Vehicle Air Tightness Testing
Case Background
Client: A leading domestic coach manufacturer

Requirement: Airtightness testing must be performed on the complete vehicle before it rolls off the production line. However, the conventional method of using soapy water combined with visual inspection by operators is inefficient, difficult to apply at high elevations, and prone to missing leak points, resulting in an average test time of 45 minutes per vehicle and a rework rate exceeding 8%.
Testing Procedure
01.
Preliminary Preparation
·Close doors and windows, and place a miniature broadband sound source inside the vehicle.
·Define the “six-surface” scanning path: front fascia, rear fascia, roof, side skirts, doors, and window frames.
02.
On-site testing
·The engineer walks along the scan path with a sonar imaging device, eliminating the need for climbing.
·Red highlighting on the screen indicates the leak location; record the coordinates, sound pressure level, and a photo.
03.
Re-test results
·Reapply soapy water to the red-dot locations; bubbles reappeared at four spots.
·Quickly repaired with sealant, and subsequent retesting showed the acoustic shadow had disappeared.
Test Results
The use of acoustic imaging for passenger vehicle airtightness inspection enables the early localization and quantitative assessment of minute leak points while maintaining high efficiency, thereby providing robust technical support for packaging optimization and quality control at vehicle manufacturers.