Temperature and humidity are the main parameters used to simulate the natural environment that causes static products to fail from stress. This makes temperature and humidity chambers useful for practically every industry use case; notable products in the electronics field that undergo testing are CPUs and memory DIMMs, resistors and capacitors, mobile SoCs, batteries, and photovoltaic cells. Components in the automotive and aerospace fields also get temperature and humidity tested, such as body panels, gaskets, bearings, and lighting fixtures.

Temperature and humidity chambers generally use three core components for their functionality: a heater, a refrigeration system, and a humidifier. These components are typically managed by a programmable controller. Test chambers will also feature adequate safety systems to protect operators. The ambient temperature in this type of chamber is raised with an electric heater, and lowered with the refrigeration system.

Temperature and humidity testing is an important step in validating products for ensuring their durability by evaluating their service-life in extreme conditions. Performing adequate testing on prototypes can help you save money by building a robust product in the first place, rather than spending resources replacing defective products post-release.

Mil-Std 810G is one of many standards that specify parameters for temperature and humidity testing. JESD22-A101 is a test standard that uses the 85/85 test, which puts specimen through 85°C and 85% RH for a set duration. SAE J1455 hosts a series of tests for vehicles that include temperature and humidity cycling.

An autoclave is essentially a chamber that uses steam to sterilize products. This device has a broad range of use cases across different industries: autoclaves in the medical field are typically referred to as sterilizers, while the R&D, testing, and quality fields call the chambers autoclaves.

While specialized autoclaves may have extra steps or features, all will have a basic set of components: the chamber, the controls system, the thermostatic trap, the safety valve, and the waste-water cooling system.

An autoclave for defoaming LCD panels is designed to remove air bubbles from underneath LCD panels of display devices through the use of controlled temperature and pressure. In LCD display production, air bubbles may be present during the process of attaching the polarizing plate to the display; by defoaming the panel, these air bubbles can be removed to lower defect count and increase product quality post-manufacture.

The Hirayama PTU-1507H is a large cylindrical autoclave for defoaming LCD panels with a chamber diameter of 1.4 m and depth of 2.4 m, resulting in a volume of 3695 L (130.5 ft³). The temperature is adjusted using a PID controller and SSR drive system, and the pressure with a motor valve with two-point measurement data. This chamber features many safety devices such as over-heat and over-pressure prevention, a pressure safety valve, lid-locking, and more.

Several industries benefit from the use of LCD Autoclaves, the most significant being the mobile phone industry. Smartphone manufacturers are implementing cutting edge technologies into their products' displays such as organic LEDs and folding displays, and maintaining a high level of quality is important for staying above their competition. Another major use case for LCD Autoclaves is for automotive infotainment displays. Laptop computers, desktop monitors, and LCD TVs are various other products that undergo LCD defoaming.

Why buy spare parts?

Environmental chambers of all types are significant investments, and as such are expected to operate efficiently and reliably over a long period of time. Every time a chamber is in operation, there is stress and wear applied to it; chambers that are used more frequently and with harsher test parameters will undergo more wear.

As test chambers are made up of several mechanical components, periodic maintenance and calibration are important services that should be conducted to not only extend the lifespan of the chamber but to reduce downtime as well. Most test chambers will require similar maintenance services while specialized chambers may have additional steps.

The most common and frequent maintenance operation for test chambers is to keep them clean. Chamber interiors should be wiped down to remove particles or residue post-testing. Chamber exteriors and any components behind paneling such as heaters, compressors, or humidifiers should be dusted off on a 6-month schedule.

Calibration of test chambers is also an important part of keeping test chambers running properly. It is recommended to re-calibrate the controller once a year to ensure that the parameters are correct and the testing is executed successfully. Analog gauges such as pressure gauges should also be inspected and calibrated to ensure accurate parameter configuration and data recording.

Keep up with maintenance, reduce downtime, and save money.

Battery Show 2019 Overview

HASTEST Solutions will be present at the Battery Show North America 2019 in Novi, Michigan on September 10-12. This event exhibits several conferences and over 150 guest speakers on the state of battery development and manufacturing, as well as the energy and automobile industries.

Conferences and Keynotes

The Battery Show 2019 will run through the second week of September from Tuesday 9/10 to Thursday 9/12 with new keynotes, workshops, and exhibitions each day of the show.

The Battery Technology Conference covers eight distinct tracks, including advanced battery materials, E/HV Technologies Industry Outlook, and Charging & Infrastructure Advancements.

Keynotes will be given by select notable individuals and companies in the industry. Over 150 speakers will also give presentations throughout the show.

HASTEST Solutions will be among the 650+ companies and suppliers represented at the Battery Show. Please greet us and discuss your accelerated stress testing needs!

Additional info can be found at the official Battery Show website: https://thebatteryshow.com/

Contact Us for a quote or further information!

Rain, splash, and drip testing all fall under the category of water ingress testing. The purpose of water ingress testing is to measure the resistance of fluids entering a product or damaging the outer surface or enclosure. Rain, splash, and drip testing each cover different types of water ingress, and their testing methodologies are optimized for their respective test types for a product’s intended purpose.

Rain testing is typically done on products that are exposed to the outdoors on a regular basis, such as lighting fixtures, satellite dishes, and vehicles. These products must be able to operate reliably, withstanding varying levels of showers. On the other hand, drip testing is typically conducted on products that may only be exposed to water or fluids occasionally, and do not necessarily need the same level of protection that a rain-tested product might need.

