Leak testing
Leak testing is used in many different branches of industry, from the automotive sector to heating or medical technology, and is a crucial component of quality control and assurance. For a large number of products, leak-tightness is the decisive criterion. We focus on our core competencies in helium and ultrasonic leak testing.
Helium leak testing
Helium leak testing is a fast, process-reliable semi- or fully automated test method that can reliably detect and locate even very small leaks—both in the laboratory and in high-volume series production.
Ultrasonic leak testing
Universally applicable ultrasonic leak testing is the new dimension of gas bubble detection in a water bath. It is an objective, operator-independent semi- or fully automated leak testing method for industrial series production, including leak localization.
Leak testing systems for series production
Various sensors are used for leak testing in series production. An extremely important point is that in leak testing procedures, the detection limit of the sensor is often mentioned, but not the detection limit or detectable leak rate of a leak testing system or device. Determining the leak rate of a leak testing system always depends on the respective application and test object. There are numerous methods in the field of leak testing. Which leak testing method is the right one always depends on the type of application involved. The following overview shows the most frequently used sensors and their detection limits.
Method
Helium vacuum
Helium atmosphere
Ultrasound
Sensor
What is measured/detected?
Current 10–15 A
2 ⋅ 10-10 A
Detection limit
10-12 mbar ⋅ l/s
10-6 mbar ⋅ l/s
10-8 mbar ⋅ l/s
(Idealized observation in a laboratory test rig)
Method
Sensor
Helium vacuum
Helium atmosphere
Ultrasound
Method
What is measured/detected?
Helium vacuum
Current 10 – 15 A
Helium atmosphere
2 ⋅ 10-10 A
Ultrasound
Method
Detection limit
Helium vacuum
10-12 mbar ⋅ l/s
Helium atmosphere
10-6 mbar ⋅ l/s
Ultrasound
10-8 mbar ⋅ l/s
(Idealized observation in a laboratory test rig)
Method
Sensor
Hydrogen
Pressure difference
Manual inspection
Method
What is measured/detected?
Hydrogen
Pressure difference
Manual inspection
Method
Detection limit
Hydrogen
10-6 mbar ⋅ l/s
Pressure difference
10-4 mbar ⋅ l/s at 1 Pa, 0.1 l volume and 10s
Manual inspection
2.6 ⋅ 10-5 mbar ⋅ l/s in 20s
Method
Helium vacuum
Helium atmosphere
Ultrasound
Sensor
What is measured/detected?
Current 10 – 15 A
2 ⋅ 10-10 A
Detection limit
10-12 mbar ⋅ l/s
10-6 mbar ⋅ l/s
10-8 mbar ⋅ l/s
(Idealized observation in a laboratory test rig)
Method
Hydrogen
Pressure difference
Manual inspection
Sensor
What is measured/detected?
Detection limit
10-6 mbar ⋅ l/s
10-4 mbar ⋅ l/s at 1 Pa, 0.1 l volume and 10s
2.6 ⋅ 10-5 mbar ⋅ l/s in 20s
Method
Hydrogen
Pressure difference
Manual inspection
Sensor
What is measured/detected?
Detection limit
10-6 mbar ⋅ l/s
10-4 mbar ⋅ l/s at
1 Pa, 0.1 l volume
and 10s
2.6 ⋅ 10-5 mbar ⋅ l/s in 20s