Discovering Climatic Tests

We all agree that quality and safety are fundamental requirements for the goods that are part of our daily lives, but not many know what kind of tests guarantee them. 

For testing batteries and accumulators, discover the battery test chamber, designed for testing under controlled conditions.

The products and materials that surround us in everyday life, in fact, must pass a rigorous series of tests - specific to their intended use - to guarantee reliability and safety.

Climatic testing plays a vital role and is essential to most industries.

Today we're going to delve into climate testing.

What are Climatic Tests?

Climatic testing is a process used to simulate a wide variety of atmospheric and environmental conditions —from the most common to the most extreme—to evaluate the durability and performance of products and materials. 

Climatic testing therefore involves a series of key parameters: above all, temperature andrelative humidity , but also exposure to sunlight or simulated precipitation. Virtually no industry is not involved in some way in climatic testing, such is its importance. 

Among these we can mention electronics, automotive, the military and aerospace, but also the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.

But what are these climate tests? Let's take a look at the most common ones.

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The Most Widespread Climatic Tests

Climatic testing is a vast field. The methods for carrying out each type of test are indicated by a series of international organizations, such as ISO, ICH and MIL-STD , which outline the procedures depending on the product, material or sector involved.

Below we look at some of the most common climate tests:

• Stability Testing: Used primarily in the pharmaceutical and food industries, stability testing simulates the environmental conditions of a product's life cycle to determine expiration dates, storage and shelf life, and more.

We talked about it in this article.

• Thermal Cycling Testing: Thermal cycling is defined as any recursive thermal test in which the temperature is regularly altered, reaching a high temperature peak and a low temperature peak. ISO MIL-STD standards regulate thermal cycling climatic tests depending on the industry involved.

We talked about it in detail here.

• Thermal Shock Test: To speak of Thermal Shock, and not a simple stability test, it is necessary that the material is subjected to an excursion of at least 15° over the course of a minute. 

Typically, the overall excursion of a thermal shock test exceeds 100° to verify the material's resistance to the most extreme conditions.

Here is a detailed article.

• Salt Spray Testing: For products and materials intended for use in marine environments or exposed to corrosive agents, salt spray testing is crucial. This test simulates exposure of materials to a salt spray solution, evaluating their resistance to corrosion and rust. 

Here is an article about it.

How Climatic Tests Are Done: The Climatic Test Chamber

Climate tests are conducted using specially designed laboratory instruments known as climate chambers. These chambers provide a hermetically sealed environment from the outside, and within them, various environmental parameters can be regulated and controlled, including temperature and relative humidity.

Climatic chambers come in a variety of sizes and configurations, from small benchtop units to chamber-sized, so-called walk-in chambers, capable of accommodating large objects such as cars or industrial equipment.

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The FDM Climatic Test Chamber

FDM climate chambers are capable of performing all of the above-listed climate tests with precision and reliability.

FDM – Environment Makers has been a leading company in the climate testing industry for over 70 years. 

our technicians are always available to listen to the customer's needs to design a climate chamber that meets all the relevant criteria.

For any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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Authoritative Sources

• IEC 60068 Environmental testing.
• MIL-STD-810H.
• RTCA DO-160G.
• IEST — Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology.

Frequently Asked Questions about Climatic Testing

What are climate tests and what are they used for?

Climatic tests are laboratory tests that simulate real-world environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, radiation, pressure, corrosive agents) to evaluate product reliability, durability, and compliance with industry regulations. They help identify failure modes, validate designs, qualify suppliers, and certify products for regulated markets (medical, automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical).

What are the main types of climate tests?

Standard types: temperature (cold IEC 60068-2-1, dry heat -2-2, cyclic -2-14); humidity (damp heat steady IEC 60068-2-78, cyclic -2-30); thermal shock (rapid change IEC 60068-2-14 Na); corrosion (salt spray ISO 9227); solar radiation / UV (ASTM G155, ISO 4892); pressure/altitude (IEC 60068-2-13); combined (temperature + humidity + vibration, e.g., MIL-STD-810H). Each test has its own duration, profile, and pass/fail criteria.

Which sectors require mandatory climate testing?

Automotive: ISO 16750, AEC-Q100 for electronics and sensors. Aerospace and defense: MIL-STD-810, RTCA DO-160, ECSS. Medical: ISO 11607 for packaging, ASTM F1980 for accelerated aging. Pharmaceutical: ICH Q1A/Q1B for stability. Consumer electronics: IEC 60068 + JEDEC JESD22. Construction: EN 1279 glazing, EN 12150 panels, ISO 12944 protective paints.

How to choose a climate testing laboratory?

Key criteria: (a) ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation (in Italy through ACCREDIA) for the specific required standards; (b) calibrated chambers with NIST/ACCREDIA metrological traceability; (c) specialized expertise in the client's sector (e.g., an aerospace lab is different from a pharmaceutical lab); (d) response time and availability; (e) cost transparency with detailed quotations. Alternative: invest in an in-house climatic chamber for recurring tests.