Climate and the Environment
Every technical product is subjected to a multitude of environmental influences throughout its service life. These impact its performance and service life, and therefore also its effect on the environment.
The goal of environmental effect simulation under controllable boundary conditions is product qualification for given environmental conditions. Acceleration or artificial product aging provides important evidence during reliability studies.
The different factors are:
- climatic environmental conditions
- mechanical loads
- electromagnetic environmental conditions
Climatic environmental conditions include such parameters as air humidity, temperature, atmospheric pressure, saltwater, saline fog and air impurities. Concussion, shock and vibrations that can occur during equipment transport or operation are included in the mechanical loads.
The simulation of electromagnetic environmental conditions is used in testing the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of electrical and electronic devices and systems in order to ensure their proper operation.
Corrosion tests
The reliable performance of components, even in aggressive climatic surroundings, is essential for electronic systems.
Aggressive corrosive gas compositions form out of the four main industrial gases sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen dioxide and chlorine. The severity of the corrosive climate depends on the relative air humidity.
Multi-component industrial gas tests are carried out at Corporate Technology Services in order to determine the corrosive influence that operating and industrial environments have on electro-technical products, components, equipment and materials..
Test gases in the ppb range:
Multi-component industrial gas test
- Nitrogen dioxide
- Hydrogen sulfide
- Sulfur dioxide
- Chlorine
To test a product's resistance to corrosive processes, CTS employs the following test media:
REM image of corrosion products
- Application of nitrogen dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide and chlorine for simulating industrial atmospheres
- Saline fog for simulating ocean atmospheres
- Condensation water
- Testing with SO2 with general humidity condensation
- Nitric acid vapor test
Climatic tests
Climatic test cabinet
Increasingly stringent requirements apply to electronic assemblies.
Climatic tests are therefore carried out in order to ensure quality and reliability. This involves subjecting components, assemblies or modules to accelerated lifetime testing, for example, a temperature-shock test in accordance with the two-chamber method. The test items are typically subjected to temperatures of -40 °C to +125 °C or + 200 °C. The dwell time in each chamber is 30 minutes. It takes 10 seconds to move the test items from one chamber to the other.
Components consist of different materials with different physical properties. During temperature change tests, this results in mechanical stresses and damage can occur to the component and the connections. As a result of the test methods used, it is possible to draw conclusions about the quality and long-term behavior of the connections in the components and PCB or about the manufacturing and processing quality.br>
Climatic environmental conditions include parameters such as air humidity and temperature.
- Damp heat, constant/cyclic
- Dry heat
- Rapid temperature change (two-chamber method)
- Cold
- Condensed water – constant climate
Degree of protection tests
For safety reasons, connectors must be protected against outside influences, such as dust, foreign bodies, contact, humidity and water. In the case of industrial connectors, housings with their locked and sealed cable inlets provide this protection.
The IP protection code indicates the degree of protection offered by a housing against the ingress of solid foreign bodies and water. Solid foreign bodies include human hands (protection against contact), as well as tools and dust. The code indicates the degree of personal protection offered, as well as the function protection or the medium to long-term functional safety of a piece of enclosed electrical equipment.
IP protection tests
- Hose-proof tests
- Ingress of dust tests