Electronics & E-Mobility – Climatic Test Chambers and Drying Systems

Climatic Testing and Thermal Processes for Electronics and E-Mobility

Electrical and electronic components are ubiquitous in modern vehicles, industrial systems and energy installations — and they must function reliably under extreme conditions. Temperatures from −40 °C in winter operation to +125 °C in the engine bay, humidity, thermal shocks, vibration — all of this must be replicated and demonstrated in product qualification.

NTH Therm supplies ACS climatic test chambers for the complete qualification and validation chain — from component qualification to system testing.

Component Qualification per IEC 60068 and AEC-Q100

The foundation of every electronics qualification is the IEC 60068 standard series, which defines test methods for cold, heat, humidity, temperature shock and combined environmental tests. For automotive semiconductors, AEC-Q100 (for integrated circuits) and AEC-Q101 (for discrete components) apply additionally as qualification standards.

ACS climatic test chambers enable these tests fully standards-compliant, with:

• Temperature range −70 °C to +180 °C
• Humidity range 10–98 % relative humidity
• Heating/cooling rates up to 10 K/min (with additional cooling option)
• Precise control for tight tolerances per AEC-Q

Automotive Electronics: LV124, LV148 and ISO 16750

For OEM suppliers in the automotive industry, automotive-specific load standards are mandatory. LV124 and LV148 define test sequences for 12V and 48V on-board network components — including voltage withstand, temperature stress and combined sustained load. ISO 16750-4 defines climatic influences for all automotive components.

ACS chambers can be combined with external test benches (load, signal injection) — for the required “operational” testing under temperature load.

Battery Technology and E-Mobility

Qualification of lithium-ion battery cells, modules and systems is one of the fastest-growing areas of environmental testing:

Cell level: Formation and capacity measurement under defined temperature profiles. Cells behave temperature-dependently — precise temperature control is critical for reproducible measurements. Standards: IEC 62660-1/2, IEC 62133.

Module level: Thermal management tests, overtemperature behaviour, conditioning before capacity measurement. UN 38.3 for transport.

System level: Accelerated ageing of battery packs, climatic cycling, cold-start simulation.

NTH Therm supplies ACS chambers with the necessary safety features for battery testing: enhanced pressure protection, exhaust connection and chamber fittings for electrical connections.

Environmental Stress Screening in Series Production

For manufacturers with medium to high volumes, ESS (Environmental Stress Screening) pays off: the combination of thermal cycling and vibration activates latent manufacturing defects before products are shipped to customers. ACS ESS chambers are designed for continuous operation in series production.

Thermal Laboratory Processes for Electronics

IBF laboratory furnaces complement the test chamber range for various thermal processes:

• Conformal coating curing for protected PCBs
• PCB bake-out before mounting sensitive components
• Sintering of thick-film pastes (Ag sintering) for power modules
• Thermal ageing for accelerated lifetime tests
• Degassing before vacuum encapsulation of electronic housings

Frequently Asked Questions