Getting the best out of your chamber ESPEC CORP.

Title
Environmental Test Procedures
Theme Planning a test

Test methods are very different whether the specimen involved is a part, or entire
equipment. Even if IEC standards’ tests recommend reproducing faithfully environment
conditions to evaluate equipments, or parts, confirming these conditions are faithful to
the reality is a difficult matter to address. In general, at design stage, environmental
conditions in which the parts will be used are not known. Even when assuming usage
conditions, it is possible that environment conditions are different, or such as we
haven’t thought about.

When a product enters into production, a purpose usage and estimate service life is
usually determined, and it is necessary to plan a test to assess these. It is difficult but
necessary to gather data, and endeavor to understand the conditions endured by the
equipment. After understanding the conditions, and considering the conditions’
differences along with the room temperature, etc., the test conditions can be determined.
The optimum tests conditions are determined regarding the category of product, taking
into consideration and balancing several parameters, such as the product
characteristics, test purpose, allowed test duration and available test equipments.

Testing usually follows below procedure:

Fig.1 Test procedure

Start Goal
Test Equip Data
Test Evalu Inspec
conditi ment analys Report
planning ation tion
ons choice is
Test planning/ preparation Carrying test Data analysis/ Report release

Setting reliability target/ goal Tools making/ Pre-test Test report

Collect usage conditions/ market Initial phase Statistical analysis

environment measurement

Understand market failure effects Main test/ Daily control Failure analysis

Understand test standards Data measurement Service life calculation

Choose test method/conditions Data record Create database

Choose hardware/software to use Records’ control

Create test schedule Maintain hardware

1
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Title
Environmental Testing: Notes
Theme Points regarding test preparation work

Table 1. Pre-test preparation

No. Item Description

1 Water for Humidifier water is pure water (deionized watee, between 0.1 and 10μS/cm). Using tap

humidity test water or other non-pure water leads to test results’ discrepancies, damage to the

equipment, and can cause test area contamination and humidifier early failures.

2 Wet-bulb wick In principle, the wet-bulb wick should be changed before a test. If the wick becomes

replacement dirty, the humidity measurement can take between 5 to 10% margin of error. Even if it

does not LOOK dirty, it is possible the wick is soiled after use anyway, therefore it is

importanty to pay attention to its proper maintenance.

3 Management of Check the test area for VOCs (oils, gases) and assess impact level. Vinyl chloride

contaminant contained on cable coatings etc. generate contaminants at high temperature. In that

case, outgas or use corrosion-free coating materials such as Teflon or tin.

4 Choice of the Great volumes shall be selected for large or numorous specimens, however,

equipment temperature, humidity fluctuation may increase in such spaces. Therefore, airflow

volume circulation, specimen weight, size, but also positionig shall be considered as well.

Table 2. Specimen loading

No. Item Description

5 Specimen Space between specimens should be such as not to affect greatly

arrangement temperature uniformity, or impact on mutual heat load and
electricity. Ease as much as possible the tools for loading/ unloading
and easier measurement.

6 Fixation of Tightly fix cables and specimens. During testing, vibration, shocks
specimen etc. can make the specimen or cables move, resulting in
disconnection, mechanical stress, bad insulation etc.

2
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Getting the best out of your chamber ESPEC CORP.

Title
Environmental Testing: Notes
Theme Points regarding test preparation work

No. Item Description

7 Specimen It is recommended to put a number on specimen when possible,

numbering to keep tracks even after the test when storing specimen. In
case a different test is performed, it can be helpful to distinguish
specimens.

8 Specimen basket The specimen is put in a metal basket, or any other non
corrosive material, so that water can notaccumulate.

9 Test area Inspection of the temperature and humidity conditions of the

temperature test area when the specimen has been loaded.
measurement

10 “Power ON” Examination of power fluctuations’ effects when powering a

check specimen. Prevention of troubles beforehand by checking
secimen’s voltage bias with a tester, before starting the test.

11 Voltage impression Electric plug outlet is necessary to avoid electric shocks during
load bias.

12 Cable port Shall be completely closed (impact on condensation and water

consumption)

13 Soldered wiring Use a low-volatile flux for wires’ soldering.

14 Change of the test It is necessary to change regularly IC sockets and test boards.
board (Deterioration)

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Getting the best out of your chamber ESPEC CORP.

Title
Environmental Testing: Notes
Theme Points regarding test preparation work

Table 3. During & After test

No. Item Description

15 Prevent To prevent condensation, humidity is started after the

condensation temperature has reached its target. When finishing the test,
humidty drops down, then the temperature.

16 Temperature set Temperature should be set such as not exceeding the glass
conditions transition temperature (Tg) of resin materials.

17 Specimen Specimen shall be unloaded after the test area conditions

unloading returned to normal (23ºC/ 50%rh, etc.) If specimens are
unloaded during test operation, it can undergo stresses such as
condensation or thermal shock, which would distort test results.

18 Condensation Specimen must be protected from condensation dripping.

countermeasures Condensation formation can appear from cable ports parts that
let outside air pass through, therefore attention must be paid
there.

19 Static electricity Static electricity is generated during electronic bias.

countermeasures

20 Intermediate It is sometimes necessary to take intermediary measurement to

measurement check the specimen changes, when performing a long-duration
test. The visual inspection and measurement at the end of the
test only may not be enough to detect the peculiar phenomenon
happening during failure, or the specimen significant
differences. Besides, intermediate measurement results allow to
plan further testing or detect points to improve at early stage.

21 Secure safety Test systems are manufactured with consideration for

equipement safety, and specimen safety, in case the equipement
or instrumentation would experience trouble or breakdown.
Safety is guaranteed by the use of equipements protected
against fires, etc.

