HUMIDITY CONTROL
Creating a precision environment
I
"I was pleased to be able to oversee this project and grateful to Heronhill Air Conditioning for their incredible support in making this vision a reality.”
Gary Nolan
Dawson Group TCS Ireland
n 2024, Siemens Healthineers commissioned a bespoke environmental-controlled chamber to validate the performance and durability of its advanced medical equipment under extreme conditions. The chamber was designed and built by Dawson Group TCS Ireland, with Heronhill Air Conditioning providing the humidity control systems. The project aimed to simulate real-world environmental scenarios, ranging from low humidity and cool temperatures to high heat and moisture, ensuring that medical devices could withstand the rigours of transport, storage, and operation. The chamber was installed externally to Siemens’
production facility, with direct access from within the building. This approach optimised internal space while maintaining seamless integration with existing workfl ows. Medical equipment is subject to a wide range of
environmental stresses throughout its lifecycle. To ensure reliability and regulatory compliance, manufacturers must test devices under controlled conditions that refl ect these extremes. Siemens required a chamber capable of maintaining temperatures between 18°C and 35°C and relative humidity (RH) levels from 18% to 95%, with rapid transitions between
Heronhill has supplied close-control humidity systems for an environmental chamber used for testing advanced medical devices.
test profi les. For example, one test might simulate 18°C at 25% RH, followed by another at 30°C and 80% RH. The challenge extended beyond basic control. The chamber needed to maintain uniform conditions throughout its interior, off er full redundancy in both temperature and humidity systems, and operate effi ciently within a compact footprint. It also had to support automated fault detection and system switchover to ensure uninterrupted testing.
Humidity control Heronhill Air Conditioning was tasked with delivering precise humidity control across the full operating range. The solution combined Condair electrode boiler humidifi ers with Trotec desiccant drier dehumidifi ers. Each system was duplicated and linked to a control panel with duty-share logic, allowing switchover based on time clock, fault detection, or RH deviation. The electrode steam humidifi ers operate via electrical
resistance, heating water to generate steam. Grid electrodes provide a large surface area for mineral deposition, which gradually reduces steam output and signals when cylinder replacement is needed. The desiccant driers use a rotating
12 September 2025 •
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