Leak testing is a non-destructive method to verify the presence of a leak in a component or device.
It is implemented as a control methodology for monitoring production process and product quality control.
Leak tests are used to find out possible leaks due to non-suitable material (porosity, blowholes, cracks), or in the machining process to find out machining errors or defective parts, and ultimately in assembly, to find out missing or defective gaskets, wrong positioning or assembly.
The presence of a leakage could jeopardize the correct functioning of the component, device or its life span, and can also be potentially dangerous for the environment and the safety of its User.
There are different methods to verify the presence of a leakage, from the traditional immersion of the component in a water tank, to the pressure decay detection in pressurized parts, up to the use of tracing gas with the technique of mass spectrometry.