What is leak testing?

Leak testing is a test method that is used to confirm the test piece’s tightness or to detect the location of a leak.

A leak can be defined as an unintended crack, hole, or porosity in an enclosing wall or joint that is meant to contain or exclude various fluids and gases. This defect allows the escape of the enclosed medium. Leakage occurs when there is unintended flow of fluid through the walls of a vessel or sealed container. This occurs due to the pressure difference between the inside of the vessel and the external atmosphere, causing air to flow from areas of higher pressure to areas of lower pressure.

Leak testing is conducted by applying a set pressure or vacuum to your test part and using various test methods such as pressure decay, bubble testing, or tracer gas sniffing, to detect, measure, and localize any leaks. The objective of air leak testing is to ensure manufacturers that their products are manufactured with the required leak-tight specifications to ensure safe and reliable operation.