Thermal Shock Chambers

The price of a thermal shock chamber can vary significantly, often starting around $100,000. Several factors influence the final cost, including chamber size, performance capabilities, and custom features. For example, larger chambers or those with advanced capabilities generally command a higher price due to the added complexity and materials involved.

Customizations such as extended temperature ranges, specialized materials, or automation features can increase the base price. When selecting a thermal shock chamber, working closely with a manufacturer ensures that you receive the right model to meet your specific testing requirements.

The exterior chamber construction includes a powder-coat finish over heavy-gauge steel and type 304 stainless steel on the inside. Sandwiched between is a layer of highly-efficient, low K-factor, thermal insulation for the highest efficiency and temperature performance. 

The SM Series features two zones. To achieve the rapid change in temperature, your product sits in a pneumatically controlled basket that travels vertically between the two zones within seconds. (An optional third zone for ambient temperature can be added; see below the video). 

Each compartment holds your desired temperature with a heated zone and a cold zone. The specially designed basket is a traveling workspace with its own sensor so you can monitor the environmental condition in each zone, the temperature of the specimen, and its recovery time. 

When you need to cool your specimen even faster, an optional liquid LN2 or CO2 boost can be added. 

A third zone can be joined between the hot and cold for ambient temperature exposure. 

Cooling differences between 2900 models and 9100 models should be noted.

• 2900 models are cooled with a cascade mechanical refrigeration system. An LN2 boost option can be added to cool even faster.
• 1900 models use liquid nitrogen to reach cold temperatures. There is no mechanical refrigeration.

Heating Zone

AES heating systems are all-electric. They work by passing air over fast-response, low-watt-density resistance heaters with a ceramic core, ensuring a long reliable life with no downtime.

The combination of airflow, instrument response, and these fast-reacting heaters give highly accurate and straight-line control of temperatures. AES’s heating systems support temperatures upwards of 180°C (356°F), and heaters may be controlled independently or in unison.

Heating systems are located in a plenum so that test items are not subject to direct radiation. 

Cooling Zone

Thermal shock chambers with fast change rates are designed to get you testing as soon as possible. The SM Series has an average pull-down rate of 2.5°C/ minute and an average ramp rate of 4.4°C/ minute.

The chambers feature liquid cooling. This power-efficient method takes up a smaller area than air-cooled options. Keep in mind that liquid-cooled chambers require a water supply. 

You can reach temperatures as low as -70ºC with a standard SM Series chamber, although there are ways to go even colder. 

Liquid nitrogen (LN2) and carbon dioxide (C02) boost options are available. While CO2 has a boiling point of -57°C (-70.6°F) and can be stored in smaller amounts, LN2 has a boiling point of -196°C (-320.8°F). Therefore, liquid nitrogen provides pull-down rates that are much faster.

AES temperature chambers come standard with AESONE CONNECT®, a combination of hardware and software solutions that enables test monitoring remotely. You can view real-time and historical data, create, edit, save, and move between test profiles from anywhere you can access a web browser. 

AESONE XCHANGE is hardware internal to the chamber that increases your functionality:

• Connects the test chamber controller to your network for increased accessibility
• On-board multi-year data logging

AESONE SOFTWARE gives you the power to

• Remote monitor and operate test chambers 
• Create web-based test profiles
• View current data and historical data visually
• Secure multi-level user access 

AESONE technology can also be retrofitted to nearly any chamber you own. An AES team member will examine your configuration and retrofit the AESONE XCHANGE hardware to your chamber so you can connect to AESONE CONSOLE software.

Associated Environmental Systems is committed to long-term, responsive relationships with our customers. Looking to purchase a new chamber? Have questions about service, support, or retrofitting an existing chamber? 

Don't hesitate to contact us with your questions or challenges.