Helium leak testing sounds simple in theory. Set it up, press a button, get a result. But once you bring it onto the production floor, the real work begins. Leaks that aren’t actually leaks, tests that vary from one run to the next, and equipment that seems to have a mind of its own, we’ve seen it all here at VES.
As a supplier of leak test systems designed specifically for high-performance environments, we work closely with manufacturers producing cold plates, CDUs, manifolds and heat exchangers. And no matter the setup, the challenges tend to show up in the same places. So, we’re sharing the most common problems our customers face, and the practical ways we help overcome them.
Plumbing Leaks and Test Setup Issues
This one trips up a lot of first-time users. If your test rig has leaks of its own, whether in the fixture, the valves, or the vacuum lines, it can easily swamp the small leaks you’re trying to detect. We often see systems misreporting perfectly good parts as failures because of background noise.
That’s why every VES system is designed with robust, leak-tight plumbing, and we guide customers to validate their tooling before parts even go near the chamber. Keep your hose lengths short, minimise transitions, and test the plumbing on its own using a blank fixture. It’s all about getting the fundamentals right.
Fixture Alignment and Seal Reliability
A misaligned fixture or an inconsistent seal can introduce tiny gaps that affect test repeatability. You might find that the same part passes in the morning and fails in the afternoon, even though nothing’s changed.
Our approach is to build fixtures with rigid, repeatable designs. We recommend using alignment pins, carefully designed seal grooves and, when needed, temperature insulation to reduce thermal movement. A known good ‘master part’ is another tool we use to help characterise fixture behaviour and detect drift before it becomes a problem.
Temperature Drift and Environmental Changes
Helium leak rates are sensitive to temperature and pressure changes. If your production environment isn’t stable, it can affect test accuracy, especially when you’re working to tight thresholds.
We advise allowing adequate stabilisation time before measurement and using thermal shielding where needed. Some of our customers even integrate ambient sensors into the test process to enable automatic compensation. Preconditioning parts can also help, particularly if they tend to outgas during testing.
Background Helium Contamination
When helium hangs around after a test, it can trigger false results. This is one of the more frustrating issues because it often appears randomly and is hard to trace.
Our systems are designed with proper venting paths and purge cycles to handle this. We always recommend routing exhaust lines outside the test area and using nitrogen purge steps where necessary. And we encourage a ‘light hand’ when applying helium spray to avoid flooding the detector.
Throughput Pressures
Leak testing can take time, especially when you need high sensitivity. But we understand production targets matter. You need to be fast and reliable.
That’s why we offer options like multiplexed testing, faster vacuum pumps, and intelligent sequencing to cut cycle times without compromising on accuracy. Some of our customers also run a two-step process, starting with a quick screen and moving to helium leak detection only when needed.
A Smarter Test Workflow
At VES, we don’t just supply machines; we help you build a complete, repeatable process that works in the real world. Here’s what that looks like:
- Validate fixtures and plumbing before testing any parts
- Establish a baseline with a master part to track drift
- Warm up and zero the detector fully before each test
- Capture full data, not just a pass/fail reading
- Purge and recover properly between cycles
- Analyse trends to spot anomalies early
- Recalibrate and maintain regularly to avoid unexpected errors
Getting helium leak testing right isn’t about guesswork or just buying a good detector. It’s about putting the whole system together with care, consistency and a bit of support from people who’ve done it before.
Need help building or refining your leak test process? We’d love to chat. At VES, we’re not just here to sell machines; we’re here to help you get results you can rely on.