4
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Getting the best out of your chamber ESPEC CORP.

Title
Environmental Testing: Notes
Theme

When specimens are available in quantity, it is possible to apply various tests, even
destructive tests, however, not so much when only a small quantity is available. In that
case, evaluation is conducted following a procedure for stress application; however, if
the sequence order changes, the result will be different. For this reason, it is necessary
to plan testing according to a test sequence.

Table 4. How to determine environmental test sequence

Purpose Main application

(a) Start with the most severe test. Development test.

The purpose is to understand the failure Used generally to determine the prototype
trend at first stage of the test sequence. performances.
However, if the specimen cannot handle such
condition, this test shall be moved to the end
of the sequence.

(b) The less severe test. Development test.

It is performed in order to obtain as much Used generally to determine the prototype

information as possible before the specimen performances. Especially when specimens
is damaged. are available in quantity.

(c) Test which has the greatest effects. Test to certify standardized product.

The damage that occurs because of a past For equipment and parts.
examination might be reproduced as an
effect.

(d) Simulation of real environmental Test to certify the model.

conditions.
For system and equipments for which usage
conditions are known.

5
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Getting the best out of your chamber ESPEC CORP.

Title
Environmental Testing: Notes
Theme

For electronic parts, PCB or other enclosed

Table 5. Example of environmental test
specimens, test sequence should start with
sequence for electronic parts/ PCBs
temperature cycling test. To emphasize the

defects generated by the temperature

Sequence Test category

cycling, it is necessary to follow it with a ① Temperature cycling

mechanical test. This will generate new
② Terminal strength measurement,
defects on cracks and seals. Defects
solder heat resistance
detection probability increase when

performing a weather-resistant test. ③ Mechanical test

Again, performing a thermal test on Possibility to speed up cracks

solders during the initial phase can
constitute a stress on the manufacturing
process. Performing a humidity test will
generate water into the defective parts,
which can be emphasized by
cold-resistance test or low pressure test. If
performing a humidity test again, more
water will infiltrate the defective parts,
then the elctrical characteristics’ changes
generated by fast temperature
change test.
④ Humidity (cycling) test, low
temperature or low pressure test
a
Possibility to accelerate water
infiltration in cracks. Detection of
water leakage by electric
measurement.

can be clearly appreciated. As the purpose (Source: JIS C 60068-1 Environmental testing

of steady humidity test is to observe the Part 1: General and guidance)

condition of the parts stored under

moisturized environment for a certain

time, this test comes last.

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Title
Environmental Testing: Notes
Theme

The number of specimens tested will depend on the purpose of the test. When the
product tested requests a defective ratio on the mass-produced goods quantities, the
relation between the number of breakdowns and number of specimens (defective ratio)
can be determined using the traditional method of “OC curve” (please refer to table 6).

Table 6. Example to determine specimen quantity when defective ratio on production is

required

F=0.01% F=0.1% F=1% F=10%

CL=60% 9,163 916 92 9

CL=90% 23,025 2,302 230 22

Median rank 6,932 693 69 7

(Source: Guideline on reliability testing of electronic parts Reliability Engineering Association Of

Japan JUSE)

In case of a prototype, most of the time the prupose is an estimation of service life, and
clarification of failure mechanisms; in this case, the average service life of the
equipment shall be set up from a Weibull analysis or similar. There are few documents
allowing to determine the number of necessary specimens clearly; however, comparison
by experience can help finding the appropriate quantity. The recommended number of
specimens according to the purpose of test are presented on the Table 7 (for reference).

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Title
Environmental Testing: Notes
Theme

Table 7. Ideas to determine specimens’ quantity for prototype evaluation

Section Idea

Differences on the Design prototype evaluation Part unit … min. n=10

evaluation stage
Statistically ≥ 5

Mass-production evaluation Part unit … min. n=20

Differences on the a Early-failure evaluation It is actually difficult to

evaluation purpose determine [n] in theory. Increase
b Failure evaluation
or decrease the number of
during sudden
specimens in accordance with
concentration
prior [n] quantities is the best
method so far.

c Evaluation at Possibility to determine n

breakdown level (λ, MTTF) statistically. However it is
necessary to think about
accelerated testing, otherwise n
quantity will increase.

d Evaluation of service life Same idea as for a and b.

However, only for single parts
with lifetime.

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Getting the best out of your chamber ESPEC CORP.

Title
Environmental Testing: Specimens’ layout
Theme Basic characteristics of air circulation

When testing a large amount of specimens, it is necessary to arrange them in the test
area so as to keep a good ventilation.

Besides, loading large amount of specimens, or specimens generating heat load, has a
great impact on the temperature uniformity performance, therefore it is necessary to
pay attention not to generate gaps between test results.

When placing lots of specimen, follow the drawings below so as not to prevent air
circulation to reach the lowest shelf.

When placing specimen generating heat load, it can be admitted that temperature rises
at downstream because of heat load; therefore, specimen arrangement should be
avoided on test area downstream.

Air flow ○ Air flow × With lots of specimens

Figure 2. Test area layout: Placement of specimens

According to the standard IEC 60068-3-5, the test area usable dimensions is a cube at
1/10 from the wall on all sides (however, smallest is set to 50mm, largest 150mm).
Ideally, arranging the specimens within this area reduces test errors.

*Source: IEC 60068-3-5

Size Volume L Length X X （Min.）
L1／10 （mm） mm
L1／10
Small ≦1000 L/１０ 50
L3／10
Medium 1000＜, L/１０ 100
≧2000

Large 2000＜ L/１０ 150

Front
Fig. 5 Test area usable space

9
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