{"id":23199,"date":"2026-03-20T11:23:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T10:23:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/how-to-choose-your-leak-testing-equipment-the-complete-guide\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T11:23:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T10:23:13","slug":"how-to-choose-your-leak-testing-equipment-the-complete-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/en\/how-to-choose-your-leak-testing-equipment-the-complete-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Choose Your Leak Testing Equipment? The Complete Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1ae786480b9368e06ce2f15e1da1cdc1\">Packaging leak-tightness is often the last thing you think about\u2026 until the day a product leaks, gets contaminated, or fails quality control. In the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, food &amp; beverage, and chemical packaging industries, ensuring packaging integrity is not an option: it is a regulatory, commercial, and safety requirement.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-38e99e0ba377c8a2a694562904adb158\">But faced with the diversity of equipment available on the market \u2014 vacuum testers, compression testers, immersion testers, internal pressure testers \u2014 how do you know which one truly matches your needs? This guide walks you through the process step by step to help you make the right choice.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-69475dfacb7d096d073336bf3ed5805d\"><strong>Why Leak Testing is Essential<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-62a77b44a0c2bad2e1284c8df51e124c\">Before choosing equipment, it is worth recalling what we are trying to avoid. A defective seal on a food pouch can cause bacterial contamination. An improperly sealed pharmaceutical vial can compromise the sterility of a medication. A leaking cosmetic doypack on the shelf represents a direct loss of revenue and a reputational risk.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-74f3182d5eb03b6447a752708e3695cd\">Leak testing makes it possible to detect these defects \u2014 often invisible to the naked eye \u2014 before the product leaves the factory. It is part of a broader quality control approach and compliance with international standards such as ASTM standards (D3078, F3039, D6653, D4991). An undetected defect in production can lead to costly batch recalls, regulatory penalties, or worse, a consumer incident. Implementing a rigorous leak testing process therefore means protecting product quality, brand reputation, and end-user safety all at once.<\/p>\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d1f053a602a99cd6fab370fee92dc68f\"><strong>The Main Categories of Leak Testing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"506\" src=\"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/infographie-type-de-test-detancheite-1024x506.png\" alt=\"Types of Leak Testing\" class=\"wp-image-23167\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/infographie-type-de-test-detancheite-980x485.png 980w, https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/infographie-type-de-test-detancheite-480x237.png 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-cf97f0f4247f8c578177d79d6c04d8b9\">The vacuum test (or negative pressure test) consists of placing the packaging in a sealed chamber, then creating a vacuum. If the packaging has a leak, air or liquid escapes from it, revealing the defect. This is the most widely used method for flexible packaging (pouches, doypacks, bags) and is notably described in ASTM D3078 and ASTM F3039 standards.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-34fc8727149be3e4f8ab6d5867eea7d2\">The compression test specifically targets the seals of tubes, pouches, and sachets. The packaging is mechanically compressed under a precise and controlled force. If the seal gives way, the defect is immediately detected. This method is particularly well-suited for inline production, enabling fast and repeatable inspection.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4e94310434d058e73e04eaf195887401\">The internal pressure test consists of injecting air inside the packaging and measuring whether the pressure holds over time. Any pressure drop signals a leak. This method is effective for rigid or semi-rigid packaging.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-decb79bd893adc253793bbe41b1c2ddd\">The bubble test is a variant of the vacuum test with water immersion: the packaging is submerged in a tank, a vacuum is applied, and any leaks are revealed in the form of bubbles. It is a visual, straightforward, and standardized method (ASTM D3078).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-47d9d216df39efe11b0f4c5b8eed2e1b\">The altitude simulation test replicates air transport conditions by subjecting the packaging to prolonged low pressure, in accordance with ASTM D6653 standard. It is particularly useful for products shipped by air or stored at high altitude.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-000c3ec2e7f93e9ed6550b51142397b6\"><strong>The 6 Key Criteria for Choosing Your Equipment<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"506\" src=\"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/critere-cle-equipement-test-detancheite-1024x506.png\" alt=\"Key Criteria for Leak Testing Equipment\" class=\"wp-image-23175\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/critere-cle-equipement-test-detancheite-980x485.png 980w, https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/critere-cle-equipement-test-detancheite-480x237.png 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c907a1e13381d60bd685b8e261e5384b\"><strong>1. The Type of Packaging to Be Tested<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7359a47eb700623dfae933577eb07615\">This is the starting point of any decision-making process. A cosmetic tube, a sterile pouch, a glass bottle, and a food doypack are not tested in the same way. For flexible packaging (pouches, bags, doypacks), the vacuum test is generally the most suitable. For heat-sealed tubes, the compression test is the industry standard. For rigid packaging (glass bottles, aerosols), an internal pressure test or a vacuum test with an appropriate chamber will be more relevant. If you work with a wide variety of formats, it is better to opt for a versatile solution capable of adapting to multiple packaging types.