Vacuum Test Chambers
Vacuum test chambers are chambers from which almost all matter, including air and other gases, has been removed by a vacuum pump. The low pressure (vacuum) that results provides a useful testing space for engineers. Vacuum test chambers are able to simulate a wide range of temperature and altitude conditions. Vacuum test chambers have many uses in several industries. For example, they are used in integrity testing of pharmaceutical packages as part of the manufacturing process. Due to current FDA guidelines, pharmaceutical companies must submit products to integrity tests for container closure.
Due to their ability to create a vacuum environment, vacuum test chambers are ideal for outer space-related testing. For instance, engineers use vacuum chambers for conducting experiments on mechanical products used in space travel. Vacuum test chambers can also provide radiation damage testing of spacecraft electronics, solar cells and microcircuits; optical sensors, couplings, coatings, lenses and filters; and spacecraft paints, coatings, and structural materials. They can also be used to simulate rapid pressure changes or the magnetospheric environment.