Helium Leak Detector

Helium leak detector is a safe, fast and highly accurate test gas for vacuum testing. It is non-toxic, inert and non-flammable – it’s also very light so it can easily flow through the smallest leak paths. Its small molecular weight allows it to be used for ultra-high vacuum testing, and its spectrometer detection capability is superior to that of other test gases such as hydrogen.

Helium leak detectors are generally used for quality control in production. Hermetic packages, valves, manifolding and seals as well as vacuum vessels and systems and medical equipment are typical examples of the parts and assemblies that are tested with helium. This type of quality assurance is particularly important in the aerospace, automotive, industrial and medical industries.

Helium Leak Detectors: Unveiling the Secrets of High-Performance Leak Detection

Different products require different leak rate requirements, and helium is one of the best leak testing methods for detecting small leaks at high vacuum levels. Helium can detect leak rates as low as 1×10-12 mbar.l.sec-1 (or 1×10-6 mbar.l.sec-1) which is a very small leak rate and far lower than can be detected using other test techniques.

There are two main methods to use a helium leak tester: Vacuum testing and Sniffer (inner) testing. In vacuum testing, the test object is evacuated with a separate pumping system and then the potential leaking sites are scanned using a spray probe or sniffer probe connected to the helium leak detector. In the hood test, the helium search gas is sprayed onto the hooded test object. The helium enters through any leaks present at the evacuated test object and then flows into the detector connected to it where it indicates a leak rate.