Environmental Testing To Ensure Reliability Of Electronic Products

Introduction To Environmental Testing

Most design engineers will design a good product that works well during the initial stages of development and testing. However, how do you ensure that when the product goes into mass production, most of them are still in good working condition after using them for a long period of time? In other words, how do you ensure the quality and reliability of this product when it is operated for an extended period of time under varying environmental conditions. Environmental testing is the answer to this question.

This testing will help the manufacturer to accelerate the aging process of the product to predict its lifecycle, analyse the modes of failure and filtering out those products that are not fit to be shipped out to the customers. In order for the testing to be carried out, equipments are needed to perform this test. One has to analyse and calculate whether it is worthwhile to invest in the equipments or to just perform the reliability tests in test houses. Many of these test houses are able to offer consultancy services as to the standards and test methods that will be used with regards to the electronic products that will be tested. The reliability testing is one of the secret that makes a world of difference between a good product to another.

Some of the basic equipments that are needed for the environmental testings are temperature and humidity chambers, thermal shock chambers, vibration machines and salt-fog chambers. Other more specialised equipments are needed depending on the types of products that will be tested.

Types Of Testing

The following are the typical type of reliability testing that are done on the electronic products.

Tempature Humidity Testing
Temperature and humidity chambers are used to test the influence of temperature and humidity on the products. Tests involved subjecting the products to the cycling of the temperature and humidity of the chambers.

Thermal Shock Testing
Thermal Shock is performed to determine the ability of a part (electronics devices, electronic products, etc) to withstand sudden changes in temperature.

Vibration Testing and Methodology
Vibration testing is the shaking or shocking of a component or assembly to see how it will stand up to real life environment

Back To Environmental Testing Home Page