Test Chambers

Test Chambers

Test chambers recreate certain environmental conditions and evaluate the effects this has on products placed within the space. They evaluate product quality and identifies flaws and weaknesses in products before they are available for use in all industries, from automotive and engineering to construction and medical, pharmaceutical, food processing and packaging. Manufacturers test consumer items such as cars, cigarettes, makeup, medicine and medical instruments. Electronics and home appliance manufacturers rigorously test their products in these chambers under harsh environmental conditions to reveal flaws and malfunction susceptibilities before the product goes to market. Although using test chambers is not required of every product, most products undergo some form of testing to provide data that the product performs accurately.

These test chambers fall into two categories: climatic and mechanical. Climatic testing evaluates the effects of natural environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity and precipitation upon an object, although test chambers accelerated the rate of effect these conditions have in order to test products within a reasonable time frame. Mechanical testing evaluates the effects of causal environmental conditions such as vibration, shock, dust or salt spray upon an object. How products respond and function after these tests determines whether they are ready for the market or need further development. Environmental test chambers test products in a variety of ways, depending on the product application. High temperature chambers are used to assess potential product failure such as damage, junction thermal resistance increase and depolymerization. Mixed flowing gas chambers subject products to a mixture of pollutant gases in a controlled temperature and humidity environment in order to assess the damage to a product after long-term use in office and light to heavy industrial settings.