Supplier Touts Airbag Leak-Testing Capability

Switzerland's Inficon Holding AG says its advanced airbag leak-testing equipment is faster, safer and more reliable than competitive systems.

The company says the improved productivity and lower maintenance costs of its new machines enable customers to recoup their investment in 3-6 months.

At high-volume plants, airbag makers may have as many as 100 leak-detection machines that cost $45,000 to $250,000 per unit, according to Inficon. Most airbags systems are tested twice: once during assembly and then 12 to 72 hours later to identify possible slow leaks.

Leaks can occur around welds and seals in the airbag housing, its igniter or filler port. Even tiny openings could allow water to seep into a system and react with solid explosive material, Inficon says, noting that its helium leak detection systems can be used for all types of airbag propellants and igniters.

Sales of the company's patented systems have spiked over the last two years as airbag manufacturers tightened and improved their test procedures. The machine are sensitive enough to detect a few molecules of helium escaping from a sealed container, according to Inficon.

The effects of even minuscule leaks are a major factor in Takata Corp.'s recall of nearly 34 million inflators, whose ammonium nitrate propellant is sensitive to moisture. Takata says exposure to moisture can alter the material's composition and cause it to misfire when triggered in a crash. Eight deaths and more than 100 injuries have been blamed on Takata inflators the exploded, spewing shrapnel into the passenger cabin.