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Z-Charge & Z-Ion — One Instrument Runs Your Entire Helium Test Cell

The Zaxis Z-Charge prepares your part — evacuate, purge, charge — performs pressure decay, vacuum decay, and gross leak testing, and commands the Z-Ion helium leak detector through sniff, hard vacuum, accumulation, and bomb testing. One recipe. One connector. One accountable supplier.

25+ years of precision leak test engineering · Made in the USA · Trusted by Fortune 500 manufacturers and startups alike

Zaxis helium leak test system — Z-Charge controller with Z-Ion helium leak detector
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Why manufacturers choose the Zaxis approach

A helium test is only as good as the preparation behind it. Zaxis built the complete chain — not just the detector.

  • The workflow, not a pile of components: the complete charge-to-result sequence in one right-sized station
  • Every leak test method in one recipe: pressure decay and vacuum decay for economy; helium sniff, hard vacuum, accumulation, and bomb testing for sensitivity and localization
  • Right-sized for real production: more capable than a manual bench, faster to commission than a bespoke automation cell
  • One accountable supplier: one recipe, one connector, one result, one phone call

Request a Demoor Talk to an Engineerto Learn More

Z-CHARGE
Z-ION

Meet Z-Charge and Z-Ion

Most vendors sell you a detector and wish you luck with everything else: the evacuation, the purge cycles, the helium charge, the connector seal, the timing, the record-keeping. Every manual step in that chain is a chance for false rejects, background contamination, wasted helium, and results you can’t defend in an audit. Zaxis built the rest of the chain.

Z-Charge is a complete leak test controller and helium charge station. It connects to your trace-gas connector, evacuates, purges, and charges the part, runs air-based tests (gross leak, pressure decay, vacuum decay), and directs the entire trace-gas sequence — sniff, hard vacuum, accumulation, and bomb testing — including control of an external vacuum source and the detector itself.

Z-Ion is a precision helium mass-spectrometer leak detector with vacuum sensitivity to better than 5 × 10−12 mbar·L/s — coordinated automatically by Z-Charge, or deployed standalone wherever you need dependable helium detection.

Together they close the gap every other vendor leaves open: the handoff between preparing the part and testing it.

“A detector alone tells you whether a prepared part leaks. Z-Charge prepares it the same way, every time — and tells Z-Ion when it’s ready.”

How It Works: Connect. Prepare. Test. Record.

  1. Connect — Seal the part to the engineered trace-gas connector. Interlocks verify a sound connection before gas flows.
  2. Screen — Optional gross leak, pressure decay, or vacuum decay test catches large defects before you spend helium on them.
  3. Evacuate & Purge — Z-Charge pulls the part to recipe vacuum and runs controlled purge cycles, removing the air and moisture that mask real leaks.
  4. Charge — A precise helium fill to your programmed pressure and concentration.
  5. Test — Z-Charge commands the Z-Ion automatically — sniff, hard vacuum, accumulation, or bomb method, per the stored recipe. No operator judgment calls. No missed steps.
  6. Record — Pass/fail, recipe ID, charge parameters, and detector result — captured for every part.

Six leak test methods. One station.

Air-based testing (built into Z-Charge):

  • Gross leak testing — catch large defects fast, before the trace-gas cycle
  • Pressure decay — high-sensitivity air testing on the proven Zaxis platform
  • Vacuum decay — for parts and packages best tested under vacuum

Trace-gas testing (Z-Charge + Z-Ion):

  • Sniff testing — locate leaks on helium-charged parts
  • Hard vacuum testing — quantify total leak rate at maximum sensitivity; Z-Charge controls the external vacuum source directly
  • Accumulation testing — measure leak rate economically in a simple chamber
  • Bomb testing — verify hermetically sealed devices that can’t be connected directly

Where Z-Charge + Z-Ion earn their keep

  • Medical devices — implantables, sealed housings, fluid-path components where validation and traceability are non-negotiable
  • Electronics & sensors — hermetic packages, sealed wearables, and assemblies (bomb testing supported)
  • Automotive & e-mobility — battery enclosures, thermal-management and sealed components
  • HVAC/R & industrial — assemblies requiring fine-leak verification beyond what air methods can resolve

When trace gas is the right method: Pressure decay is fine — until your reject limit, part geometry, or liability exposure says otherwise. Helium testing is the answer when you need sensitivity air methods can’t reach, when you must localize the leak, or when a documented result has to stand behind every part. And because Z-Charge runs both air and trace-gas methods, you don’t have to choose at purchase time. Not sure which method fits? Our engineers will tell you straight — even if the answer is a simpler test. Talk to an Engineer

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy Z-Charge or Z-Ion separately?

Yes. Each is a complete standalone product. Together they form a coordinated trace-gas test cell.

What test methods does Z-Charge support?

Gross leak, pressure decay, and vacuum decay natively — plus management of sniff, hard vacuum, accumulation, and bomb testing with the Z-Ion detector, including control of an external vacuum source for hard-vacuum work.

What does Z-Charge control on the detector?

Z-Charge initiates the test, monitors detector status, and records the result as part of the same recipe that prepared the part.

How sensitive is the Z-Ion?

Better than 5 × 10−12 mbar·L/s in vacuum mode and 5 × 10−8 mbar·L/s in sniffing mode with helium.

Does it integrate with our quality systems?

Every cycle produces a traceable record — recipe, charge parameters, and pass/fail result — with Ethernet/IP, TCP/IP, USB, and serial communications available.

How do we validate the test?

The Z-Ion includes an internal calibrated leak with automatic calibration routines; Zaxis supports verification with certified master leak standards and documented procedures suitable for regulated environments.

Other Zaxis Products

A Zaxis Z1 modular air leak tester is shown from an angled front-left view against a white background. The unit has a red side panel with the Z-AXIS logo and the text “Integrity Through Innovation,” paired with a dark gray front bezel. On the front there’s a green “pass” button and a red “fail” button, and ports for test connections at the bottom. This photo emphasizes the Z1’s compact, modular design for precision air leak testing in industrial and manufacturing quality control settings.

Zaxis Z1

Single Channel Leak Tester

Zaxis Z-Reg Electronic Regulator, converts a voltage or current input into a precise proportional pressure output

Z-Regulator

High Pressure Electronic Regulator

eVmP

Electronic Variable Dispensing Pump

For over 25 years, Zaxis has built USA-made leak test equipment that is CE, ISO 9001, REACH, and RoHS compliant. Every Z-Charge and Z-Ion is backed by the same application engineering and support our Fortune 500 customers rely on. Send us a part — we’ll run the complete cycle: connect, screen, evacuate, purge, charge, test, record — and give you the data. Request a Demo or Request a Quote.

The Zaxis Z-Charge and Z-Ion form a complete helium leak test system: Z-Charge prepares the part — evacuate, purge, charge — runs pressure decay, vacuum decay, and gross leak tests, and commands the Z-Ion helium mass-spectrometer leak detector through sniff, hard vacuum, accumulation, and bomb testing. One recipe, one connector, and one accountable USA manufacturer for trace-gas leak testing in medical device, electronics, automotive, and industrial production.

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