What Is a Rapid Temperature Change Test Chamber?
This 73-second video deals with something that is easy to miss when quotations are compared: rapid temperature change chambers are mainly sold in two categories — linear and non-linear — and the two are not priced alike. The chamber in the video is the DERUI energy-saving rapid thermal cycle chamber, which is a linear type. The difference between the two is not in the temperature range printed on the datasheet; it is in the shape of the temperature curve the chamber produces.
What This Video Explains
The video does not list parameters. It starts with a classification, then shows how to tell the two types apart from the temperature curve — which is the part that decides what you are actually being quoted.
The two categories on the market
▸ Rapid temperature change (thermal cycle) chambers are mainly divided into two categories: linear and non-linear.
▸ The DERUI energy-saving rapid thermal cycle chamber belongs to the linear category.
▸ It is a description of how the chamber runs its temperature curve — not a grade of accuracy.
How to tell them apart from the temperature curve
▸ A linear chamber shows a uniform linear trend: the rate of temperature change stays constant through the ramp.
▸ A non-linear chamber shows a parabolic curve, and the speed of change is not even.
▸ These chambers are bought to run repeated cycles between high and low temperature, so the curve the machine actually produces is the honest description of it.
Why it changes the quotation
▸ The two types differ noticeably in purchase price, so “rapid temperature change chamber” on its own is not a complete requirement.
▸ Compare a linear chamber against a non-linear price and the conclusion will be wrong — in either direction.
▸ Put the curve type in the enquiry, and ask to see a measured curve rather than only a printed figure.
How a Linear Rapid Temperature Change Cycle Runs
Step 1 - Agree the curve type first
Linear or non-linear is settled before prices are compared, because the two sit in different price ranges. Enquiring on the temperature range alone leaves the decisive requirement unclear.
Step 2 - Load the specimen and route the cables
The specimen goes in on the SUS#304 trays, and any power or thermocouple leads are routed through the 50 mm cable port, so the product can be energised and monitored while the chamber cycles.
Step 3 - Set the cycle and watch the curve
Two extremes, the ramp rate between them, the dwell at each extreme and the cycle count. On a linear chamber the curve shown by the control system should hold a uniform straight trend through each ramp.
Step 4 - Record the curve, not only the result
Data can be exported through USB, SD card, RS485, RS232 or Ethernet. On a multi-week programme the curve is the record that shows the chamber stayed in linear operation.
Rapid Temperature Change Test Chamber Specifications
| Parameter | Specification | Selection note |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature curve type | Linear, uniform rate through each ramp | A non-linear chamber runs a parabolic curve at an uneven rate and sits in a different price range. State which one your standard requires. |
| Working volume | 50 L to 1000 L, customizable | Match the volume to the specimen plus its fixture, leaving clearance for air movement. |
| Temperature range | −70 °C to +180 °C | Confirm the hot end of the range against your standard, not only the cold end. |
| Humidity range | 10 % to 98 % RH | Needed if the same unit has to run condensation or humidity cycling. |
| Ramp rate | 5 / 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 °C/min, selectable | Quote the rate with the load attached — a chamber ramps fastest when empty. |
| Temperature fluctuation | ±1 °C | Ask under which conditions the figure is measured. |
| Humidity fluctuation / uniformity | ±2.5 % RH / 3 % RH | Water is supplied through an RO reverse osmosis filter system. |
| Internal material / cable port | SUS#304 stainless steel, mirror finished; 50 mm testing hole | The port is for powering and instrumenting the specimen inside the chamber. |
| Data connections | USB, SD card, RS485, RS232, Ethernet | For storing and analysing a multi-cycle programme. |
| Energy-saving control | Patented energy-saving design with PWM refrigeration control | Relevant where the chamber runs cycles continuously. |
| Power supply | Three-phase 380 V or single-phase 220 V, 50 Hz | Confirm the supply against the model and the volume you order. |
| Safety protection and alarms | Leakage, over-temperature, compressor over-voltage and overload, heater short circuit; multiple alarm detection points with wireless remote alarm | Ask which alarms can be wired to a remote contact for an unattended run. |
| Reference standards | GB/T5170.2-2008; GB/T2423.1-2008 (IEC 60068-2-1:2007); GB/T2423.2-2008 (IEC 60068-2-2:2007); IEC 60068-2-14:2009 | Match the standard your test plan names before comparing configurations. |
Where This Chamber Is Used
▸ Screening and failure-mode analysis of photovoltaic components and interconnection circuits.
▸ Component assemblies and electronic devices that meet thermal cycling in service.
▸ Condensation tests and high temperature / high humidity tests in the same unit.
▸ Temperature and humidity cycling where a slow chamber would make the test plan impractically long.
Linear and Non-Linear: What the Difference Is
On a linear chamber the temperature curve is a straight line with a constant slope. The rate of change is the same at the start of the ramp and just before the setpoint is reached, which is what the video points out as the defining feature. On a non-linear chamber the curve is parabolic, so the same trip between two setpoints is made at an uneven speed.
The two numbers that usually get compared — temperature range and degrees per minute — do not identify the machine on their own. Ask for the curve. The DERUI energy-saving rapid thermal cycle chamber is a linear chamber; if your standard or your end customer calls for a non-linear profile, say so at the enquiry stage, because the purchase prices of the two types differ noticeably.
What to Confirm Before You Buy
▸ Whether your standard or your end customer requires a linear or a non-linear profile.
▸ Whether the supplier can show a measured temperature curve, not only a printed rate.
▸ Whether the quoted ramp rate is achieved with the load attached or on an empty chamber.
▸ The full cycle profile: extremes, ramp rate, dwell times and cycle count.
▸ Site conditions: power supply, floor space for the volume you order, and the route in for the machine.
What Information Is Needed for a Quotation
▸ Specimen type, dimensions, mass and how it will be powered or monitored inside the chamber.
▸ The applicable standard, the full cycle profile, and whether the curve must be linear or non-linear.
▸ The working volume you need — the series covers 50 L to 1000 L, customizable.
▸ Whether the same chamber must also run humidity or condensation tests.
▸ Site conditions, delivery terms, destination port, and whether installation and commissioning are required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Video Summary
This 73-second video is a selection guide rather than a product tour. It divides rapid temperature change chambers into linear and non-linear types, identifies the DERUI energy-saving rapid thermal cycle chamber as a linear chamber, and gives the practical test: read the temperature curve. A uniform straight line is linear; a parabolic curve with an uneven rate is non-linear.
The point it closes on is worth keeping. The two types differ noticeably in purchase price, so decide which one your test plan needs before the quotations are compared — and ask for a measured curve, not only a printed rate.
Need a Linear Rapid Temperature Change Test Chamber Proposal?
Send the cycle profile, the working volume you need and your site conditions through the contact page, and we will confirm the model and the configuration for your application.
