Sep. 08, 2025
Electrical Equipment
It’s normal for the many different leak testing methods and technologies to seem daunting for business leaders and entrepreneurs, and the truth is that many different manufacturing industries require some form of product leak testing.
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So, how should business leaders choose the most appropriate leak testing products for their unique applications? And how can they know when their leak testing methods are producing accurate, helpful results?
The Zaxis team is here to answer these crucial questions, and below, we’ll explore some of the most common types of leak testing that are utilized within manufacturing and other commercial settings. We’ll also let you know about the benefits and drawbacks of each air leak application, which will ultimately help you narrow down your best options!
Pressure Decay Leak Testing
Pressure decay leak testing is by far one of the most common leak test methods. It involves pressurizing a product or assembly, isolating test pressure within the product, and measuring the amount of pressure loss over a pre-determined amount of time.
In today’s business world, pressure decay leak testing is capable of accurately detecting even the smallest non-water leak rates. Some of the common products that require pressure decay leak testing include:
Benefits: Pressure decay leak testing is incredibly accurate and fast, and this type of testing can also be calibrated for standardized volumetric flow measurements.
Drawbacks: This type of leak testing usually doesn’t identify the specific source of a leak, and it’s possible for the testing to be slower when testing large products with low leak rates. Testing larger products/parts can also take longer due to variable pressure changes.
Vacuum Decay Leak Testing
Vacuum decay leak testing evacuates the air within a product/assembly in order to detect potential leaks, and this type of leak testing is incredibly useful for products that could potentially experience external leak sources. This includes things like pipes, underwater sensors, outdoor electrical housings, packaging, radios, smartwatches, cell phones, implantable devices and much more.
Benefits: A lot of business leaders prefer vacuum decay leak testing because it’s incredibly efficient and yields reliable results. It’s also a very sensitive type of testing that’s somewhat similar to pressure decay testing, but it’s less susceptible to environmental changes. This means that vacuum decay leak testing is a great option when temperature control is a testing factor.
Drawbacks: Surface outgassing, liquid evaporation and reduced product sensitivity can sometimes affect this type of testing. This test usually can’t singlehandedly test air pressures greater than 14.7 psi.
Mass Flow Leak Tests
With mass flow leak tests, business teams will pressurize air into a product/part and measure the flow rate when the tester is holding a constant pressure. This helps to verify a part’s leak integrity, and it can also help to identify potential blockages.
This type of test evaluates flow rates between predetermined maximum and minimum flow values. Products that fall within a leak test’s criteria will be confirmed for proper functionality. Mass flow leak testing is used in the automotive, medical, and various other industries. Some of the most common products that require mass flow leak tests include:
Benefits: This is a non-destructive leak test, which makes it ideal for restrictions in part channels, large leaks and blockages.
Drawbacks: This testing sometimes has low sensitivity, which can make it less applicable for smaller leaks. The test accuracy is often dependant upon factors like test air cleanliness, flow meter measurement ranges, and supply pressure stability.
Occlusion Leak Testing
Occlusion leak testing measures the amount of air that passes through a product/part, and it helps business teams recognize whether or not passageways are clear or blocked.
This test requires a product to be filled with regulated air, until a test port’s valves are closed off at a desired pressure level. A downstream port valve is then opened, and pressure loss is measured.
Some common products that frequently require occlusion leak testing include:
Tracer Gas Leak Testing
When products or systems have very low leak rate requirements, tracer gas leak testing is often a go-to option. This can include various types of tests, including:
Benefits: This type of leak testing isn’t impacted by pressure or temperature changes, which makes it a good option when products are tested at inconsistent temperatures.
Drawbacks: These tests are very sensitive, so it’s possible for them to be impacted by atmospheric trace gas. This is why tech-savvy advancements are often necessary for this type of leak testing to be consistently accurate.
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Suggested reading:Differential Pressure Testing
Differential pressure testing is a type of pressure decay test that also measures air volume pressure changes. It utilizes two unique pressure readings through cutting-edge differential pressure transmitters to identify leaks in products and assemblies.
This means that if pressure doesn’t drop during a differential pressure test, the product is good, and the production process can continue. However, if pressure does drop during these tests, manufacturing teams need to consider further evaluation.
Benefits: Differential pressure testers are very sensitive and accurate, and they make it easier for production teams to continue their daily requirements without delays or interruptions. This type of testing is also useful for steam, gas, and liquid leak applications.
Drawbacks: Subtle erosion can impact this test’s accuracy, and freeze protection is sometimes needed for steam and liquid meters.
Other Common Types of Leak Testing Include:
Reach out to Zaxis When Your Business Needs Leak Testers & Leak Testing Services!
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Unlike power supply, compressed air is generated onsite by the user and often the compressed air system is designed without accounting for measures such as air treatment, proper piping material selection, dimensioning the air distribution system correctly and spare capacity.
The result is a compressed air system that is very expensive to operate and does not help the user achieve productivity that the system is designed for.
Amongst all the above points mentioned, proper air treatment and using the correct material for piping, gain significance as these two factors result in a major cost impact to the user by generating leaks in the air distribution system. Compromising on either can lead to implications on cost and productivity, with untimely compressed air leak.
Important factors to bear in mind as to why air leak happens are:
Many detailed studies have revealed that an average of 25% of all compressed air produced is lost because of system leakage before it ever gets to the final user point. In some extreme cases, more than 80% of the air is lost through system leakage.
If poor system productivity isn’t a good enough reason to thoroughly check for air leaks , other factors that will press on its importance are reduced reliability, increased costs and the system’s unexpected shutdowns.
A typical fully loaded well-maintained oil injected screw air compressor running at about 7 barg (100 psig) will consume between 15 – 20 kW to generate 100 cfm of compressed air.
If we consider the power tariff in UAE of an average 0.40 AED / kWhr, this would mean the cost of compressed air would be about AED 6 to AED 8 per hour of operation for every 100 cfm of constant compressed air flow.
If the compressor were to run 24x7, it would clock total running of 8,760 hours per year, this 100-cfm flow would cost between AED 52,560 to AED 70,080.00 per year just in cost of electricity. Obviously, there would also be further costs in maintaining the compressor because of this operating time.
If you need only 70 cfm of compressed air and your leakage level is 30% you would need to run the 100cfm compressor continuously nonstop resulting in a net loss of 30% which translates into AED 15,768.00 to AED 21,024.00 per year in leakages alone.
Does your compressor have stop/start control? We tell you a simple way to estimate the air leakage amount in your system. First, start your machine when the air-run end-use equipment remains off. After some measurements, you can figure out the average time taken load as well as unload the air compressor. Air leakages will make the compressor cycle off and on with a pressure drop.
To calculate total air leakage percentage, here is the formula:
Percentage of Leakage = [(T x 100)/(T + t)]
Compressor capacity lost (percentage) expresses the air leakage amount. In a well-functioning system, the compressed air leakage percentage should be below 10%. As for poorly maintained machines, losses can be anywhere between 20-30% of air power and capacity.
Does your system have any other control strategy? If the receiver’s downstream has a pressure gauge, then leakage could be estimated. For this method to work, you will have to estimate the total system volume, comprising secondary air receivers downstream, piping, and air mains. After the machine runs for a while, it is brought to the usual operating system. Then, you have to consider the time your system takes for a further pressure drop (P2).
Leakage of air (cfm) = (V x (P1-P2)/T x 14.7) x 1.25
The significance of the 1.25 multiplier is that it can help correct the leakage to the usual system pressure. This then allows for minimized leakage with the dropping system pressure. Lastly, leakage of more than 10% shows the likelihood of the system to improve.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of multi channel air leakage tester. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
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