INFICON Offers Solution for Plastic Component Leak Detection
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Manufacturers are developing lighter, smaller and more compact plastic components in ever-increasing numbers.
The smaller the plastic part, the more difficult it becomes to detect leaks accurately and precisely, according to INIFCON, one of the world's leading suppliers of leak-detection devices. Manufacturers today, for example, are turning to the INFICON T-Guard leak detector - a low-cost, effective and accurate alternative leak-detection technology to find leaks in plastic components.
The INFICON T-Guard works with simple chambers under atmospheric pressure not affected by temperature, humidity or the flexibility or cleanliness of the part itself. Using helium tracer gas with a patented quartz membrane sensor, the INFICON T-Guard can be used on plastic and non-ferrous metal components. It delivers fast, precise results and eliminates the need for a vacuum chamber. T-Guard also is nearly 100 times more sensitive than conventional pressure-drop or water-bath leak-detection systems.
Quality, safety, weight and cost are critical in the design and manufacture of automotive components. INFICON T-Guard can detect leaks on smaller components including plastic containers for lubricants, coolants and windshield wiper fluid, brake fluid, hydraulic fluids, plastic fuel lines, plastic filters, surge tanks, filter housings, pumps or batteries, gas tank caps and tank fillers.
INFICON leak-detection technology will be on display at the annual Automotive Testing Expo (Oct. 20-22) in the Detroit suburb of Novi and this year's Assembly Show (Oct. 27-29) in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont.
"Quality demands and stricter emission regulations are driving industry standards," says 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."
The INFICON T-Guard leak detector's sensor consists 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. With T-Guard, time-per-test can be as low as 11 seconds, which will yield 327 test samples per hour.
In 2014, automotive manufacturers produced nearly 90 million vehicles globally, Parker notes. Car makers and their suppliers conduct as many as 600 million leak tests per year on plastic vehicle components, including fuel, brake, steering and cooling system parts.
INFICON is one of the world's leading developers, producers and suppliers of instruments and devices for leak detection in air conditioning, refrigeration and automotive manufacturing. The company has manufacturing facilities in Europe, China and the United States, as well as sales and service offices throughout the world.
More information about INFICON automotive technology is available online at www.inficonautomotive.com.
SOURCE INFICON
CONTACT: U.S. COMPANY CONTACT: Naomi Kissel-Johns, Marketing Communications Manager, Phone +1.315.434.1234, E-mail: Naomi.KisselJohns@inficon.com, MEDIA CONTACTS: Larry Weis or Merle Lueckens, AutoCom Associates, Phone: +1.248.647.8621, E-mail: lweis@usautocom.com or mlueckens@usautocom.com, Â EUROPEAN COMPANY CONTACT: Sandra Seitz, Market Manager Automotive, Phone: +49.221.56788.629, E-mail: Sandra.Seitz@inficon.com
Web Site: http://www.inficonautomotive.com/ Â
