Why Environmental Testing is so Important

In today's world, we're surrounded by industrially produced objects. And we take them for granted.

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We take it for granted that they perform their function and won't fail at any moment. To ensure this comfort, manufacturers are required to comply with a rigorous series of tests on products and materials. 

Among these, environmental testing plays a fundamental role

What is the Environmental Test for?

Most products and materials undergo a series of environmental tests.

In fact, during their life cycle, they will have to face all types of environmental situations: from extreme temperatures, to precipitation, high humidity levels or prolonged exposure to the sun.

Environmental tests are used to simulate these and other environmental conditions to verify how the sample in question reacts to stresses.

Obviously, not all products and materials are the same, since their likely conditions of use and the standards they must meet are not the same.

Let's see some examples.

Which Industries are Involved in Environmental Testing

As we've said, almost all industries are involved, in one way or another, in environmental testing. Here, we'll look at just a few paradigmatic examples to demonstrate how environmental testing varies depending on the context.

• Electronics: Both consumer electronics and electronics intended for other industries are subject to stringent environmental testing. Electronic circuits must pass so-called extreme environmental tests, which involve extremely high temperatures. One such test is the burn-in test, which we discussed here.

• Automotive, Military, Aerospace: all these sectors have in common the construction of highly complex vehicles that must withstand a wide variety of climates. Furthermore, the electronics they use must pass the environmental tests mentioned above. It's worth noting that the military sector meets a specific standard, MIL-STD-883.

• Pharmaceutical and Food Industry: Drugs and foods end up directly in our bodies, and you can imagine how stringent the tests are to verify their safety, including environmental testing. Furthermore, they are products with a very short shelf life, or, to use a more common term, an "expiration date." This parameter, too, is obviously determined by environmental conditions and is investigated with a test called the Shelf-Life Test.  We've discussed it here.

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How Environmental Testing Works

Now we understand why environmental testing is important and what role it plays in most common industries. But how does it work? Do researchers expose products to the elements and note the changes? Of course not.

To simulate the most diverse environmental conditions with precision, researchers have a specific laboratory instrument: climate chambers.

Climatic chambers are isolated environments in which it is possible to alter various environmental parameters: relative humidity and temperature above all, but, with appropriate accessories, it is also possible to test the results of exposure to sun and precipitation.

The samples to be tested are introduced into the climatic chamber and one or more environmental test cycles are performed with specific settings.

The type of environmental testing to be performed is generally indicated by internationally recognized standards. 

We've seen that the military sector has its own; other sectors follow those dictated by globally recognized organizations like the ISO.

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The FDM Climatic Chamber for Environmental Testing

And where do you buy these climate chambers, then?

Well, if you need to run an environmental test, you're in the right place.

FDM – Environmental Makers has been designing excellent climate chambers for over 70 years.

We have different models available: from classic climatic chambers, to those for extreme tests, up to those specialized in solar exposure.

Our engineers also create custom climate chambers to meet the needs of each customer.

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

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Authoritative Sources

• ISO/IEC 17025 — Requirements for testing laboratories.
• ACCREDIA — Italian Accreditation Body.
• IEST — Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology.
• Society for Quality Assurance — Best practices in quality and testing.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Importance of Environmental Testing

Why invest in expensive environmental testing?

The ROI is tangible: detecting a design defect costs 1x; detecting it in production costs 10x; detecting it in the field (customer) costs 100-1000x, including recalls, class actions, and reputational damage. An IEEE study on automotive electronics showed that 40% of warranty claims are avoidable with adequate pre-SOP environmental testing. For a tier-1 car with 1M units per year, a single recall (€50/unit) costs €50M—equivalent to investing a lifetime in environmental chambers.

What risks do companies run that skip environmental testing?

Four main risks: (1) Regulatory non-compliance — inability to sell in the EU/USA without CE/UL/FDA; (2) Product liability — civil lawsuits from defective products resulting in damage to third parties; (3) Reputation — negative online reviews, loss of enterprise orders; (4) Warranty cost escalation — failure rate 5-10% vs. industry benchmark 0.5-2%. For critical sectors (medical, aerospace), skipping tests is impractical due to regulatory constraints.

How do you measure the ROI of a testing program?

Standard metrics: Reduced DPPM (Defective Parts Per Million) — Increased MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) — Target benchmark 10-100x stated useful life; Reduced warranty cost — Typically -60% after 1 year of structured testing; Accelerated time to market — Early design HALT testing reduces prototype iterations by 30-50%.

Are environmental tests required by law?

It depends on the sector and market: Medical devices (MDR EU 2017/745, FDA 21 CFR Part 820): mandatory in ISO 14971 risk management and validation & verification. Automotive (Reg EU 2018/858, FMVSS): implicit in approvals. Aerospace (EASA CS-25, FAA FAR-25): mandatory for type certificates. Construction: CE marking for construction products requires specific EN tests. Consumer electronics: LVD+EMC+EU RoHS require safety and EMC tests.