C++ (among others) to integrate remote customer systems with the chamber’s operation.

Embracing the Current Remote Climate

Whether you operate a lab or a shared-lab space, you can feel confident in your ability to navigate your testing requirements and responsibilities remotely. Because the russellsOne offers data logging once per second every moment the chamber is turned on, you can quickly load and display data from dozens of sensors over time domains ranging from seconds to months. And since all your data is housed on your network server, it makes it easy to share responsibilities and collaborate remotely.

While the russellsOne is offered on any of our models, from humidity chambers to dynamometer chambers, we’ll also retrofit your equipment from any test chamber manufacturer with a russellsOne chamber controller to fit any chamber or console configuration. We put the user in control, offering various access levels and activity logging, so you can diagnose and prevent potential problems before they become costly. And since we provide the ability to retrofit various test chambers from different manufacturers, you can have the most powerful and robust data collection controls while not having to frequently replace a complete chamber.

With the russellsOne, organizations and end-users can adopt the remote work revolution with confidence.

RD-320-(2)-30-30-WC

Challenge:

This system was designed and developed to provide the customer a replacement for an obsolete, thirty-year-old, high-performance, custom walk-in temperature and humidity chamber, and fit the equipment within the same footprint without CAD drawings of the existing chamber.

Solution:

The solution began by evaluating the existing chamber layout and orientation to reverse engineer the existing chamber, yet with updated refrigeration technology and controls to current industry standards. The chamber required high volume airflow, dual semi-hermetic cascade refrigeration systems, plus an energy trimmer refrigeration system that required a unique custom layout to fit within the space allocated. Hinged service access doors were provided with automatic interior lighting to provide ease of serviceability access to mechanical systems.

In addition, our customer required forklift slots to be integrated within the chamber base frame to accommodate move-in requirements and limitations.

The final completed system demonstrated much-improved temperature ramping capability and control than the original, which shortened test cycle times, thereby increasing the customer’s testing throughput. By combining customer-specific input and requirements with our design-build capabilities, we were able to provide an optimized system that will produce high yield testing capabilities for years to come.