IMA News
When it comes to processing and testing fibre-reinforced plastics, we are difficult to beat. The experience we have built up over many decades – in the manufacture of thermoset plastic samples, made of epoxy and polyester resins, for example, in testing from A to Z and in evaluating the results – has made us specialists in testing. The fields of application of these thermoset plastics range from wind turbine rotor blades through to interior and exterior components in the automotive industry and applications in the aerospace sector. However, this group of plastics is also associated with long and complex production processes and recycling is only possible to a very limited extent. And this is precisely where the potential of “fibre-reinforced [...]
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After a 12 month period, it was time to do it again. In June 2019, the NADCAP re-accreditation (Metallic Materials Testing) once again took place for the IMA laboratories for materials testing and materialography. All NADCAP accredited procedures were thoroughly audited during the one-week audit. The repeated, very positive audit result once again demonstrated and verified the competence, attitude and awareness of our staff to be able to provide testing services of the highest quality. This therefore enabled us to achieve the so-called MERIT status for the very first time. This recently acquired status also leads to an extension of the audit cycle from 12 to 24 months based on the results of past audits. NADCAP [...]
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When the solar winds are favourable, one can see it, the magical green glow. “Aurora Borealis”, the northern lights or polar light, is one of the most fascinating natural phenomena on our planet and has been the subject of speculation for 2,000 years. The mysterious light haze is charged with particles of the solar wind, which collide with the Earth‘s atmosphere - a kind of greeting from the Sun, which shows its most beautiful shapes on Earth in the cold polar regions. When it comes down to pulsating particles, IMA Dresden can also set signals: with all types of electrical tests and inspections for short-circuits, service life, operating behaviour and surge voltage. The in-house transformers are able to generate test currents of up to [...]
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Since many years IMA Dresden has been an accredited certification body in accordance with DIN EN ISO / IEC 17065: 2013 by the Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle GmbH (DAkkS). These apply to the certification of pipes and piping systems for the water and gas supply and sanitation as well as construction products, product groups and components. In the course of the re-accreditation, the scope of the recognition was extended and an associated notification by the DIBt for the following guidelines and standards has been confirmed:
- Structural metallic products and ancillaries (EN 1090-1: 2009 + A1: 2011)
- "Kits for exterior wall claddings" (EAD 090062-00-0404)
Stand back, please: A train journey, that is to say, having the time to pass by various landscapes, villages, farms, and winding lanes, to observe people as they get on and off. The sensible and sustainable travel currently in vogue is true to the motto „The journey is the destination“ – be it on the historic Dream Train, which is reminiscent of the original Orient Express, or a modern luxury train. Such special and luxury trains, among many other types of trains, also stop off at IMA Dresden. They come to Saxony from Europe, Asia, and America for experimental and approval testing. They are in good company here, with many further rail vehicle components such as axle-bearing housings, springs, swing arms, stabilisers, interior components [...]
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The big city – this means living the loud, varied, creative, fast life. Here, opposites collide. Technology meets tradition, aesthetics meets abstract. But what‘s clear: This highly complex and quickly growing city system also has much potential for new ideas. Whether it‘s Melbourne or Munich, Düsseldorf or Dresden – IMA Dresden also jumps on the train of urban life anywhere large streams of people move through the urban jungle. With test drives and long-term measurements of public transport, IMA engineers collect a large amount of data under real conditions, which is useful for experimental tests or virtual simulations, for example. With this quantity of data, it is possible to show route profiles that are used during the design phase, [...]
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They are the kings of the fields. Tractors with tyres as tall as a person, giant combine harvesters with broad cutting blades. Not infrequently also referred to as „plough monsters“, these harvesting giants advance every year – even if they often drive common road users insane, obstruct traffic on rural roads, and meander through narrow towns. While many still dream of milking stools, crowing roosters, and the farmer sheering sheep in March, the reality on farms looks different: A heavy machine with increasingly complex digital technologies stands ready. Large harvesting machines and excavators, this also means great forces – not a problem for IMA Dresden. With modern measuring and control technology, as well as flexible testing laboratories, [...]
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„The wind in the struts, a rumbling, a quaking, then finally take off, suddenly floating...“. Not just Reinhard Mey has been fascinated by flying. Take off and behold from above heavenly archipelagos, snow-covered mountain ranges, and toy worlds, surrender to the intoxication of weightlessness - the feeling above the clouds will delight you. In order to really keep all the fears and worries hidden below, IMA engineers assist the development departments of manufacturers and suppliers in the aerospace industry: Whether it is a passenger jet, air taxi, or rocket, it is tested, simulated, and calculated. To do so, IMA focuses on every assembly group of an aircraft, such as the fuselage, wing assembly, tail unit, undercarriage, and engine, as [...]
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Sail away from everyday life and glide through the shimmering emerald green sea, moving freely on board – sailing means longing to be one with wind and waves. Discovering new worlds in this way also means measuring oneself against the forces of the elements. All the more appropriate
that yachts and boats are now becoming lighter and more manoeuvrable thanks to composite materials, thus making many manoeuvers at sea easier. Not just lighter, more durable, and more flexible, but also more resistant to rust and other weathering: new materials make it possible to absorb and transfer large amounts of energy. With more than 56 years of expertise in the material testing of plastics and fibre-reinforced plastics, IMA Dresden has been on course [...]
They must be sustainable and secure, affordable and efficient: the energy revolution in Germany. The train of renewable energies is already on good pace towards the future. The population is becoming more aware of topics like the environment and sustainability. The final goal: to maintain the environment as a place to live for future generations and still ensure growth and prosperity. The obvious symbol and pillar of the energy revolution is wind power. IMA Dresden also provides support in this area: IMA assists manufacturers of wind turbines, component manufacturers and energy producers in product optimisation, structure monitoring, and damage analysis. Materials, structures, components, or facilities are tested extensively, from testing the [...]
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