What's the usage of thermal shock chamber?

Thermal shock tests are used to subject the sample to severe shocks through the sudden and repeated passage from a high temperature to a low temperature area, with the aim of identifying defective components or those subject to infantile mortality (mainly in the electronics sector).

The sample is placed inside a movable basket which carries it from the cold compartment to the hot compartment and vice versa for a large number of cycles. These chambers have two or three test compartments and the passage of the sample from one to the other is carried out very quickly (usually within 10 seconds).

The temperature of the test compartments and the testing methods depend on the requirements of the standard which defines the specific cycle to be performed.

The aim of these tests is to check the behaviour of the product when it undergoes a thermal shock; in these cases, the sample may cool or heat up with different speeds in different parts depending on the material. If this corresponds to large increases or contraction in volume, the material could suffer large mechanical stresses, leading to failure.    

One needs merely to think of electronic boards used for aeronautic applications for which reliability is an absolutely essential prerequisite. Faults could occur in the electronic circuits during a severe thermal shock if the shock is greater than the maximum resistance of the material. Possible problems which could emerge in defective parts are the breakage of pins or the failure of welds if the materials used have different thermal expansion coefficients.

The use of a Thermal Shock Chamber is essential to uncover potential defects in products, their components or production process and to operate, before the production starts, all the needed modifications to increase product performance.

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