Different Types of Climate Chambers, Which One Do You Need?

The process of selecting a climate test chamber is complicated since the proper selection is extremely beneficial in the perfecting and improvement of the manufacturing of products. The elements to consider when choosing the type of climate chamber include the specimens to be tested, the type of data required, or the types of tests to be performed. Climate test chambers are capable of creating a wide range of environmental conditions with tests for corrosion, vibrations, altitude, and thermal shock to name a few.

Though climate chambers can provide information on multiple environments, it is wise to know what types of tests you wish to perform to be able to choose the correct test chamber.

Climate Chamber Types

1. Benchtop Climate Chambers

The advantage of a benchtop climate test chamber is its small footprint with dynamic performance. Benchtop climate chambers are easy to install due to their compact size. They are capable of multiple tests in adherence to industry standards and regulations. Benchtop climate chambers are ideal for small labs or companies with limited space. The wide array of instrumentation and their tightly sealed steel casing make benchtop climate chambers reliable and efficient. Since they are mobile, they can be moved to several locations using a cart or being carried. This feature makes it possible to test materials as they are assembled or raw materials prior to being used.

2. Constant Climate Chambers

Constant climate chambers create a stable environment that maintains the temperature, humidity and lighting for long periods of time. The design of constant tests is to maintain specific stable environmental conditions for the testing of components, subsystems, and complete systems to see how they behave in stressful and harsh conditions. Exposed components are examined to determine when and at what level they will fail. The accumulated data provides the information necessary to make adjustments and improvements prior to the release and introduction of a product. The demands of modern industry require that all products be thoroughly tested. The antiquated idea of designing, creating, producing, and distributing is no longer sufficient for modern users.

3. Dynamic Climate Chambers

Dynamic climate chambers are designed for rapid temperature changes that occur in a very few minutes to provide complex and complicated humidity and temperature changes that can vary from extreme cold to hot rapidly. The purpose of dynamic climate chambers is to create thermal shock by passing components through multiple climate changes quickly. The design of dynamic climate chambers makes it possible to assess product reactions through temperature and humidity cycles to gather data and reactions of specimens. Such tests are crucial to the automotive, metallurgical, and aerospace industries.

4. Reach-In Climate Chambers

Reach-in climate chambers are larger than benchtop test chambers with sizes between 4 cu ft up to 70 cu feet. The reach capabilities in climate chambers are the same as larger climate chambers with the same accuracy, efficiency, and controls. They have a smaller footprint, which makes them easier to install. As with all forms of climate chambers, they are customizable to fit the needs of specimens and types of tests. The common forms of experiments performed by reach in climate chambers include plant growth testing, examinations of tissue cultures, and acting as a germination chamber.

5. Stability Climate Chambers

Stability climate chambers are a form of constant climate chamber that provides a stable environment for testing the factors related to storage with the guarantee of a constant environment during the test duration. There are four types of tests administered by a stability climate chamber.

• Long-Term

  For long-term stability testing, temperature and humidity are set to observe and monitor the active ingredients in the test sample, which are analyzed and checked regularly. Long-term tests can last several years.

• Ongoing

  Ongoing tests are completed on products on the market to determine their quality beyond their expiration date and when they may deteriorate.

• Accelerated

  Accelerated testing is an aging process that uses increased temperature to rapidly age a specimen. Such tests last about six weeks.

• Stress

  Stress testing is used by most climate chambers and is designed to create extreme conditions.

Stability climate test chambers are an excellent method for examining the durability of building materials. The primary concern for the stability of climate chambers is their technical capabilities, which must have precision and accuracy.

6. Walk-In Test Chambers

Walk-in climate test chambers are the largest version of climate chambers with the ability to test more specimens using a larger and broader footprint. They are normally custom-built to meet the specifications, requirements, and stipulations of the products to be tested. The benefit of walk-in climate chambers is their capacity, which far exceeds any of the other types. Walk-in climate test chambers can create multiple conditions and environments using their digital control panel or human interface (HMI).

The purpose of walk-in climate chambers is to test large, oversized components that are not compatible with smaller-sized test chambers. They have outside banding to prevent leaks and moisture from entering the chamber. In essence, walk-in climate chambers create an environmental room that can be controlled, monitored, and manipulated. The sizes of walk-in climate chambers vary to meet the needs of users, with some large enough to drive a car into. Temperatures can range from – 65° C up to 180° C with a humidity factor of 10% up to 95%.

One of the considerations when deciding to purchase a climate chamber is the many types of environmental tests that can be performed. Additionally, the gamut of tests can be completed in combinations such as high humidity, light, and high temperature. This variability provides researchers and technicians with the ability to examine the characteristics of a product from several angles. The fundamental concept behind climate test chambers is that all conditions and environments can be manipulated and managed using an array of mechanical processes. Heat, corrosive effects, humidity, and water can be introduced using technologically sophisticated programming.

