Modular vs. Welded Chambers: Which is Right for Your Lab?

WBE's advantage in engineering walk-in environmental chambers comes from our unique combination of focused expertise, in-house manufacturing, and a commitment to customization. Unlike companies that treat walk-ins as a minor part of their business, large-scale projects are a core competency for us. Our engineers have spent decades perfecting the art of designing high-performance conditioning systems and airflow patterns for large volumes. Our 12,000-square-meter factory gives us the critical advantage of controlling the quality and timeline of fabrication, without relying on outside subcontractors for key components. Most importantly, our entire company culture is built around solving non-standard challenges. We don't try to fit you into a standard product; we build the product to fit your unique requirements. This combination of expertise, capability, and philosophy is the WBE advantage that makes us the ideal partner for your next walk-in environmental chambers project.

Walk-in environmental chambers are used when the item to be tested is too large, too heavy, or too numerous for a standard reach-in chamber. Their primary use is for system-level testing of large, fully assembled products. The automotive industry uses them as "drive-in" chambers to test complete vehicles under various climate conditions. The aerospace industry tests large satellite dishes, wing sections, and avionics racks. In renewable energy, they are used to test large solar panels and grid-scale battery storage systems. Another common use is for batch testing, where racks of smaller components can be placed inside and tested simultaneously for greater throughput. Essentially, a walk-in environmental chambers provides the ability to understand how a large, complex system or a large quantity of products will perform when subjected to environmental stresses like temperature and humidity.

Designing a walk-in environmental chambers is a complex process with several key considerations. First and foremost is the required internal workspace volume—it must be large enough to accommodate your largest product with adequate clearance on all sides for airflow. The second is the performance specification, including the temperature range, humidity range, and the required temperature change rate. The construction method—modular panel versus welded—is another critical choice that impacts performance, flexibility, and cost. You must also consider the floor construction, which needs to support the weight of the product and any test equipment. Finally, practical considerations like the door size for product access and the integration of any special features like viewing windows, cable ports, or additional safety systems are essential to plan from the beginning for your walk-in environmental chambers.

The installation of a walk-in environmental chambers is a major undertaking that requires significant facility planning well in advance. You must first ensure you have a suitable location with a strong, level concrete floor capable of supporting the chamber and product weight, which can be many tons. The chamber's powerful conditioning systems require a high-capacity, three-phase electrical service, often several hundred amps. A process water loop or cooling tower connection is typically needed for the refrigeration system's heat rejection. The ceiling height of your building must be sufficient to accommodate the chamber and any top-mounted equipment. Finally, you need to plan a clear path from your building's receiving dock to the final installation site that is wide and tall enough for the chamber components to pass through. WBE provides detailed site preparation drawings and works with your facilities team to ensure a smooth installation of your walk-in environmental chambers.