<\/p>\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3830c4b2095830f4443f14f92ffe7987\"><strong>2. The Industry Sector and Its Requirements<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d48fb1f386b719290061c9debcb2638d\">Depending on your industry sector, the standards to comply with are not the same. The pharmaceutical industry is subject to strict requirements in terms of traceability and data integrity, notably FDA 21 CFR Part 11 regulation. The food &amp; beverage industry favors fast methods that are compatible with a production environment. The medical sector requires compliance with ISO and ASTM standards. The cosmetics industry, for its part, often seeks a balance between reliability, speed, and ease of use. Before choosing equipment, list the standards you need to comply with: your tester should natively incorporate the corresponding protocols, without having to configure them manually for each test.<\/p>\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-574007bb199bd5aed21aed070cc015c7\"><strong>3. The Usage Environment: Laboratory or Production Line?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ea06e89d7aa9462f7f9c55b5d7d3133c\">Laboratory equipment and production line equipment do not have the same constraints. In a laboratory setting, the priority is precision, flexibility, and the ability to perform a variety of tests on development samples. In a production environment, the priority is above all speed, robustness, ergonomics, and ease of use by non-specialized operators. Also consider the physical footprint of the machine, its power supply (electrical, compressed air, or both), and its resistance to hygiene conditions if you operate in a food &amp; beverage or pharmaceutical environment. The IP protection rating of the device is a useful indicator to check: an IP 54 rating, for example, guarantees protection against water splashes and dust.<\/p>\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f4a07102a190b4e252562e06fb579f2f\"><strong>4. Traceability and Data Management<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-938f2854e4600a363fde38cb9eda47d5\">In many industries, performing a test is no longer enough: you need to keep proof of it. Traceability requirements mean that the equipment must be able to record each result, associate it with a batch number, an operator, a date, and export this data in a secure manner. Make sure your tester features user access rights, an audit trail, automatic data backup, and that it is compatible with your quality management software (SPC, ERP such as SAP). These features, long reserved for high-end equipment, are now accessible on modern devices designed for regulated industrial environments.<\/p>\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-313ef8b4f1a8b414000111ee3a8f1200\"><strong>5. Flexibility and Modularity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8bdfca84cf0ed26e0d7b678120d54f7f\">Your packaging evolves, and so do your product lines. Equipment that is too specialized can quickly become obsolete if your production changes. Opt for modular solutions, with interchangeable accessories (platens, chambers of different sizes) and the ability to create customized test programs tailored to your internal protocols. Modularity is also an economic argument: rather than investing in several specialized devices, a flexible piece of equipment can cover all your needs, from R&amp;D development testing to daily production quality checks.<\/p>\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3e9a05f1c9c21ddc7ae748e9affeaff2\"><strong>6. After-Sales Service and Calibration<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-87e1a253a2b0577a018b930fad129ad6\">A leak tester is a measuring instrument. Like any measuring instrument, it must be regularly calibrated to ensure the reliability of its results. Make sure the manufacturer offers a recognized calibration certificate (ideally COFRAC or LNE), and that after-sales service is available promptly in the event of a breakdown or sensor drift. Equipment designed and manufactured in France generally offers a significant advantage on this point: response times are shorter, spare parts are more readily available, and French-speaking technicians are on hand to support you over the long term.<\/p>\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-fb49c0da1b09b7ee9d721a427720328e\"><strong>Common Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a Leak Tester<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-022498d3ab664d97b87a8e4c7dc575f4\">Focusing solely on the purchase price is probably the most common mistake. A low-cost piece of equipment that is poorly suited to your needs, difficult to calibrate, or lacking connectivity with your management systems will end up costing you far more in the long run in terms of non-conformities, production losses, and after-sales interventions.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5da9f8665c1d9341a2845236c9abca26\">Overlooking the question of standards is another classic mistake. If your customer or quality certification requires testing in accordance with ASTM D3078, you must ensure that your equipment incorporates this protocol natively and reproducibly \u2014 not just approximately.