Tests Completed in Climate Test Chambers

1. Accelerated Aging Testing

Accelerated aging testing involves the use of heat, humidity, vibrations, and temperature to examine the long-term effects of stress on a product but in a shorter time frame. The tests are programmed to cycle through stages of applied stress to see how materials will react during storage and shipment over time. The results of the tests help determine the shelf life of a product and its storage timeline. The accumulated data assists in setting expiration dates for products, overall parameters, and a product’s life cycle. The most common form of accelerated aging tests is for medical instruments that require a set limit to their usefulness.

Two common forms of accelerated aging tests are highly accelerated stress screen (HASS) and highly accelerated life test (HALT) that work together to test a product where the HALT test is performed first and followed by the HASS test.

2. Altitude Testing

The main thrust of altitude testing is the creation of low-pressure environments to simulate high-altitude conditions. Temperature, humidity, vacuum, and air testing are added to altitude testing as climatic conditions that further influence the reaction of a product at high altitudes. Chambers designed for altitude testing include temperature and humidity testing as additional features and enhance the chamber’s flexibility. In the majority of cases, test chambers need a combination of features to achieve real-world conditions, regardless of the types of tests being performed.

3. Humidity Climate Tests

Humidity climate tests examine weather effects on a specimen by pumping air that may be cold, cool, warm, or hot into the chamber. The goal is to determine the structural integrity of a product. The provided data offers insight into the effects of extremely hot or intensely cold temperatures on metals, alloys, foods, plastics, rubber, and solar panels. Humidity and temperature are intertwined measurements and have an influence on each other. The amount of moisture in the air to create the humid conditions are precision controlled by the operating panel or HMI, which allows for the balancing of the interplay between temperature and moisture.

The moisture can be produced by a steam generator, atomizer, a water bath system, or fogging. The method used to generate moisture depends on the design of the climate test chamber and the manufacturer.

4. Temperature Only Test Chambers

Temperature-only test chambers can be used for thermal shock testing. They have excellent temperature control accuracy for a wide range of temperatures. Temperatures are programmable using an LCD touch screen control panel. Precision-engineered refrigeration units are used to create extremely low temperatures. The types of temperature tests include cold resistance, thermal shock, extremely low or high temperatures, and simulation of storage conditions.

5. Testing for Corrosion

Testing for corrosion is a fundamental part of the development of a product and provides the necessary data to certify the durability, quality, and performance of a product. Metals and alloys are subject to the risk of corrosion, which makes testing of such materials essential. Corrosion is an electrochemical process that damages the physical properties of metals. Designing materials that are resistant to corrosion include substances capable of resisting corrosion. Corrosion is a natural process that happens over time but can be managed and controlled.

The most efficient corrosion analysis test in a climate chamber is completed through the use of a salt spray that accelerates the effects of corrosive attack. There are three common types of corrosion tests, which are:

• Dry Corrosion

  With dry corrosion testing, the salt spray is applied and is followed by a drying phase with low humidity to allow the salt time to trigger corrosion.

• Continuous Salt Spray

  In the continuous salt spray process, the specimen is continually exposed to salt spray throughout the duration of the test.

• Alternate Salt Spray

  The alternate salt spray process is a combination of dry corrosion testing and continuous salt spray. The specimen is exposed to the salt spray and given periods of rest without the inclusion of lowered humidity.

In a climate chamber, corrosion is produced using a solution of salt and water to generate a salt water fog, whose pH value changes in accordance with the type of test being completed. To test the effects of corrosion on paints, it is necessary to make a gash or cut in the painted surface to see how corrosion affects the incision.

6. Thermal Shock

The process of thermal shock testing involves extreme temperature changes to determine the durability of a product and identify its breaking points. It is an accelerated version of environmental conditions to examine the wear and tear a product will encounter in normal standard conditions. The wide range of temperature changes can cause elements of a product to shatter, crack, or bind. To test the specimen, the temperature in the chamber is changed from hot to cold in a matter of seconds. The control of the temperature is managed by air input or the use of liquids. The upper limit of the heated section can be 220° C, while the lower limit cold section can be as low as – 75° C.

Thermal shock testing is completed in a dynamic climate chamber and used to examine electronics, electromechanical devices, plastics, medical instruments, and equipment for the military and aerospace.

7. Water Testing

Water testing is the most common form of testing, considering that most of the earth is covered with water. It plays a vital role in the lifespan of a product in the form of snow, rain, and humidity. Additionally, catastrophic events such as floods, tsunamis, and hurricanes are other potential climatic events that can be experienced during a product’s life cycle. Being resistant to the influences of water is a necessity for all products and is tested in climate chambers using a water spray test. Electronics, automotive parts, construction materials, and fabrics are subjected to the water spray test in a climate chamber. These materials are placed in the test chamber and exposed to water jet sprays of increasing strength, which are adjusted for width, volume, and intensity on the LCD control panel.

The process of selecting a climate test chamber is complicated since the proper selection is extremely beneficial in the perfecting and improvement of the production of products. The elements to consider when choosing the type of climate chamber include the specimens to be tested and the type of data required or the types of tests to be performed.

One of the considerations when deciding to purchase a climate chamber is the many types of environmental tests that can be performed. Additionally, the gamut of tests can be completed in combinations such as high humidity, light, and high temperature.