Water ingress testing is standardized by IEC 60529 in conjunction with particle ingress standards. Products are given an IP rating that combines the levels of ingress protection that a product is capable of achieving. The second digit of the IP rating defines the level of water protection (while the first digit refers to the product’s protection from particle ingress).

Rain, splash, and drip testing chambers utilize different mechanisms to conduct testing. The main components of such as chamber include a water reservoir, a water pump, and various nozzles to control water pressure and velocity. Drip testing is a mild test that drops water on products with little to no external force; rain and splash testing will generally use a series of stationary or moving nozzles to shower the product with water from multiple angles and directions. Depending on the strength and durability being tested for, the water pressure is adjusted. A flow meter, pressure gauge, and controller are also important components for managing testing.

The chamber type determines the types of products that can be tested. Small products such as phones can be tested on tabletop drip testing chambers, while larger products like vehicles will need to be tested in a drive-in chamber.

Relia Test Labs offers customizable rain testing chambers that can be configured to fit your needs. One chamber is the The Nvirotest Solutions© HLRHS-14500-RL, a rain test chamber with a 14,490 L (511.7 ft³) volume interior made with stainless steel. The chamber includes multiple nozzles that are positioned at a fixed angle, aimed at the specimen platform. This platform can be raised up to 0.9 m, tilted to 45°, and accommodates a maximum load of 20 kg. The platform rotates to have a uniform distribution of water jet spray, with the rotation speed controlled by the user. Water is pumped through the nozzles at the specimen, and is recollected by the back-flow pipe for recirculation throughout the duration of testing. The front of the chamber features double swing doors with observation windows.

The chamber tests IPX5, IPX6, and IPX9K standards with preprogrammed functions: IPX5 is tested with nozzles spraying at 12.5 L/min through 6.3 mm diameter nozzles from a distance for 2.5 to 3 m. Slightly stronger than IPX5, IPX6 is tested at 100 L/min from 12.5 mm diameter nozzles from the same distance. IPX9K is a specialized test that uses 80 to 100 bar (1160 to 1450 psi) jet pressure at 80°C. The test conditions of this chamber are in accordance the UL1589 specifications.

Relia Test Labs is accredited with the ISO/IEC 17025 testing and calibration laboratories standard, making us an attractive solution for your testing needs in the heart of the Silicon Valley.

Consumer and commercial products are expected to function properly and consistently within a wide range and variance of temperatures. The purpose of Thermal Shock testing is to measure a product’s resistance to failure from sudden extreme temperature changes over a short period of time. These tests are used to validate structural, mechanical, and electronic products, and are especially useful in the semiconductor industry where components undergo consistent temperature gradients.

Rapidly cycling through extreme high and low temperatures leads to physical deformations such as micro-fractures and dislocations within component materials. Thermal shock testing refers to the unnaturally high temperature acceleration through experimental methods, while the real-world rate of change typically has a lower acceleration. By artificially increasing the acceleration for stress testing, the general lifespan can be solved for in a shorter period of time. This information is important to understand for having a clear expectation of a product to last for its use cases.

These thermal fatigue tests are generally conducted within Thermal Shock Chambers. There are several types of chambers for different use cases: chamber size, temperature range, and ramp rate (temperature acceleration) are all factors to consider for testing a product. In addition to these specifications, the test chamber count also affects the method of experimentation. The physical properties and dimensions of the product determine which system to use: for example, PCBs or handheld devices can be tested with a single chamber, while a large mechanism or assembly would require a walk-in chamber.

One of our Nvirotest Solutions© thermal shock single chambers is the HCTS-230JTUS3 which utilizes a 227.5 L (8 ft³) chamber where the air temperature is raised or lowered by pumping in hot or cold air. The refrigeration system of this unit uses two Bitzer 20HP semi-hermetic compressors, a Bitzer water cooled condenser, and R404a and R23 refrigerant. The general temperature range is -65°C to +150°C. This falls within the Mil-Std 883G, 1010.8 (C) standard outlined below. The high temperature heat-up transition time is about 25 minutes and the low temperature cool-down transition time is about 70 minutes. The temperature undulation is approximately ±2.0°C, and uniformity ±3.0°C. This particular chamber is best suited for PCBs, SoCs, and other electronic components.

Proper testing requires following industry standards to ensure safety and reliability. The specific standards for temperature cycling are given by the JEDEC Standard JESD22-A104E as well as the United States Mil-Stds 810G, 503.5, and 883G, 1010.8. JEDEC is an organization that develops open standards for the microelectronics industry with 3,000 volunteers from 300 companies. They are accredited by ANSI and their standards are adopted internationally. The United States Department of Defense (DoD) mandates the Military Standard Mil-Std as quality and reliability standards that tested products must meet to be eligible for use in military and aerospace applications.

The Mil-Std 810G, 503.5 specifies the procedures for testing single cycle, multi-cycle, and half cycle thermal shocks. The chart below depicts the process for a single shock (half cycle).

The Mil-Std 883G, 1010.8 temperature ranges achieved by the HCTS-230JTUS3 thermal shock chamber are subcategories A, B, and C:

More in-depth information regarding the Mil-Stds can be found in the source material linked below:

Mil-Std 810G, 503.5

Mil-Std 883G

Relia Test Labs is accredited with the ISO/IEC 17025 testing and calibration laboratories standard, making us an attractive solution for your testing needs in the heart of the Silicon Valley.

Introducing Reliability & Environmental Test and Engineering Services by Relia Test Labs – subsidiary of Hastest Solutions Inc.

Test Services

Engineering Services

HAST/PCT TESTING

Temperature Cycling

UV Exposure

Semiconductor Burn-In

Salt Atmosphere

Thermal Shock