Which standard covers thermal shock testing?

Change of temperature testing is usually written to IEC 60068-2-14, Test N. The procedures in that part separate a gradual change of temperature from a rapid one, which is why a laboratory usually holds a chamber for each.

What does 1-minute switching and 5-minute stabilisation mean?

On the three-zone series, the sample stays in the middle chamber while the high-temperature and low-temperature chambers on either side are switched in. Switching takes about one minute and the chamber recovers to the set point in about five minutes, so the sample experiences the change rather than waiting for the housing to catch up.

How does a three-zone chamber differ from a two-zone chamber?

A two-zone chamber moves the sample between a hot chamber and a cold chamber. A three-zone chamber keeps the sample stationary in a separate middle chamber and moves the air instead, which reduces the mechanical handling of the load.

What working volume should a testing laboratory specify?

It follows the typical load rather than one oversized item. The rapid temperature change cabinet offers a 408 L working capacity with a 800 × 600 × 850 mm interior, while the DR-H202 walk-in room offers 1500 × 1200 × 1500 mm for full-size assemblies and bulk batches.

What power supply do these chambers need?

Cabinet models are rated three-phase 380 V / 50 Hz in their standard configuration, and the DR-H202 walk-in room AC 380 V ± 10 %, 50/60 Hz. Supply conditions are confirmed with the customer before production so the chamber matches what the laboratory can actually provide.

Can the chamber be specified to a particular test standard?

Yes. Range, rate, working volume, porting and the control programme are confirmed per project against the standard and the sample, rather than taken from a fixed catalogue configuration.

Three Environmental Test Chambers in Service at a Testing Laboratory

Date: 10/16/2026 Categories: Company News Views: 3046

Excerpt:

Rapid temperature change, three-zone thermal shock and walk-in temperature and humidity chambers are now in service at a testing laboratory.

Company NewsIn Service · October 2026

Guangdong Derui Testing Equipment Co., Ltd. has completed the installation and start-up of three chamber types at a testing laboratory, where the units are now in routine service. The laboratory runs a rapid temperature change chamber, a three-zone thermal shock chamber and a walk-in temperature and humidity chamber side by side, so its climate test programme no longer depends on a single cabinet.

Walk-in temperature and humidity test chamber installed in the laboratory of a testing institution

Walk-in temperature and humidity chamber — installed and running in the laboratory's environmental test area.

What Is Now Running in the Laboratory

Three chamber types

Chamber	Reference range	Working space	Used for
Rapid temperature change	-70 °C to +180 °C 10 % to 98 % RH 408 L	800 × 600 × 850 mm	Controlled ramp testing at 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25 °C per minute
Three-zone thermal shock	-65 °C to +150 °C	50 L to 1000 L, in 8 sizes	Fast high-to-low transitions; sample stays in the middle chamber, 1 min switching and 5 min stabilisation
Walk-in temperature and humidity	-70 °C to 150 °C 20 % to 98 % RH ±0.3 °C, ±2 % RH accuracy	1500 × 1200 × 1500 mm	Constant climate, humidity cycling, extreme conditions, storage

Figures above are taken from the specification of the corresponding model. The final configuration is confirmed project by project against the required test standard, the sample size and the site conditions.

Why a Laboratory Runs Three Types and Not One

Test capability

Stress screening needs a ramp, not a jump

A controlled rate of change puts the sample through a defined thermal load. Rates of 5 to 25 °C per minute are selectable, so a programme can be matched to the rate the product actually sees.

A ramp is not a shock

Rapid change and thermal shock load a product in different ways. A shock chamber is built for the transfer itself: the sample stays in the middle chamber, and hot and cold air is switched in from either side. Programmes that call for both need both.

A long climate run blocks a short test

Humidity cycling and storage programmes can hold a chamber for days at a time. With ramp, shock and large-volume work on separate units, a long run no longer pushes the short tests down the schedule.

Rapid temperature change chamber and three-zone thermal shock chamber standing in a row in the laboratory environmental test area

Side by side — cabinet chambers in the environmental test area of the laboratory.

Five Inputs That Decide the Configuration

Specification checklist

1The test standard and profile. Which IEC, ISO or ASTM procedure the chamber has to support decides the temperature range, the rate and the recovery requirement.

2Sample dimensions and mass. Whether the load has to go in through a cabinet door or on a trolley decides whether a cabinet or a walk-in room is the right housing.

3Usable volume, not just footprint. For a batch of small parts the number that matters is how much of the working volume can be filled while the air can still circulate around every item.

4Site services. Cabinet models are rated three-phase 380 V / 50 Hz; the DR-H202 walk-in room takes AC 380 V ± 10 %, 50/60 Hz. The supply on site is checked before production rather than assumed.

5Installation clearances. A walk-in room needs the floor area for the housing, the door swing and access for service. The DR-H202 exterior measures 1700 × 2703 × 2085 mm and weighs approximately 1200 kg.

If the chamber selection itself is still open, our environmental test chamber buying guide walks through the same decisions in more detail.

Thermal shock test chamber in service among other test equipment in the laboratory of the testing institution

In daily use — the thermal shock chamber alongside the laboratory's other test stations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Buyer questions

1	Which standard covers thermal shock testing? Change of temperature testing is usually written to IEC 60068-2-14, Test N. The procedures in that part separate a gradual change of temperature from a rapid one, which is why a laboratory usually holds a chamber for each.
2	What does 1-minute switching and 5-minute stabilisation mean? On the three-zone series, the sample stays in the middle chamber while the high-temperature and low-temperature chambers on either side are switched in. Switching takes about one minute and the chamber recovers to the set point in about five minutes, so the sample experiences the change rather than waiting for the housing to catch up.
3	How does a three-zone chamber differ from a two-zone chamber? A two-zone chamber moves the sample between a hot chamber and a cold chamber. A three-zone chamber keeps the sample stationary in a separate middle chamber and moves the air instead, which reduces the mechanical handling of the load.
4	What working volume should a testing laboratory specify? It follows the typical load rather than one oversized item. The rapid temperature change cabinet offers a 408 L working capacity with a 800 × 600 × 850 mm interior, while the DR-H202 walk-in room offers 1500 × 1200 × 1500 mm for full-size assemblies and bulk batches.
5	What power supply do these chambers need? Cabinet models are rated three-phase 380 V / 50 Hz in their standard configuration, and the DR-H202 walk-in room AC 380 V ± 10 %, 50/60 Hz. Supply conditions are confirmed with the customer before production so the chamber matches what the laboratory can actually provide.
6	Can the chamber be specified to a particular test standard? Yes. Range, rate, working volume, porting and the control programme are confirmed per project against the standard and the sample, rather than taken from a fixed catalogue configuration.