CTS simplifies microleak detection for HVAC-R manufacturers with the TracerMate II HVAC-R Portable Test System

Cincinnati Test Systems, the expert in leak detection equipment, has integrated its TracerMate II leak test instrument into a Portable Test System designed to tackle the most challenging microleak tests involving HVAC and refrigeration systems.

Visit us at Booth #3891 in Orlando this week at the AHR Expo to see demonstrations of this and other CTS leak test systems.

The TracerMate II HVAC-R Portable Leak Test utilizes a tracer gas management system to provide manufacturers with a simple and reliable off-the-shelf answer for complex leak tests or situations where the test part is too large to fit into a test chamber.

The system integrates the TracerMate II gas management and micro-leak detection instrument with a vacuum pump, a compressed pressure source and an exhaust circuit. This allows for excellent trace gas background control to address all the technical and physical requirements of the test. A mass spectrometer or gas analyzer detects microleaks by measuring for a concentration of helium or hydrogen gas escaping from a sealed part.

The whole system is integrated onto a portable cart. An operator can simply wheel it up to the test stand, manually place the seals on the charge ports and pass a leak detection wand over suspect joints to obtain trackable leak location pass/fail results. A high-resolution pressure decay test and leak location detection can be performed right there on the same test station.

With TracerMate II HVAC-R, manufacturers can reduce the costs associated with extra test stations and part handling and eliminate operator subjectivity.

“At CTS, we understand how HVAC-R part manufacturers struggle to achieve a reliable and efficient microleak test due to issues such as part complexity and size,” said Mike Tanniru, General Manager of CTS. “That’s why we have worked hand-in-hand with them to develop TracerMate II HVAC-R. We have applied our leak and functional test experience to create a turnkey solution that enables manufacturers to meet their challenges in the most reliable and accurate way.”

TracerMate II HVAC-R can detect microleaks that conventional snoop or bubble testing methods can’t. It can achieve:

• Tracer gas measurements with an atmospheric sniffing device down to 1x105 scc/sec
• Testing to the HVAC specification of 0.5 grams of freon per year
• Testing of leak rates down to 1x106 scc/sec