Helium is commonly used in tracer gas leak testing processes on production lines across the globe. It is a safe, non-flammable gas that enables highly accurate leak test results for many manufacturing applications and industries. However, its supply can be uncertain, making it more in-demand, and thus more costly at times.
These circumstances have led to a rising popularity in helium recovery systems. These systems help you recapture the helium used during your tracer gas testing and recycle it for use again in future tests.
We design and build these systems but sometimes, we advise a customer against this investment. Why? Implementing a helium recycling system may not provide the savings expected. Consider the below factors to decide if a helium recovery system is right for your production line.
The first factor to take consider when assessing whether your line would benefit from a helium recovery system is to calculate the ROI based on your helium use and test parameters. To do this, you need to first identify the helium consumption per part, then multiply by the helium price per liter and the number of parts produced per year. This gives you your total cost of helium per year. This can then be compared to the cost of implementing a helium recovery system to weigh the investment against potential savings.
However, it is worth noting that due to a variety of factors (as outlined below), many manufacturers make the decision to implement a helium recycling system regardless of the ROI calculation.
There are certain design and test specifications which will impact the costs and benefits of implementing a helium recycling system on your production line. For example, a recovery system will be its most efficient if it is running continuously on a 24/7 schedule. If it is turned off during a portion of a three-shift production schedule, helium will naturally dissipate from the holding tanks, making it less effective against overall helium loss.
Other specifications like cycle time, distance between the recovery system and the machine, and whether it’s a very low-pressure and high-pressure test system will impact the design requirements and ROI of the investment.
The required helium concentration will also impact whether it’s worth investing in a helium recovery system. A helium concentration of 5-50% is very achievable with a standard system. However, a higher concentration can be more difficult to maintain in an efficient manner. To maintain a higher concentration of helium, you will need to expel some of the recycled gas to create space to bring more fresh helium into the system to raise the concentration. This process could lead to an amount of waste that would outweigh the benefits of the recycling system.
While cost is certainly a strong determining factor in ROI, if sustainability is important to you, and/or you don’t want to chance running into supply problems due to helium shortages, then it can make sense to invest in a helium recovery system, even if this decision is not fully supported by the ROI calculation.
If you are unsure if a helium reclaim system would benefit your production line, innomatec is here to answer your questions! Contact us to talk with one of our helium leak testing experts.