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Case Study: Vacuum Systems

Rocket Booster Manufacturer
A manufacturer of rocket boosters had a vacuum leak in one of the joints on a particular booster. They were unable to maintain pressure (1000 psi - 27psi). They were putting carbon fiber rope in a test motor in their test area. The rope slipped and cracked carbon casing on the cone. It took 6 hours to tear down the joint and test it with a leak tester. They then rebuilt it and it was still leaking. Their only solution was to tear it down again. They leak tested for months. After buying the CTRL UL101 system, the NDT specialist checked the joints along the cone. All of the leaks were pinpointed and fixed within a short time.

NASA Research Facility
A research facility operated by NASA has the world's largest vacuum chamber, which is actually comprised of two chambers (inner and outer). It is 122 feet high and 100 feet in diameter. It has two 120-ton doors, one on each side of the chamber. Both the inner and outer chamber have vacuum pulled on them. The UL101 was used to find vacuum leaks on the outer chamber. Testing did not begin until pressure dropped below 150 Torr. By time testing was done, the vacuum had dropped to 20 Torr. The UL101 verified leaks were present. It some cases the UL101 proved areas where the technicians did not suspect leaks and in areas where they thought were good, they found leaks.

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