Thermal Cycling – Stress Testing for Material Durability

Thermal cycling tests are used to obtain a time lapse of processes that can lead to material fatigue or reduced durabilty due to the different coefficients of expansion.

Thermal stress testing on e.g. assemblies with electronic components are caused by inhomogeneous temperature distribution in the materials. Changes up to the breakage of solders or components and/or inner layer cracks of copper connections occur. Materials are therefore characterized by their thermal shock or thermal shock resistance. Compressive, tensile and shear stresses are generated. A distinction is made between slow and fast temperature change. While the slow temperature change rather simulates the reality, the fast temperature change (temperature shock) is to be preferred for very strongly time-graduated investigations.