Category: Thermal Shock Testing

What are Thermal Cycling Chambers?

May 13, 2022

Thermal cycling testing is designed to enhance the strength, reliability, and quality of products and components. These tests generally require a quick, uniform, and reproducible change in temperature over a set number of cycles according to industry test standards. 

When you need an environmental test chamber with a high rate of temperature change, uniformity, and reproducibility, we recommend referencing your test standards against the dimensions, temperature cycling rate, and overall temperature range of the chamber to determine the best fit.

Below are a few common questions we receive regarding our temperature chambers or thermal cycling chambers.  

1. What temperature change rates are available in a thermal cycling chamber?

Many factors influence the temperature change rate in a thermal cycling chamber. The size of the chamber, the number, weight, and material composition of the samples under test, and the starting and ending temperatures are just a few to consider. 

Generally, temperature change rates of up to 15°C per minute can be produced in a mechanically cooled chamber depending on compressor size and configuration. Adding direct-injected liquid nitrogen supplemental or boost cooling can dramatically reduce cool-down and diminish temperature transition times. 

2. What size thermal cycling chambers are available? 

Like most environmental test chambers, thermal cycling chambers are available in a wide range of sizes. For example, our smallest test chamber has an 8 cu. ft. interior capacity, is equipped with reach-in shelves, and fits through a standard doorway on rolling casters. 

Larger units are available depending on the size and quantity of the test sample. Walk-in or drive-in test chambers, for example, are fully customizable to your exact specifications and requirements. An important consideration to remember, in general, the larger the interior volume of the thermal cycling chamber, the greater capacity of cooling and heating power is required to achieve and maintain rapid temperature transition. 

3. Do you offer humidity with your thermal cycling chambers? 

Some test standards do require a temperature and humidity-controlled environment. Based on your requirements and testing profile, humidity is available within a standard range of 10% to 95% RH. 

It is important to understand temperature and humidity control considerations as they relate to thermal cycling chambers. In general, the warmer the air, the more moisture it can hold within the same volume of space. Therefore it takes significantly more water vapor 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% RH at a dry bulb temperature of 85°C is an exponentially higher moisture level than 50% RH at a dry bulb temperature of 10°C.

4. What available options do you recommend? 

Many optional features are available depending on your testing requirements. We typically recommend a few key options based on improving uniformity and reproducibility within a given test.

A compressed dry air purge is helpful to reduce the dew point of the chamber supply air. This protects moisture-sensitive test samples and also reduces condensation during rapid temperature transitions.

Liquid nitrogen boost cooling is a direct injection system used to enhance the temperature cooling rate and produce faster temperature pulldowns. 

A product temperature control thermocouple provides precise temperature measurement and control, directly at the sample. This is especially useful for providing quick temperature recovery during transitions by overshooting the temperature setpoint until the product temperature reaches the desired temperature level. 

5. What types of controllers are available? 

Our most popular and frequently used controller is the Watlow F4T, a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) color touchscreen controller capable of storing up to 40 different profiles. It conveniently offers an ethernet interface for remote monitoring and operation as well as USB ports for download and storage. 

For more robust capabilities, we offer our own russellsOne® color touchscreen controller in a 12” human-machine interface (HMI) format. Data logging is available with up to 64 analog inputs and 4 channels of PID control. With its ability to interface with other software, it is our most frequently retrofitted controller to existing and other test chamber manufacturers’ equipment. 

6. Do I have access to service and technical support after delivery?

We offer an industry-leading parts and service warranty on all our equipment, including our thermal cycling chambers. Purchasing an environmental test chamber is a significant investment. That’s why we’re proud to provide timely, friendly, and economical service to our customers.  

Our dedicated service team is available to meet your needs if and when issues arise. And because we offer a preferred service provider network across our delivery footprint, you’re not handcuffed to one vendor or having to wait for service when your test equipment is down. Whether you call our factory or reach out online, you will receive prompt and effective solutions from our dedicated staff.   

If you have questions or are interested in a thermal cycling chamber, contact us today to begin a conversation.

What is Thermal Shock Testing?

July 13, 2021

Consumers and manufacturers alike rely on devices to operate functionally across a wide range of temperatures and environments. It’s why your iPhone shuts down automatically when left in a hot car. Similarly, you would expect a SpaceX Starlink satellite to transmit wireless signals properly in any orbit position across a wide range of temperatures. Thermal shock testing is the process by which companies expose their products across various temperature extreme environments to challenge durability and assess critical failure points.

What is Thermal Shock Testing Used For?

Thermal shock testing reduces the risk of premature product failure by replicating environments between two or more temperature extremes. This type of testing is typically cyclic with its duration defined by a set number of cycle transitions between temperature set points.

Almost every industry from aerospace to automotive and consumer products to defense requires the features of thermal shock testing to define the feasible working limits of their products.

Consider the application of starting a vehicle in Alaska in February, or the flight data simulators in commercial aircraft exposed to rapidly changing temperatures while ascending to cruising altitude.

Choose the Industry-Leader in Thermal Shock Testing

While you may have the infrastructure to conduct thermal shock testing using multiple chambers set to various extreme temperatures, our double duty thermal shock systems have the capability to test temperatures between -185°C and +200°C in cyclic profiles with transfer times achievable in under 15 seconds.

And whether you need to test a lithium-ion battery pack, or a 2,000lb engine block, our systems can be custom designed and manufactured to meet your specific product and testing requirements. Additionally, our chambers can achieve common testing standards including DEF-STAN-00-35, IEC 60068, MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-202, MIL-STD-883, and SAE J2657.

Chambers Built to Last, For Products Designed to Last

With a Russells double duty thermal shock chamber, manufacturers can thermally shock and stress their products to detect and accelerate potential flaws or defects prior to those products reaching their customers. Demands for higher product precision have increased efforts across industries to manufacture stronger and more durable components, and exposure to extreme temperature changes can offer quality data to inform critical developmental decisions.

Thermal shock testing is therefore crucial to development engineers in defining and designing for product robustness and longevity. Our engineers will work with your testing team to develop a thermal shock system that can achieve any standard or custom test profile. Our systems are proven in every industry, so you can count on Russells Technical Products as you test your products to their limits.

Case Study: Double Duty Thermal Shock Chamber

June 18, 2021

TSVDD-10-15-WC

Challenge:

Design and develop a custom double-duty thermal shock chamber to accommodate a specific array of customer products to be tested.

Solution:

The solution began by evaluating the product array and orientation to develop the test space required and ensure that the entire array of parts is subjected to high-velocity airflow. The double duty thermal shock provides two separate product test spaces, with a mechanical shuttle to transition the products vertically between hot and cold test zones.

The chamber has three testing zones: Two hot zones and one cold zone. Each zone required high volume airflow impinging directly on the product from both sides, high output heating systems in both hot zones, and a single-stage water-cooled Scroll compressor refrigeration system for the cold zone.

The final completed system demonstrated that the design shortened test cycle times by doubling the testing throughput, and also shortened thermal soak times due to the efficient, high-velocity airflow. By tailoring the customer’s unique product array and specific test 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.