Different Ways to Use Environmental Chambers

Environmental chambers are used by many industries to help design the perfect products or confirm safety and compliance for ones that are slated to be mass-produced. For almost seven decades now, these chambers have been used to test all types of products from massive aerospace components to everyday consumer packaged goods.

Environmental chambers are an investment both monetarily and time-wise. Sometimes, companies may look to invest in a used chamber rather than a new one for cost savings. If you are going to move forward with any type of used equipment, do so with caution. You would definitely want to have it thoroughly inspected as your customers will be counting on you.  The control systems the most quickly.

Consider the time savings of having a modern reliable controller

1) Reducing the chances of a runaway condition

2) Reducing time investment required using a temperature controller with modern automation 

Features such as:

• Ramp/dwell profiling
• Advanced device temperature monitoring/control
• Logging
• Remote computer access to controller
• Networking features such as email/text alerts and cloud storage of profiles/test data

So, why are using these so necessary for a lot of organizations? It can be very expensive, and dangerous for that matter if products are not rigorously tested in realistic environmental conditions. The reactions to various types of conditions provide key data for further development, tweaks, and finalization before these products hit the market.

Though a multitude of products is tested in environmental chambers daily, there are three main ways in which these chambers are used:

1. Reliability Evaluation
2. Disintegration Timing
3. Material Reactions

Reliability Evaluation

Chambers are often designed to have a variety of conditions they can emulate in a realistic manner to test how reliable the product will be. This testing can expose flaws in how the product is manufactured. Identifying weaknesses right out of the gate can save a great deal of capital in the end. As each tweak is made, the product can be re-tested until any flaws are eliminated.

Disintegration Timing

Environmental chambers can be used not only to test how strong a product is but also how long it takes to be destroyed. By raising the intensity of certain conditions like humidity or temperature, researchers can determine what the lifespan of the product is before it begins to deteriorate. These extreme conditions are certainly ones in which you would not want to try out a new product for the first time in real life.

Material Reactions

Understanding how not only your product reacts to various environmental factors, but also how its individual material components react may be key to its success. The chamber does not only have to test a completed project. It can test products in merely the design phase, or can even be used singularly for research purposes. Finding the sturdiest materials to build it from the ground up can help create a consistent and trustworthy product.

Environmental chambers come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and prices – from ones that are put a large vehicle in down to small table-top devices. There are even hand-held devices that can be transported easily for those who need to do testing on the go. They all are constructed to have different real-world environmental factors that they test. These can include temperature, humidity levels, vibration, photo-stability, and more. These chambers simulate virtually any condition you currently think exists in the real world. Plus, as technology has advanced, so have the testing units. Many now include digital data interfaces and touch screens.

If you’re considering creating a new product, it is important to really do your research and understand what protocols you will need to follow. Use environmental chambers to understand how reliable a product is, how long it will last and how well its individual materials hold up. Once you are armed with this information, you can feel confident in moving forward with your product and taking it into mass production (and the general comfortable will be confident in using it).

What is the right temperature chamber for testing your product?

A temperature chamber is an essential testing mechanism for testing materials, devices, and various components for strength and robustness enabling the product to carry out the desired purposes (see Different Ways to Use Environmental Chambers) here. The chamber can test to exceed environmental conditions. Wikipedia assures, “a robust climate chamber can mimic a relatively wide range of warm environmental conditions, in terms of temperature and humidity (1).

The thermal chamber, then, artificially replicates conditions through environmental simulation to which such products might likely be exposed (See The Basics of Environmental Test Chambers) here. The temperature chamber is also used to accelerate the effects of exposure in an environment, even at conditions not normally expected. Such testing assures a product’s structural integrity in real-world conditions and out worldly events.

Temperature chambers vary in size, presenting the user with the need to consider the best choice for the manufacturer’s demands. Thermal chambers range in size from large rooms to small benchtop structures. There are benefits to working with the benchtop temperature chambers over larger size structures; in order to make an informed decision, some important considerations are discussed below.

One benefit found with a benchtop size temperature chamber is in its small footprint. There is little or no reason whatsoever to purchase a chamber whose size exceeds the needs (and possibly the space) of the lab, particularly for operations with expected and predictable sizes in the products being tested. Lab space is a valuable commodity. This precious resource must be used strategically. Also, time is saved by eliminating technicians’ movements: less footprint and fewer footsteps.

There is also considerable benefit in saving time with a temperature chamber’s small configuration. The powerful yet compact thermal platform can, due to the nature of the mass, reach the desired temperature settings in less time than a larger version. In addition to saving time, the quicker process saves energy as well. Moreover, a clearer verification of exact temperature is readily and easily ensured.

As mentioned, less energy to replicate temperatures in a smaller space saves on cost. But another cost-saving benefit is derived from the simple fact that the chamber is small. The cost of a larger floor-based (or larger) vs bench model is comparable to the cost difference between a compact sedan and a double cab long bed truck. Each serves a purpose, and that purpose is more often than not attributed to cargo—the size of what is placed inside (See Benefits of a Small Thermal Vacuum Chamber for Space Simulation) here. Again, with predetermined size(s), the thermal chamber needn’t be overtly larger than demand-specific needs (2).

Less error and precise temperature control ensure conformity in repeated testing. This increases the repeatability requirements for consistent results, thus assuring that international and national standards are met.

Finally, the results of the thermal chamber’s tests can be automatically stored on the equipment, in the cloud, or transmitted straight to PDF or a network printer, eliminating the need for printing by technicians. Time saved is available for other important tasks.

Overall, the highest value testing conducted at any laboratory requires streamlined testing processes as much as possible to provide engineers and industry customers with their needed reports as fast as possible (3). Consider the needs for your product, the laboratory space required, energy consumption data, repeatability and consistency requirements, as well as ease of transmitting the resulting data. Given those parameters, you will certainly know the important factors that drive your decisions. Moreover, you may find that a compact benchtop model sufficiently and thoroughly fits your needs.