MEASUREMENT & MONITORING
PRESSURE DECAY LEAK TESTING
FURNESS CONTROLS
Ultra low-range differential pressure sensors
Furness Controls are UK manufacturers of
ultra-low-range differential pressure sensors
and leak testing equipment. Founded in
1963, the company has become worldrenowned
for its range of multifunction
leak testers, flow testers and differential
pressure transmitters, and for their UKASaccredited
calibration laboratory.
For leak testing, Furness Controls
has developed a range of automated
instruments capable of detecting very fine
air leaks through the differential pressure
decay method. With this approach, products
are pressurised, isolated from the pressure
source and monitored for very small
changes in pressure over time.
By using a differential sensor, comparing
the pressure in the item against a
reference, very low pressure drops can be
measured, equating to a mere 0.01 ml/min
in some applications. For manufacturers,
the key realisation is that air decay testing
is applicable across a range of leak
test problems; there is a well-defined
relationship between the flow of air through
a leak, and the flow of more viscous liquids
such as water or oil. In fact, if the rate of airleak
is low enough, a water-carrying device
such as a tap can safely be regarded as
leak tight. This is why most standard test
parameters for such devices are given in
air leak rates such as cc/min at a given
pressure in bar.
Not only are Furness Controls’ leak testers
sensitive, due to their differential pressure
sensors, over time they have developed
many other features such as automated
test cycles, industrial communications,
programmable electrical I/O and pneumatic
outputs. The latest line of instruments can
happily run an entire test station or be
controlled through a PLC. They have large
colourful touch screens for ease-of-use, and
support multiple ancillary test types such
as blockage tests, ramp tests, sealed-part
tests, and bell tests. The applications for
pressure decay leak detection are too
numerous to list, and cover most industries,
but a sample of the latest solutions the
company has provided include: Airconditioning
pumps, automotive fuel lines,
EV batteries, surgical robotics and military
radio enclosures.
Flow testers are also a major product line
for Furness, with a range of touch screen
instruments recently released in parallel
with the leak testers. These instruments
use laminar flow elements to accurately
measure flows in products such as heat
exchangers, gas burners and exhaust
systems.
With a range of high accuracy pressure
transmitters, laminar flow elements, Pitot
tubes and calibrators, Furness Controls
aims to provide the complete solution for
the testing and measurement in the arena
of low flow and pressure, and have been
innovating in the field for over 50 years.
www.furness-controls.com | +44 1424 819 980
70 PECM Issue 46