Rising volumes, higher requirements Industrial Testing Technology Becomes a Key Factor in Defence Production

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Quality assurance through production integrated leak and flow testing: CETA exhibits at EUDEX.

The expansion of the European defence industry requires not only additional manufacturing capacity, but above all stable, reproducible production processes. Automated leak and flow testing makes a decisive contribution to this: it ensures the quality of safety critical components, reduces scrap and rework, and enables comprehensive quality documentation. At Euro Defence Expo (EUDEX) 2026 (22—25 September 2026, Essen (Germany)), CETA Testsysteme GmbH will present solutions for production integrated leak and flow testing.

Rising volumes require industrial series production

The European security and defence industry is undergoing profound change. As defence spending increases, production capacities are being expanded, supply chains diversified and manufacturing processes designed for higher volumes. Production that has traditionally been largely project based is increasingly developing into industrial series production.

This transformation is accompanied by rising requirements for process reliability, traceability and reproducible quality. Thousands of identical components must be manufactured reliably, and product quality must be documented.

Quality is created during the production process

Safety critical electronic products used outdoors must function reliably under a range of environmental conditions. Even the smallest manufacturing deviations can allow moisture or dust to penetrate encapsulated systems. This can cause malfunctions or lead to failure of the entire system.

For this reason, quality assurance is increasingly shifting from conventional final inspection into the manufacturing process. The aim is to detect deviations at an early stage and prevent defective components from entering downstream production steps in the first place.

Leak and flow testing as a key technology in the manufacturing process

Automated and objective testing methods are becoming significantly more important, particularly in high volume production. They provide measurement data for every individual component and enable continuous monitoring of manufacturing quality. Changes in the production process can therefore be detected and corrected at an early stage.

Industrial leak and flow testing plays a central role in this context. Numerous components of modern defence systems must be protected against environmental influences or must reliably ensure defined media flows.

Typical components include electronic control units, sensors, actuators, radio and communication systems, monitoring systems, energy storage systems, battery housings, optoelectronic systems, hermetically sealed units, connectors, valves, cooling circuits, as well as hydraulic and pneumatic components.

Depending on the component and testing requirements, differential pressure, pressure decay, flow or mass flow methods are used. The aim is to reliably detect even the smallest leaks or to measure flow quantitatively, for example in valves and cooling channels.

The measurement data enable continuous monitoring of process stability and provide reliable quality records for every individual component.

Europe’s security landscape is changing rapidly

As defence budgets rise and EU programmes expand, civil technology providers are becoming vital contributors to Europe’s strategic autonomy. The event will act as a neutral platform for dialogue between technology suppliers, integrators, and decision-makers shaping the next generation of European defence capabilities and aims to open doors between civil industry and defence procurement, providing practical insights.

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Successful testing technology starts with the right concept

The performance of a testing device alone does not determine the success of a testing solution. An application specific testing concept, the selection of suitable measurement methods and optimal integration into the production line are equally important.

Component geometry, material properties, leak rates, testing times and environmental conditions must already be taken into account during the project planning phase. Only the combination of measurement technology, application expertise and process understanding makes it possible to achieve stable and reproducible test results.

CETA Testsysteme GmbH—experience creates process reliability

Experienced technology partners who support their customers throughout all project phases play a particularly important role when establishing new production capacities.

For more than 35 years, CETA Testsysteme GmbH has been developing measurement and testing systems for industrial leak and flow testing. CETA supports customers from feasibility studies and the development of individual testing concepts through to integration into automated production lines.

The “Made in Germany” testing devices use compressed air as the test medium. Typical test pressures range from 1 bar to 10 bar. Compressed air can be used to detect leak rates down to 10^-3 mbar*l/s, depending on the size of the test volume. The flow testing devices can measure gas flows from 3 ml/min to 200 l/min.

The testing methods used are based on standards described in DIN EN 1779 (criteria for the selection of leak testing methods) and DIN EN 13184 (pressure change methods).

The testing methods that have proven successful in the automotive, electronics, energy technology, medical technology and electric mobility sectors can be transferred to numerous applications in the security and defence industry—particularly wherever high production volumes coincide with safety critical quality requirements. CETA is characterised by its own development and manufacturing capabilities, a calibration laboratory accredited to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025 (D-K-19566), and a quality management system in accordance with ISO 9001. Several thousand CETA testing devices are in use worldwide in production lines for quality control.

EUDEX as a platform for cooperation

The international leading trade fair for the defence industry, Euro Defence Expo (EUDEX), is being held in parallel with security essen, the international leading trade fair for civilian security, from 22—25 September 2026 at the exhibition grounds in Essen.

With its first participation in Euro Defence Expo, CETA is highlighting the expansion of its activities in the security and defence industry. The company is seeking dialogue with manufacturers, system integrators, research institutions and public sector customers in order to jointly develop solutions for future testing tasks in industrial defence production.

At the trade fair, CETA will present leak testing using compressed air as the test medium on an electronic control unit with the CETATEST 820 leak tester. The pressure loss caused by leakage is quantitatively determined using the differential pressure method.

CETA at EUDEX | 22—25 September 2026 | Essen (Germany)
Joint stand of the state of North Rhine Westphalia, Hall 3, Stand 3B17