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c0de3f9113eab28fed447e719d5b7eb3\">Underestimating traceability requirements is a common pitfall outside of the pharmaceutical sector. Yet, even in the food &amp; beverage or cosmetics industries, quality audits are increasingly requiring documented evidence of the tests performed.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6fa35f1e516165e00b2326a6a5d1f2cf\">Choosing a machine that is too rigid for a constantly evolving production is also problematic. Always prefer equipment whose accessories and programs are configurable, to keep pace with the evolution of your product range.<\/p>\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-49a166a48598aa5c98bc7266de30ead4\"><strong>ACRN&#8217;s Recommended Solutions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b03ab2cf12abd9d299d3961ef4dcc6cd\">Drawing on several decades of experience in industrial packaging quality control, ACRN designs and manufactures leak testing equipment in France, tailored to the requirements of the most demanding industries. Here are the two flagship solutions recommended based on your needs.<\/p>\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e6f7af6b43f08a0f772dc1823558d4bf\"><strong>The AgiLeak \u2014 The Next-Generation Vacuum Leak Tester<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/equipement-test-detancheite-Agileak-1024x1024.png\" alt=\"AgiLeak ACRN Leak Testing Equipment\" class=\"wp-image-23181\" style=\"width:437px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/equipement-test-detancheite-Agileak-980x980.png 980w, https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/equipement-test-detancheite-Agileak-480x480.png 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-eae78ea69ae542a7dc18f13382abb52d\">The AgiLeak is a vacuum leak tester designed to perform reliable, automated, and traceable tests on all types of packaging: flexible, semi-rigid, and rigid. Thanks to its intuitive 7-inch touchscreen, your operators can launch a test in under 5 minutes. It natively incorporates the protocols of ASTM D3078, F3039, D6653, and D4991 standards, and can perform a wide range of tests: leak detection, mechanical resistance, bubble test, air transport simulation, burst test, or fully customized programs. Available in 14 chamber sizes, it adapts to all your packaging formats. In terms of traceability, it meets FDA 21 CFR Part 11 requirements through its user access rights management, audit trail, and automatic data backup..<\/p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/en\/product\/package-leak-detector-agileak\/\">\ud83d\udc49 Discover the AgiLeak<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c16ea8e5ab5c0e70dc88285f7432e681\"><strong>The PouchTube (\u00c9craseTube) \u2014 The Seal Tester for Tubes and Pouches<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/equipement-de-test-detancheite-Pouchtube-768x1024.png\" alt=\"PouchTube ACRN Leak Testing Equipment\" class=\"wp-image-23186\" style=\"width:441px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-693878756f87a3162d08db81ad563a24\">The PouchTube is the reference solution for checking seal integrity on tubes, pouches, and sachets, directly at the production line or in the laboratory. It can be used as a replacement for ATS tube seal testing devices. It offers a wide range of tests: compression resistance, cyclic testing simulating repeated opening and closing, internal pressure test, staircase test to determine compliance values, and custom tests according to your requirements. Its platens are interchangeable depending on the packaging to be tested, giving it maximum modularity. Delivered with an LNE\/COFRAC calibration certificate, its results are exportable via USB or TCP\/IP with SPC compatibility (Freeweigh, SAP). Maintenance-free, robust, and equipped with a 7-inch touchscreen with an IP 54 rating, it is perfectly suited for industrial production environments.<\/p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/en\/product\/welding-tester-for-tubes-and-bags-crushtube-acrn\/\">\ud83d\udc49 Discover the PouchTube<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/en\/contact-us\/\">\ud83d\udc49 Contact ACRN for Personalized Expert Advice<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c91a94cda023eb8a4aa984c6321efc74\"><br\/><br\/><br\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Packaging leak-tightness is often the last thing you think about\u2026 until the day a product leaks, gets contaminated, or fails quality control. In the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, food &amp; beverage, and chemical packaging industries, ensuring packaging integrity is not an option: it is a regulatory, commercial, and safety requirement. But faced with the diversity of equipment [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":9650,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[332],"tags":[],"dipi_cpt_category":[],"class_list":["post-23199","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-our-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23199","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23199"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23199\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23200,"href":"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23199\/revisions\/23200"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23199"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23199"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23199"},{"taxonomy":"dipi_cpt_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.acrn.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/dipi_cpt_category?post=23199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}