Leak Detection & Water-proofing Speakers
Electronic speakers with waterproof credentials are a must-have these days. Everyone from all-weather joggers to thrill-seeking pleasure boat owners want reliable, quality sound, on the move.
Water damage is an easy way to ruin a speaker. Customers need to know that the portable or mountable technology they invest in is durable and that any wet spells won’t stop the music. They need speakers that can both shake off a shower and survive a soaking! That’s why many models are now constructed with perimeter and other seals for increased protection.
Typically the waterproof testing process for electronic devices is destructive. You get the answers you need, your soggy samples get thrown away! Fortunately this expensive and wasteful practice is no longer necessary. Our engineers have built air testing devices that do the same job, without damaging your samples. So you get the chance to rework or repair the device.
Read on to find out how this technology helped a global electronics company we work with.
What was the problem?
Our client, a US based designer and manufacturer of headphones and portable devices, needed inspection instruments and technical support. The water resistant and splash-proof headphones market they were familiar with evolved into demand for tech to survive all seasons.
Customer surveys had shown the company that people wanted a sturdier headphone for all weathers and scenarios. They were about to invest heavily in research and development, when we were called on for support as a test and inspection partner.
Most seal tests are destructive, meaning your products are damaged in the process. To meet the stringent requirements of ingress protection rating IP67 you typically have to drop the unit in a body of water – up to a meter deep – for 30 minutes. After which you will need to take your product apart to check the extent of the damage.
Committed to sustainability pledges and unhappy with the subsequent waste, our client wanted to avoid destructive water testing methods and liked the sound of our product-saving air testing devices.
How did Industrial Physics help?
This success story is all about the benefits of using air for leak testing. We created a simple, effective method. You get comparable results in seconds, while saving the life of your product.
Taking a consultative approach we invited our client to send samples and headphone components to our engineers to determine the optimal testing approach for their specific application.
They were right to be interested in our leak detection capabilities – the technology worked well with their products and gave the results they needed. After thoroughly testing the sample components and collecting data we were able to present a customized solution using air for leak testing. We confirmed that the approach would satisfy IP67 standards, explaining the many additional benefits of this approach, which include:
- Given its lower density and viscosity, air penetrates leak paths 25x faster than water
- Air pressure can be accurately controlled to mimic one metre depth of water (1.4psig).
- Testing time is reduced to seconds per unit using high resolution instruments
- Test systems can be arranged to allow multiple part testing configurations.
We recommended that our client should invest in our versatile TME Worker integra™ leak tester. It’s a sensitive and reliable device that can deliver burst, occlusion, vacuum and pressure decay testing. With a custom designed test chamber that detects pressure changes as little as 0.0001psig.
Introducing the TME Worker Integra™
A bench-top, high-resolution leak or leak/flow test system that is easy to operate and maintain.
It makes programming, testing, downloading, printing, storing, accessing and reviewing test results really simple! Examine statistical analysis of your results in real time and download your files easily.
Check out the icon-based touchscreen display. It provides easy, clear navigation through the many data handling and review screen options. While the small internal volume contributes to high sensitivity, repeatability, and reliability of tests. Find out more here!
Your test and inspection partner
Our technology gave our client the confidence they needed to take their waterproofed headphones from an R&D environment, to market, which they soon scaled up into mass production.
Industrial Physics has designed and manufactured more than 1,200 unique test fixtures to solve leak and leak/flow test problems across every industry. If you are interested in the many benefits of air testing, or you’d like to discuss any of our products and services with our technical support teams, then get in touch today!