There has been no shortage of innovations in leak detection design since Uson first developed automated leak testing methods for the U.S. space mission a half century ago and then brought these techniques to various commercial applications. Last year, for example, Uson unveiled a leak tester that is so versatile it can perform nearly a half-billion permutations of leak, flow, or other nondestructive tests (NDT).

That said, it is the laws of physics that remain and always will be the primary driver of nearly all leak test specifications—from selection of test methods, to optimal test cycle-times at specific pressures, and more. When you know the relevant physics inside and out because you live and breathe leak testing 24/7 (or at least it feels like 24/7), it doesn’t take too long to rapidly identify the best leak test methods, technology components, and other options to tailor leak tests to the application at hand. Uson, for example, has a Leak Detector Express Proposal system that usually takes 48 hours or less, and fully or semiautomated turnkey leak-testing assemblies are usually two weeks or less.

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