The heavy and bulky machinery in the industries requires right amount of check and scrutiny for the performance they give resulting to productivity. For continuous efficiency without barriers and obstacles, such high-quality machines need to be verified in a proper manner by some of the trusted familiar methods in the industry. There can be numerous types of defects found in the industrial machinery by the course of time and performance over the years. One such type is leaks which can later be proved dangerous if not checked occasionally. Leak test is done on the industrial engines and machinery to verify the presence of leaks in a device or component. It is basically a non-destructive technique that corrects the performance of the equipment for raising its output, efficiency and lifespan.
Mikro Innotech India deals in manufacturing of the high-quality and efficient testers to be used for the following verifications:
- Mechanized machines and semi-mechanized or manual bench gauges
- Mechanized assembly lines, leak tests and/or dimensional checking
There are some usual checks by the leak testers, they are as follows:
- Oil Circuit Leakage
- Fuel Circuit Leakage
- Gasket Leakage
- Water Circuit Leakage
A leak tester is specialized for verifying and checking the following parts:
- An Engine Block
- Crankshaft & Camshaft
- Cylinder Head
- Differential Gearbox
- Gear Case
- Steering Gearbox
- Sleeves and
- All types of Valves
An engine, when runs on miles, requires a good amount of power that might be lost because of the piston ring, cylinder wall wear or valve. This directly affects the engine’s performance and needs leak tester and air leak tester to check. The following process named as Engine Leak Testing then becomes handy for further assessment:
The Engine Pressure Reading:
A general test of an engine’s capability to compress the air-fuel combination is an engine compression check. A pressure gauge is attached to spark plug place. The engine is then activated to produce a pressure reading. A compression check is a good way to check the engine’s capability to generate pressure. The gauge examines the confident pressure produced by the cylinder.
The Engine Loss Reading:
An engine leak down test is in reverse a compression test. Instead of calculating the engine’s capability to generate pressure, compressed air is presented in the cylinder via the spark plug hole. One gauge on the tester calculates the pressure of air entering the cylinder and other measures the percentage of air leaking from the cylinder. The percentage loss will reflect the condition of the cylinder and complete engine condition.
The Top Dead Center of Engine:
Before sending air in the engine, the cylinder under testing should be placed at (TDC) Top Dead Center. The piston must be placed at the top of its travel. The ingestion and exhaust valves should be closed. When the air is compressed in the cylinder, the leak down tester will calculate any loss of air escaping past valves or piston rings. If the cylinder is not at the top dead center, air releasing past an open valve will give an incorrect reading.
Reading Outcomes:
A perfect engine sealing with 0 % loss will never be seen. 5 to 1 % loss reflects an engine in great to just good running performance. An engine between 10 & 20% can still run fine, but it’ll be time to keep a check on things. Above 20% loss and it may be time for a teardown and rebuild. 30%? major issues. The leakage percent must also be constant across cylinders. Any huge differences symbolize an issue in that cylinder.
Hearing Problems in the Engine:
Above getting an entire picture of engine condition, the engine leak down exam is the perfect way to pinpoint where issues and defect are before tearing the engine. Listening for where the air is escaping by ear can detach the issue.
- The Intake Valve: Air screeching out of the intake, carburetor or throttle body presents leak at the intake valve.
- The Exhaust Valve: Air heard mocking out of the tail-pipe, exhaust manifold or turbocharger means an exhaust valve leak.
- The Piston Rings: Whistling or hissing out of the PCV valve, oil filler cap hole or dipstick tube reflects that the air is pushing across the rings. Suspect ring or cylinder wall wear.
- The Head Gasket: Air bubbles in engine coolant observed at the radiator filler cap could mean air releasing into the coolant past the head gasket.
- The Cracked Cylinder Head: The bubbles in coolant or coolant being pressed up out of the radiator neck can also specify cracks in the cylinder head or cylinder walls.
The leaks if ignored might increase the chances of dangerous mishaps or affect the safety of the user. Hence, leak testing is considered as a method for process control and quality assessment. It is used in the machining or mobilizing a product process, for detecting not only the presence of holes or cracks in a cast piece but also the absence of machining, the incorrect gathering of a device, a defective gasket or the defective machining of two mating sides.