Temperature and relative humidity are the two atmospheric factors that concern all climatic tests on products and materials, remaining relevant even in tests that do not place them at the center of the experiment.
However, these are not the only relevant atmospheric factors.
In the life of many products and materials, for example, precipitation is relevant, including the most common: rain
The rain test chamber serves just that purpose.
What is the Rain Test Chamber for?
All materials and products undergo degradation phenomena caused by exposure to rain. However, some are more sensitive than others and we are talking about electrical and electronic devices.
Both outdoor ones, such as antennas and satellite dishes for example, which undergo the action of the rain on a regular basis; and those that can only be found exposed to it occasionally - like your mobile phone - must demonstrate a certain degree of resistance to the action of rain and water in general.
This criterion is called: "degree of protection for enclosures of electrical material" and is defined by an internationally recognized standard, the IEC 60529.
The same standard also defines the degrees of protection from dust which we have talked about here.
As for the rains, however, the law outlines nine degrees of increasing protection. It is done from "IP x0: no protection" up to "IP x8: device protected against the effects of submersion"; obviously dedicated to electronic devices intended for underwater use. In between, there are various degrees of protection required for consumer electronics such as: "IP x3: device protected against rain with an inclination of up to 60°" or "IP x5: device protected against water jets water".
Depending on the intended use of the appliance - generally if used outdoors - it must demonstrate a certain degree of protection through the rain test.
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How the Rain Test Chamber Works
The rain test chamber is a climatic chamber suitably equipped with diffusers capable of simulating the action of rain and, more precisely, the cases outlined by IEC 60529.
As in all climatic chambers, in the rain test chamber it is possible to adjust the temperature and the relative humidity rate, parameters which also come into play in the rain test, as we anticipated at the beginning.
The instrumentation that simulates rain, on the other hand, can vary greatly in terms of conformation, power and performance, depending on the degree of protection to be tested.
Always referring to the IEC standard, the instrumentation is required to reproduce precise and very different effects such as: "falling drops of water with a maximum inclination of 15°", "sprays of water", and "waves and jets of powerful water” until the actual immersion.
For this reason, it is always good to have direct contact with the manufacturer of your rain test chamber to understand what requirements can be met with the available instrumentation.
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The FDM Rain Test Chamber
FDM climatic chambers can be equipped with different types of diffusers able to meet the requirements of IEC 60529.
Depending on the customer's needs, our technicians will install the appropriate instrumentation for conducting the rain test on electronic instruments, in accordance with the required degree of protection.
For further doubts and questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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