Some suppliers of battery leak detection solutions Agilent www.agilent.com ATEQ www.ateq-leaktesting.com Cincinnati Test Systems www.cincinnati-test.com Eaton www.eaton.com EWI www.ewi.org E-XTEQ www.e-xteq.com Fives Group www.fivesgroup.com Fortest www.fortest.com INFICON www.inficon.com JR Automation www.jrautomation.com JW Froelich www.jwf.com Marposs www.marposs.com Poppe + Potthoff Maschinenbau GmbH www.poppe-potthoff-maschinenbau.com Redline Detection www.RedlineDetection.com Vacuum Instruments Corporation www.vicleakdetection.com Zeltwanger www.zeltwanger.de 72 media. A false negative can be avoided by carrying out sufficient tests on leak holes with diameters of interest. This would include varying the challenge gas pressure and noting the time to colour change. Smaller holes will take longer to detect, so a minimum hole size and maximum time to colour change must be established before implementing the system on the manufacturing line. While test labs have tightly controlled conditions, and modern production lines tend to be very clean and tidy, testing systems may have to cope with less than ideal environments, perhaps with high temperatures or vibration, and some technologies are more sensitive than others. Advanced air-pressure differential decay testers that can resolve pressure differences as small as 0.001 Pa, for example, need a very stable environment. In contrast, colorimetric systems are practically unaffected by vibration, and although the chemistry has not been tested at high temperatures, operation at up to 100 C could be possible, a manufacturer notes. All leak detectors face limits to the temperatures in which they can operate properly, and ranges can extend from 10 C to at least 30 C and sometimes 35 C. Dry rooms also present challenges to some types of leak detectors, as anything that can introduce moisture must be avoided. This precludes older methods that use fluids such as soapy water, liquid-based fluorescent dyes and any medium that has to be sprayed. Mass air flow or pressure decay testing that uses humidified air are also unsuitable (systems using dry air are available), as are methods of hydrogen tracer-gas detection that use moisturebased sensors. Preferred alternatives for dry rooms include helium mass spectrometry, ultrasonic leak detection and vacuum decay testing. As with pretty much all industrial equipment, leak detection systems inspire more confidence if they comply with widely recognised quality standards from bodies such as the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and safety certification company Underwriters Laboratories (UL). European Economic Area CE compliance is also important. One supplier we consulted emphasises that its air-based and discharge current-based technologies are developed under an ISO 9001-certified quality management system that ensures compliance with automotive and industrial regulations, while also aligning with industryspecific requirements. The standard relevant to leak testingcompatible battery vent valves is SAE J3277-1 JAN 2025, stating that the first priority is leak testing the sealing surface between the battery-pack housing and the assembled components. Many more regulations are for leak test equipment, including the European Commission’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS3), compliance with US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules, UK Conformity Assessment (UKCA), Eurasian Conformity (EAC), Korea Certification (KC) and Japan’s Product Safety Electrical Appliance & Material (PSE) certification. Most suppliers find they must comply with several sets of standards across different markets and for various types of equipment. One manufacturer notes that all its detectors fulfil CE standards and most are UL-certified, while its handheld devices are all SAE-certified. Leak detection standards are still evolving and the company serves on SAE committees to help develop them. Care and feeding Maintenance requirements vary according to the leak detector maker and system type. Many manufacturers recommend annual maintenance and Product focus | Battery leak testing March/April 2025 | E-Mobility Engineering An innovative way of minimising error in differential pressure decay testing involves cancelling out any background noises
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