In recent years, climatic chamber automation has taken on an increasingly central role within environmental testing laboratories.
It is not just a technological update, but an evolution in the very way of conducting tests: more continuity, fewer errors, more complete data and faster processes.
In a context where precision and efficiency are essential, automation means gaining reliability and competitiveness.
In today's article we will see what chamber automation means, which elements are essential and how to program it.
What does Chamber Automation mean
Automating a climatic chamber means equipping it with the ability to perform test cycles autonomously, following predefined instructions and reacting in real time to the conditions detected.
In practice, it is the possibility of programming a sequence of tests (at certain temperatures and humidity, for specific times) and having it run without human intervention, except for monitoring or any remote changes.
For example, we can think of a stability test on a drug or a resistance test on an electronic component: instead of starting each phase manually, the operator sets a complete program, which the chamber follows precisely, documenting each variation and reporting any anomalies.
In this way we have not only an advantage, but also a qualitative one: automation guarantees the same precision, reducing variability to a minimum.
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The Essential Elements of Chamber Automation
To be able to talk about automation, a series of key elements cannot be missing.
The first is the control software, which allows you to create, modify and store test profiles.
This is accompanied by sensors, which are essential for measuring the conditions inside the chamber in real time and activating any automatic corrections.
Another important aspect is the possibility of managing the chamber remotely, via the network, for example to start or stop tests even when you are not physically in the laboratory.
Finally, the data management part should not be overlooked: each test generates a set of information that must be collected, archived and, often, analyzed with external tools.
How to Program the Chamber Automation
Everything we are saying is worthless if we are not able to program the automation efficiently.
This task is up to the operator who must impose a clear and efficient logic to the various phases of the test. It is important to start from well-structured profiles, avoiding too abrupt variations between one phase and another and including, where necessary, safety conditions that automatically interrupt the cycle in case the limits are exceeded.
Furthermore, among the Good Laboratory Practices for the management of the automation process we can list:
- Avoid too rapid temperature “ramps”, which could damage the samples
- Provide pauses between one phase and another to stabilize the parameters
- Use clear and coded names for each test profile
- Automatically integrate start, end and alarm logs in the final report
A Practical Example:
A laboratory specialized in battery testing recently introduced an automation system based on FDM climatic chambers. The goal was to increase productivity without compromising quality.
By programming sequences with 15 temperature and humidity stages, the laboratory managed to reduce the manual activities required for each cycle by 85%. As a result, it went from four to ten certifications per week, maintaining perfect traceability of the collected data.
Automation has allowed not only to speed up the work, but also to guarantee the consistency of the results, an essential element for obtaining the approval of the tests by third-party bodies.
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Chamber Automation according to FDM
For over 70 years, FDM - Environment Makers has been designing and manufacturing climatic chambers by implementing the best technologies available on the market.
Our innovative revoFACE Programmer allows the operator to automate tests in a simple, effective and reliable way.
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