What are the airtightness test methods for consumer electronics products? Industry internal technical program sharing

When a circuit board needs to work underwater, or a smartwatch has to withstand the sweat of everyday life.Air tightness testIt becomes the last line of defense for product reliability.

In the field of hermeticity testing of electronic devices, there are two distinct but complementary technological paths:Airtight true water leakage point testcap (a poem)Non-destructive airtightness testing. This technological divide is no accident, but the result of the industry's constant trade-offs between efficiency and precision, cost and reliability.

I. Technical divisions: why do we need two sets of programs?

The Cruelty of Reality and the Pursuit of Ideals

The traditional immersion test is simple and straightforward: throw the product into the water and see if it will leak. But this method has a fatal flaw -If it does leak, the test sample is ruined.. For electronics that are worth a lot of money, this kind of loss is unaffordable.

So the industry diverged in two directions:

Pursuit of intuition: Improve the water immersion test to make it manageable and accurate;
Pursuit of non-destructiveness: Ditch the liquid altogether and simulate the behavior of water with a gas;

These two schools of thought have given rise to the two main schools of technology today.

II. The First School: The Refined "True Water Test"

Airtight water leakage testertechnological breakthroughs

Precision Engineering'sReal Water Leakage TesterIt represents the highest level of "real water testing". The core innovation of this device isControlled hydrostatic environment simulationThe

Technical Principle: Ingenious Design for Water Pressurization

The device is capable of accurately simulating different water depth environments and works by..:

test pattern	workflow	Applicable Scenarios
Water pressurization mode	Pressurize the product first, then submerge it to observe the bubbles.	Quickly locate leaks
Underwater pressurization mode	The product is immersed in water and the sealing is tested by water pressure	IPX5/IPX6/IPX7/IPX8/IPX9 Rating Verification

Core strengths: intuitive and precise

Leaks visible to the naked eye: When the product creates bubbles in the water, the location of the leak is immediately apparent, a visualization unmatched by any other method.

High-grade waterproof testThe IPX5 to IPX9 ratings are supported, especially the IPX9 high-pressure washdown rating, which is simply not possible with conventional methods.

Non-destructive experimental design: Although real water is used, the balance of "using water without harming it" is achieved by precise pressure control that avoids the actual penetration of water.

III. The Second School: The Complete "Gas Revolution"

Technical Philosophy of Non-Destructive Airtightness Testing

Precision Engineering's non-destructiveAirtightness TesterA completely different technical philosophy was adopted: why not just use gas, since gas can pass through where water can penetrate?

The core strengths of this approach arequantitative accuracycap (a poem)Automation compatibilityThe

Direct pressure method: classic and efficient

Working Principle: Fill the test chamber with compressed air, shut off the air circuit after reaching the preset pressure and monitor the pressure drop.

Testing process:
Inflation → Equilibrium → Detection → Judgment
  ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
Set Pressure Stabilized Leak Detection Automatic Results

Technical Advantages::

• quantitative accuracy: Accurate measurement of leakage rates to provide a scientific basis for quality grading
• Efficient automation: short test cycle times and perfect integration into automated production lines
• Data traceability: every piece of data can be saved, forming a complete quality management chain

The flow method: a specialized program for breathable products

For the bandwaterproof and breathable membraneof electronics.Gas Flow DetectorProvides a unique solution:

Working Principle: Provides a constant pressure to directly measure the flow of gas through the product.

This method is capable ofQuantifying breathabilityIt is an irreplaceable value for products that need to be both waterproof and breathable.

Waterproof breathable membrane on the battery caseGas Flow Detector

IV. Technology convergence: synergies between the two approaches

Precise matching of application scenarios

Testing Requirements	Recommended Methods	core value
Quickly locate leaks	Real water leakage point test	intuition
Mass production testing	Non-destructive airtightness testing	efficiency
High-grade waterproof validation	Real water leakage point test	(having) authority
Breathability Test	Gas Flow Detection	expertise

Overall increase in business value

This is accomplished through the use ofPrecision EngineeringWith the dual solution, electronics manufacturers gain more than just a technological upgrade:

Dramatic increase in production efficiency: Automated airtightness testing realizes rapid detection, while real water testing provides final verification, forming a complete quality assurance system.

Precise control of product quality: From quantitative detection to intuitive verification, from batch screening to problem localization, each step is supported by the corresponding technology.

Significant improvement in cost control: Avoid product damage with traditional water testing, while reducing the failure rate through accurate testing.

Data-driven continuous improvement: Traceable quantitative data provides a scientific basis for product development and process optimization.

V. Technology Outlook: Continuous Evolution of Testing Methodologies

The Inevitable Trend of Intelligent Upgrading

In the future, Precision Engineering's airtightness testing will move towards a higher level of intelligence:

AI Assisted Determination: Recognize anomalous patterns through machine learning to improve determination accuracy
Predictive maintenance: Predict equipment maintenance needs based on historical data
Cloud Data Management: Realize unified management of quality data across plants

Rising standardization requirements

As the application scenarios of electronic products continue to expand, the requirements for hermeticity testing continue to increase.From simple waterproofing to complex multi-environment adaptation, test methods need to evolve to meet new needs.

Summarize

In the field of airtightness testing, there is no absolute optimal solution, only the most suitable combination of technologies.Precision EngineeringThe dual solutions offered are the embodiment of this technological ingenuity - allowing each approach to maximize its value in the most appropriate scenarios.

If you are facing the need for hermeticity testing of electronic devices, we offer free consultation on hermeticity solutions. Let the advancement of technology escort your product quality, and let every test become a booster for quality improvement.

Original Statement:this paper was written byShenzhen Jingchenggongke Technology Co., Ltd.Written by the technical team, reproduced with attribution.Data sources:Precision Engineering internal test data and customer cases.