Contributed by: Steve White - Test Engineering Manager
We’ve written before about what to consider when choosing a leak test system. Today, we’re adding another element to this discussion – internal diagnostics.
In the previous post, we talked about three considerations when choosing a leak tester: your desired gage R&R (repeatability and reproducibility), the cycle time required for the leak test to keep up with your production quota, and the importance of traceability to your brand’s reputation for quality assurance.
But it all hinges on having a leak test system that is capable of quickly diagnosing any issues that may compromise its reliability.
The importance of a self-test function on your leak tester
That’s why we always build in a self-test function. Typically, this will be a valve that isolates the leak tester from the panel and the rest of the pneumatic circuitry connected to your part so the leak tester can run its own internal diagnostics.
This allows the leak tester to verify that all its valves are functioning properly and it doesn’t have any leaks. It’s a very helpful feature to run at the start of any shift or any test that you want to do.
In fact, our 3520 Series Leak Tester incorporates software and smart sensors to continuously monitor 20 internal characteristics to ensure they are always optimized and running properly.
It takes the 3520 about one minute to test all the valves as well as the leak rate of the panel itself. If you’re testing at pressures substantially higher than five psi, you may need to customize the leak tester. Or, if you’re multiplexing the supply, that may require customization as well. Our applications engineering department can help meet those requirements as needed and create a solution that meets your needs.
Want to improve your leak test?
We’ve helped discrete manufacturers achieve unbeatable throughput, reliability and repeatability from leak tests that were formerly a bottleneck and a quality problem. Learn more about the 3520 Series leak tester.