TME Pressure Bubble Tester™

Brought to you by TME, our specialist leak, flow and package testing brand, our Pressure Bubble Tester detects gross leaks in packaging using the bubble leak testing approach.

Our simple but effective bubble tester applies a low-pressure and controlled flow range of 0 to 2 psig, with high flow capacity for packages. It’s perfect for leak detection testing of packaging made from porous material packages and non-porous pouches.

What is the bubble leak test method?

Bubble leak testing is a simple way to test your packages for leaks. First, you’ll need to immerse your packaging sample in a liquid and apply a pressure differential. You can then determine if, and where, any leaks are present by observing air bubbles escaping from the sample. This can be a problem as it indicates that any sterile barriers have been breached.

Bubble leak testing is also known as a submersion leak test, bubble emission test or underwater immersion leak test. It’s a visual and destructive test method that can be used for both tray and pouch packages.

How does our pressure bubble tester work?

It’s so easy to set up and use the probe and package port system of the TME Pressure Bubble Tester™. Designed for simplicity, you just load your pouches into the chamber, and it does the rest.

Our bubble tester lowers and holds the pouch under one inch of water to observe bubbles from a 250-micron hole. You get total control of test parameters including digital pressure readings, – with a choice of measurement units – clearly displayed on the illuminated display.

The open screen retainer is locked in position with toggle handles to keep the pouch under water. You get high detection visibility of any surface bubbles arising from packaging surface defects – from all angles.

Our bubble tester’s precision pressure regulator delivers stable pressures with high flow capacity, so you get both accuracy and repeatability. The pressure and flow are fully adjustable to minimize any random bubbles interfering with the test.

ASTM F2096 bubble leak test compliant

The main international testing standard that guides packaging bubble leak testing is the ASTM F2096 test method “Standard Test Method for Detecting Gross Leaks in Packaging by Internal Pressurization Bubble Test”. The good news is that our bubble tester helps you to meet each and every requirement of the standard.

Enhance your pressure testing data capabilities

The TME Pressure Bubble Tester™ is fully compatible with our BT Integra Pack: Smart Package Tester, enabling seamless testing workflows. When used together, these instruments provide reliable automatic test data capture and digital record-keeping –supporting traceability, audit compliance and quality assurance needs. If you are interested in combining both units together for greater efficiency and data-driven inspection tools, please get in touch with a member of our team for more information.

Lots of leak testers to choose from

We make a wide range of leak detection instruments for packaging samples of all sizes and materials. Make sure you check out the TME WORKER™: Leak & Flow Tester and the TME BT Integra Pack: Smart Package Tester.

Explore leak detection expertise

We’ve learnt a thing or two about how to build great leak testers over the years, and we share our insight on the knowledgebase section of our website.
You could start with this blog on the fundamentals of pressure decay leak testers. Or perhaps try this one on understanding leaks and leak testing in products and packages is of more interest?