Why leak tests?

Air leaks out of everything!

Leak testing is a necessary and integral part of the manufacturing process. There are various methods of leak testing, but the most common and reliable is the pressure test. 

One way to illustrate the pressure test is to blow up a balloon. Chances are, by observing the balloon, you can tell if it has a leak.  Now if there was a pressure gauge attached to the balloon, you would be able to tell more quickly if it has a leak by observing the pressure gauge.  When the pressure starts to drop, you know there is a leak. Even a very small leak would be detected immediately.

In production, even very small leaks can cause big problems.  That's why you need a fast, reliable method to detect leaks in parts. 

Leak testing is done for two very important reasons:

• Safety: safety is undoubtedly your biggest concern to ensure that parts are not leaking. The consequences of leaking parts can be fatal accidents, fires or explosions, and damage to people and the environment.  
• Quality: Leak testing for quality assurance helps prevent product malfunction or deterioration, costly manufacturing errors and impaired customer relationships.

Checking an engine block for leaks in the casting is just as important as ensuring that every single blood bag produced does not leak. Many different parts - large and small, extremely robust and very sensitive, simple and complex - need to be checked for leaks.