Leak Testing a Feedthrough
It is important to measure the hermeticity (the state of being sealed airtight) of seals to check the effectiveness of the seal. The three common methods used in the hermetic manufacturing industry are bubble test, pressure decay, and helium leak detection. Helium leak detection is accepted as the best test method for determining the fine leak rate across most industries. Bubble testing is good for proof testing an assembly and for finding medium to gross leaks. Of the three methods listed in this article bubble testing requires the least amount of equipment, could be as simple as a fixture to hold the part and shop air from your air compressor. Bubble testing is not practical for fine leaks due to the time it would take for a bubble to form from a fine leak. A fine leak could take hours or weeks for even the smallest bubble to form. [...]