Standards Development

Scope

This British Standard specifies the preparation of test samples and the conditions for performing burst and leak testing of welded thermoplastic moulded components manufactured using one of the following welding processes: hot plate welding, ultrasonic welding, vibration welding, spin welding, infrared welding and laser welding.

This British Standard describes the equipment and procedures for 1) pressure testing a component to destruction using water in water or water in air (burst test); and 2) pressure testing a component to a series of specified pressures relating to the component’s maximum operating pressure and inspecting the joint for leaks, using air in water or air (or other gas) in air (leak test).

This British Standard is intended for use by QA and test engineers in all industries that manufacture thermoplastic moulded components, such as automotive, transportation, medical, white goods and electronics.

Purpose

In order to assess the integrity of a welded joint in a thermoplastic moulded component a number of mechanical tests can be used, including tensile, peel, bend and shear testing of specimens cut from the welded joint. Most of these tests are standardised. However, the most common assessment method for hollow components is a pressure test. Each manufacturer or product owner will have their own pressure test procedure, which may be slightly or significantly different to another manufacturer/product owner’s procedure. This makes it difficult for industry end-users to compare the quality of the welds from different manufacturers. The purpose of this standard is to define standard procedures for both burst testing and leak testing of welded thermoplastic moulded components.