Since HALT testing is an important part of the design phase of any new product before it goes into production it only stands to reason that appropriate HALT chambers are used to do the testing. A HALT chamber is an environmental chamber that is designed to put the test product through a series of temperature and vibration tests both individually and in combination. The idea is to test a product and push it to its limits and then beyond. Only by actually breaking the product can the test help the design engineers to understand the flaws in the products and seek ways to eliminate them. Choosing the right HALT chambers for testing purposes can be a complicated affair and there are certain issues that must be looked at carefully before testing can begin, if you want to obtain test results that are accurate enough to help your design team create a better product. The most important factors are internal chamber size, external chamber size, both internal and external ports, actual chamber operating noise and what kind of warranty the manufacturer is going to offer.

Perhaps the HALT chamber's internal size is one of the most important things to look at, it should be big enough for you to place your product inside while allowing room for adjustment. You will also need to have room for any cables along with the devices that are used to hold your product in place on the test fixture. Smaller chambers can be just big enough for a piece of electronics equipment, while some are big enough to drive a full size automobile inside for testing. AS far as the external size of the HALT chambers you are looking at they can vary just as much as the internal size. The bigger the internal size the bigger it is going to be on the outside so you need to make sure that the location you have chosen is going to be large enough for the chamber to fit into. Another thing to consider here is how you are going to get your chamber to its final destination. If you cannot get it through any doors or passageways you may have to reconsider and choose a new location. To properly measure the effects of the testing the product will most likely be attached to several pieces of measuring equipment via a series of cables. HALT chambers can be ordered with a variety of input and output ports conforming to your specifications.

By far the best ports are the door cut outs as these will allow you to test the product on the bench and then placed in the chamber for testing without having to disconnect the cables. Noise can be a big factor in the testing process in HALT chambers and can be as high as 85 dBA which can be a problem depending on where the chamber is located. You should when possible locate the chamber at a location that will not cause a problem with other employees. IF possible try to find a chamber that is rated for low noise levels as this will help reduce the stress on the people who are operating it. If you need more help and information regarding ordering and using a HALT chamber or learning how to interpret the test results, Ted Kalal of Reliability Help can help you with all of your needs. With over 25 years of experience in the field he is fully qualified to ensure that you get the test chamber that will serve you best.