What Is an Environmental Laboratory?
An environmental laboratory is a test room designed to simulate various environmental conditions. They are used to confirm in advance that various devices and components mounted on devices will operate according to specifications without problems when used under various assumed conditions.
Environmental tests are conducted using the following types of environmental testing equipment.
Vibration testers can generate specific vibrations based on the surrounding environment and vibration during movement, and drop testers simulate the case where equipment is dropped. Electrostatic testers that simulate static electricity that may be generated in the operating environment, noise testers that simulate noise contamination from surrounding electrical and electronic equipment, power supplies, etc., and surge testers are used.
In addition to these testers, there are temperature and humidity testers that can change the temperature and humidity conditions, but if the device under test is large, such as a television, refrigerator, or washing machine, it will not fit inside the environmental tester. Environmental laboratories are used in such cases.
Uses of Environmental Laboratories
Environmental laboratories are used to test various types of equipment and components in a test chamber.
Various types of equipment and parts are used under various environmental conditions. In the case of equipment intended for the domestic market, it must operate normally under temperature conditions ranging from Hokkaido in the middle of winter to Okinawa in the middle of summer. Therefore, since normal consumer products are tested in temperatures ranging from -10 to +40 degrees Celsius, environmental laboratories can be set to produce such conditions in temperatures ranging from minus several tens of degrees Celsius to plus 50 degrees Celsius or more.
Using such a test chamber, we set the upper and lower temperature and humidity limits specified in the product specifications or standards, and switch to these upper and lower temperature and humidity conditions at regular intervals. The operation of the equipment and components is checked before the test, and the same checks are made again after the test is completed.
Principle of Environmental Laboratories
Equipment and various components are sold with the obligation to agree on product specifications and guarantee these specifications to the purchaser. Purchasers purchase products after confirming the manufacturer’s specifications and use the products according to their intended purposes.
Additionally, various equipment and parts must adhere to specific regulations depending on the environment in which they are used and their product characteristics. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) provides global standards. Manufacturers must ensure that their products meet the individual requirements for each device and usage condition.
Environmental testing is not limited to testing a product with the specific testing equipment designed for that product. Product designers must consider variations in component characteristics. Therefore, it is essential to design products with a certain level of tolerance to standards, assuming that some components may have characteristics that make them more likely to meet the standard. In product design, designers often set a margin beyond the standard values under rigorous conditions and consider the design complete when the product passes the test.