Helium tracer gas eliminates the need for sealed vacuum chambers.
Manufacturers are developing lighter, smaller and more compact plastic components in increased numbers.
However, the smaller the plastic part, the more difficult it becomes to detect leaks with accuracy.
An alternative to the conventional pressure-drop or water-bath leak detection system is the new T-Guard leak detector by INFICON.
The T-Guard system is a leak detector system consisting of an evacuated glass tube with a quartz membrane on top that is permeable to helium. The membrane is similar to a sponge that only helium at a molecular level can penetrate.
The chamber works under atmospheric pressure, therefore not requiring a vacuum chamber. It is not affected by environmental temperature or humidity, or the flexibility and cleanliness of the part itself.
This system is designed to detect leaks on small plastic and non-ferrous metal components, including plastic containers for lubricants, coolants and windshield wiper fluid, brake fluid, hydraulic fluids, and parts such as plastic fuel lines, plastic filters, surge tanks, filter housings, pumps or batteries, gas tank caps and tank fillers.
INFICON states that car makers and their suppliers conduct as many as 600 million leak tests per year on plastic vehicle components and that the T-Guard offers efficiency and time savings with a time-per-test as low as 11 seconds, which would yield up to 327 test samples per hour.
“Quality demands and stricter emission regulations are driving industry standards,” said Thomas Parker, INFICON’s automotive sales manager for North America. “As the use of plastic parts has increased, the need for cost efficient, more accurate leak-detection tools has increased as well. INFICON T-Guard is ideal for plastic parts. It’s both accurate and affordable.”
Applications are not only in the automotive manufacturing industry, but also in air conditioner and refrigerant component manufacturing, instances where pressure decay or water bath systems are not sensitive enough and other markets where helium vacuum leak detection has previously been too expensive or complex.
For more information on the T-Guard leak detector, visit INFICON.