Leak testing is a broad term that includes a multitude of technologies. For the purposes of this article, different leak test methods will be referenced but not described in full detail. This article defines the broad term leak test and takes a closer look at the pressure decay leak test method. Furthermore, this article will describe how a pressure decay test works, considerations for the pressure decay method, and how recent technological advancements have impacted manufacturing environments.
A fixed head leak tester is a procedure used to determine if an object, product, or system functions within a specified leak limit. A leak occurs when a gas or liquid flows through an object via an imperfection or manufacturing defect such as a hole, crack or weak seal. These imperfections create high- and low-pressure zones within a product, forcing the gas or liquid to flow from the high-pressure area to the low-pressure area. The primary leak test method discussed in this article uses pressurized air to identify leaks.
There are many different types of leak test methods, which have different detectable leak rate limits. This article will primarily discuss the pressure decay leak test method. A pressure decay test identifies if a part is leaking or not within a predetermined leak rate limit. The smallest detectable leak rate for the pressure decay method is 10-4 mbar*l/s or 0.0059 SCCM.
The benefits of pressure decay leak testing include:
Economical
Fast (depending on the internal test volume of a part)
Easy to set up
Only requires compressed clean,
dry air
Quantitative
Nondestructive
No pre or post processing required
Determining a leak rate is vital to selecting the best leak test method.
Typical industries for pressure decay leak test methods include:
Automotive
Sealed Electronics
Medical Devices
Packaging
Consumer Goods
During a pressure decay test, a product is attached to a leak test system and filled with air. Once pressurized, the air source is closed off and the pressure is allowed to settle. During the test any decrease in air pressure over time signifies a leak.
Pressure Decay – Measures the pressure change of an object under positive pressure
Vacuum Decay – Measures the pressure change of an object under negative pressure
Occlusion – Checks for a blockage in the gas flow path of an object
Burst – A destructive or nondestructive ramping pressure test that measures the point at which the device opens or has a catastrophic event (rupture).
Crack – Typically performed on check valves to detect weeping prior to reaching the opening pressure. A downstream sensor monitors for weeping.
Chamber – Finds leaks in sealed packaging or devices that do not include an opening for filling.
Depending on the functional use of an object or part, any of the above tests may be required.
What is the intended use of the part?
What medium is being constrained inside or outside of a part? A medical device manufacturer designing an IV set may try to keep saline inside the IV set. An automotive manufacturer may have designed their manifold to prevent exhaust gases from escaping the exhaust manifold. An acceptable hole or porosity in these parts is contingent upon the application by which a leak limit will be determined.
Medium
An oil molecule is larger than a water molecule and a water molecule is larger than an air molecule. If an eight micron hole is subjected to 45 psi of pressure, air will create a noticeable leak, whereas water will only create a droplet and oil may not leak at all.
What pressure range is a part subjected to during use? What safety factor is required? Finding the appropriate pressure range for an application is vital. If the test pressure is too low, quality may be affected, and faulty parts may pass the leak test and go on to fail during use. Conversely, selecting a pressure range that is too high will extend the time it takes to complete the test and possibly damage the part.
Internal Volume
The test volume plays a significant role in creating a repeatable and sensitive test. Reducing the overall volume enables shorter test times with greater sensitivity. Parts that cannot have a volume reduction will benefit from pneumatic and sensor assemblies appropriately sized to meet test cycle expectations.
Acceptable Leak Rate
Everything leaks but what leak rate is acceptable for an application? Leak rates are most often specified by regulatory requirements specific to an industry. Often when testing a new product some trial and error is involved in finding what leak rate is acceptable for the product’s application.
Material
The material of the part under test affects test time. Compliance influences both the fill and settle steps in a leak test. If a malleable object is subjected to pressure and is not given enough time to settle before a test begins, the part may be expanding or contracting during the leak test, yielding inconsistent results.
Design
During the design and development of a product it is important to consider the test criteria to ensure a part has been manufactured correctly. Design criteria such as test pressures, access ports, shared walls or vessels, internal test volumes, and leak rate specifications all have an impact on the complexity and time required for a leak test. How the object connects to a leak test system helps to determine what kind of leak test will be run on the object. A fully enclosed object with no port to fill the item, such as a waterproof enclosed electronic device, requires a chamber test which includes a sealing fixture. An object with one port or opening, such as a catheter, can be directly connected to the front port of a leak tester without a fixture.
Conveyor has been a staple in the materials handling industry for decades. As the demand for reduced cost, increased throughput and integrated automation grows, so does the need for conveyor systems of all types.
Conveyor is available in many styles and is used in countless applications. In this Equipment 101 article, Modern spotlights the basics of some of the most common conveyor types:
? Non-powered skatewheel and roller conveyor
? Powered, or live, belt and roller conveyor used in handling packages and other small products
? Powered chain and roller conveyor used in handling pallet loads of goods
NON-POWERED CONVEYOR
Portable sections of non-powered conveyor are often used for loading packages onto the back of an over-the-road truck. Non-powered conveyor can also serve as takeaway conveyor for cartons coming out of an automated sorter, and it’s often used in workstations and pick modules where employees complete their tasks and then push their work along to the next zone or station. The two most common types of non-powered conveyor are skatewheel and roller.
Skatewheel conveyor
Only a little energy is needed to turn the sm