Climate and temperature chambers: complete selection guide, chamber types and overview of ESPEC solutions

A climatic or temperature chamber is a device designed to simulate controlled environmental conditions. It allows the temperature and, if necessary, the humidity to be precisely adjusted and maintained over the long term.

This allows safe and repeatable testing:

• the resistance of materials
• the lifetime of electronics
• the reaction of plastics, metals or structural parts to frost and heat
• the effect of moisture on components
• the behaviour of products under extreme conditions during transport or actual operation

Today, climate and temperature chambers are essential equipment in laboratories, development centres, test departments and production lines. They enable compliance with standards (e.g. IEC, ISO, MIL-STD), reduce development time and prevent complaints and are part of so-called environmental testing. You can see what all falls under environmental testing in the short video below.

1) Temperature chambers

Provide precise temperature control within a defined range. They are used for basic temperature resistance tests.

Applications:

• test of electronic modules
• cycling between cold and warm states
• verification of material behaviour at extreme temperatures
• long-term ageing

2) Climate chambers (temperature + humidity)

In addition to temperature, it can also control relative humidity. They simulate condensation, humid environments, tropics or dry air.

Uses:

• test of plastics and insulation materials
• reliability of electronics in high humidity environments
• test standards requiring defined humidity (e.g. 85 °C / 85 % RH)

3) Thermal shock chambers

Designed for very rapid temperature changes - jumps between extreme cold and high temperature.

Uses:

• rapid opening of new faults
• simulation of sudden environmental changes
• automotive, aerospace, military applications
• tests of solder joints, BGA, PCB

4) Walk-in chambers / high volume solutions

Huge chambers that can be walked into or loaded with large assemblies.

Applications:

• Large structures and devices
• Battery module testing
• large number of samples at a time
• 1:1 scale simulation of real environments

Our offer includes a complete range of top chambers from ESPEC - the world leader in the field. Below you will find an overview of the ranges available from us, indicative volumes and temperature ranges.

ESPEC Bench-top Chambers - SH/SU Series

Compact laboratory chambers with minimal space requirements.

• volumes: 22.5 l and 64 l
• temperature range: approx. -60 °C to +150 °C
• advantages: quiet, low power consumption, easy handling

Ideal for smaller components, plastic parts, PCBs, sensors.

Ultra low temperature chambers - MC Series

For applications requiring extreme cold down to -85 °C.

• volume: 64 l
• temperature range: -85 °C to +180 °C

Suitable for tests at extremely low temperatures (aerospace, automotive, cryogenic applications).

Stable climate and temperature chambers - LH / LU Series

Compact chambers for long-term stable tests.

• volumes: 105 l or 206 l
• temperature range: -20 °C to +85 °C
• humidity: yes (for climate versions)

Ideal for standard tests and long-term ageing.

Universal solution for most tests - Platinous J Series

High-performance temperature and climate chambers with a wide range of configurations.

• volumes: 120 l - 800 l
• temperature range: -70 °C to +180 °C

The universal choice for a wide range of laboratory and production tests.

High capacity chambers for extensive testing - AR Series

For larger samples, production testing or massive cycling.

• volumes: 220 l - 1100 l
• temperature range up to: -75 °C to +180 °C

Suitable for testing larger assemblies or large product volumes.

Temperature Shock Chambers - TSA / TSB / TSD / TSE Series

Simulate rapid temperature changes in two or three zones.

Typically:

• volumes: 11-2310 l (depending on model)
• temperature range: up to -77 °C to +300 °C (depending on model)

Mainly used in automotive, electronics, aerospace and solder joints.

The choice of the correct climate or temperature chamber depends on the purpose of the test. Customers most often focus on:

1) Temperature range

What extremes does the chamber need to handle? -20 °C may be sufficient for food and cosmetics, but electronics often need -40 °C to -70 °C.

2) Internal volume

How large the samples and how many samples can be tested at once.

3) Rate of temperature change

Important for cycling and temperature shocks.

4) Stability and homogeneity

For standard tests, it is essential that the temperature (and humidity) is uniform throughout the space.

5) Type of application

• electronics: need for low temperatures and precise control
• auto industry: often requires rapid temperature changes
• materials/plastics: humidity + temperature
• manufacturing: high volumes, larger chambers

If you are unsure of your chamber selection, we can help recommend a chamber based on your specific standards and test protocol.

• top quality - Japanese chambers with exceptional reliability
• certification for standard tests - automotive, electronics, industrial
• low failure rate and long service life
• low operating costs (consumption, cooling, insulation)
• fast service and calibration in the Czech Republic/Slovakia
• support with the selection of a suitable model

One example of the use of ESPEC temperature chambers in practice is the collaboration with Tropic Square, which is developing the world's first open and auditable safety chip - TROPIC01. This chip won an award in the 18th Idea of the Year competition in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and represents a completely new approach to hardware security.

Unlike conventional closed solutions, TROPIC01 offers maximum transparency and independent verification because it is based on open source principles. This allows the professional community to check the actual parameters of the chip and significantly pushes the boundaries of secure design.

For chip endurance testing, Tropic Square uses the ESPEC SU-262 temperature chamber - a compact bench-top chamber with a volume of 22.5 litres and a temperature range of -60 to +150 °C. The same model is also available in a climatic version or a larger 64 l version.

This project is an example of how high-quality test technology is helping to create innovations that are driving the entire industry forward - from electronics development to safety-critical technologies.

Whether you are testing electronics, materials, structures or entire production units, a climate or temperature chamber is an essential tool for verifying reliability.

At teste.cz, we offer a wide range of professional ESPEC chambers - from small bench-top units to shock chambers and high-volume solutions. If you need help choosing according to standard, test range, budget or number of samples, we can help.