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ERICHSEN was founded in 1910 in Berlin (Germany) by the Norwegian engineer and inventor A.M. Erichsen. After the end of the Second World War, the company moved to West Germany, and is currently based in Hemer, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The Erichsen family has been, for more than 100 years, heading a company that specializes in materials testing solutions. At the Control 2017 exhibition in Stuttgart (Germany), Ludger Wahlers, Sales Director, told us about the tools and machines of the company.
Mr. Wahlers, what are the competencies of ERICHSEN?
We research, develop and manufacture instruments and machines for sheet metal testing, determining surface properties, corrosion testing, and testing the mechanical strength of materials. In particular, our product portfolio includes sheet metal testing machines (the method of deep drawing test was invented by A.M. Erichsen about a century ago and then standardized by ISO), machines and devices for testing various coating properties (elasticity, viscosity of the coating material, grain size, drying properties, film thickness, adhesion, impact resistance, hardness, abrasion resistance, optical characteristics), corrosion testing machines for salt spray (fog) and condensation tests, system for weathering tests, machines for tensile and pressure tests, as well as various types of sensors. Our equipment implements test methods that meet the requirements of international, national and industry standards. At the same time, we have extensive experience in creating customized solutions, including projects, where customers requirements are higher than standards. We work with clients from all over the world, in particular, in Russia our equipment is represented by LEC-Instruments.
In which areas are your instruments and machines used?
In the automotive industry and related industries, in all areas associated with the production and application of coatings, as well as in metallurgy, both ferrous and non-ferrous.
What are the advantages of ERICHSEN equipment?
We offer easy-to-use, efficient and reliable solutions. In modern conditions it is very important to reduce the dependence of the quality and the results from the qualifications of the operating personnel. To do this, devices and machines must have a simple control and should not require long training of the staff. Our equipment fully meets these requirements. As for reliability, we observe the traditions of German quality and produce all the equipment in Germany.
What trends in the field of testing equipment can you note?
The general trend is the automation of measurement processes and of the evaluation of the values obtained. In some areas, this process is faster, in some slower, but the general direction of development is obvious. The goal of automation is not only to increase the speed of measurements, but also to minimize the influence of the human factor on the results, that is, obtaining objective data. This eliminates inaccuracies caused by personnel errors and significantly increases the repeatability of measurements.
Please tell us about the new developments of the company.
To measure the thickness of coatings by the wedge cut principle, a new PAINT BORER 518 USB device is designed, based on a digital microscope, which is equipped with software for analyzing the acquired image. The microscope with a two-megapixel CMOS-matrix provides a 50x zoom. The analysis of films up to 300 μm in thickness is possible. The thickness of the coating is determined by the geometry of the projection of the cutting edge.
Another new development is the QUANTIZ surface analysis system for evaluating the effects of corrosion. The measurements are performed by a non-contact optical method. To improve the accuracy of the evaluation, a special technology for lighting the sample has been developed, which makes it possible to analyze at different contrast levels. In the case of filiform corrosion, there is no need for manual removal of the affected coating particles. The system is applicable for evaluation of scribe delamination, edge corrosion and surface corrosion. QUANTIZ is ready-made solution with integration of compact hardware and flexible software. The results and images are saved in Excel format.
Interview: Dmitry Gudilin
We research, develop and manufacture instruments and machines for sheet metal testing, determining surface properties, corrosion testing, and testing the mechanical strength of materials. In particular, our product portfolio includes sheet metal testing machines (the method of deep drawing test was invented by A.M. Erichsen about a century ago and then standardized by ISO), machines and devices for testing various coating properties (elasticity, viscosity of the coating material, grain size, drying properties, film thickness, adhesion, impact resistance, hardness, abrasion resistance, optical characteristics), corrosion testing machines for salt spray (fog) and condensation tests, system for weathering tests, machines for tensile and pressure tests, as well as various types of sensors. Our equipment implements test methods that meet the requirements of international, national and industry standards. At the same time, we have extensive experience in creating customized solutions, including projects, where customers requirements are higher than standards. We work with clients from all over the world, in particular, in Russia our equipment is represented by LEC-Instruments.
In which areas are your instruments and machines used?
In the automotive industry and related industries, in all areas associated with the production and application of coatings, as well as in metallurgy, both ferrous and non-ferrous.
What are the advantages of ERICHSEN equipment?
We offer easy-to-use, efficient and reliable solutions. In modern conditions it is very important to reduce the dependence of the quality and the results from the qualifications of the operating personnel. To do this, devices and machines must have a simple control and should not require long training of the staff. Our equipment fully meets these requirements. As for reliability, we observe the traditions of German quality and produce all the equipment in Germany.
What trends in the field of testing equipment can you note?
The general trend is the automation of measurement processes and of the evaluation of the values obtained. In some areas, this process is faster, in some slower, but the general direction of development is obvious. The goal of automation is not only to increase the speed of measurements, but also to minimize the influence of the human factor on the results, that is, obtaining objective data. This eliminates inaccuracies caused by personnel errors and significantly increases the repeatability of measurements.
Please tell us about the new developments of the company.
To measure the thickness of coatings by the wedge cut principle, a new PAINT BORER 518 USB device is designed, based on a digital microscope, which is equipped with software for analyzing the acquired image. The microscope with a two-megapixel CMOS-matrix provides a 50x zoom. The analysis of films up to 300 μm in thickness is possible. The thickness of the coating is determined by the geometry of the projection of the cutting edge.
Another new development is the QUANTIZ surface analysis system for evaluating the effects of corrosion. The measurements are performed by a non-contact optical method. To improve the accuracy of the evaluation, a special technology for lighting the sample has been developed, which makes it possible to analyze at different contrast levels. In the case of filiform corrosion, there is no need for manual removal of the affected coating particles. The system is applicable for evaluation of scribe delamination, edge corrosion and surface corrosion. QUANTIZ is ready-made solution with integration of compact hardware and flexible software. The results and images are saved in Excel format.
Interview: Dmitry Gudilin
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