TESTING TIMES


Advanced machine learning offers new insights to reduce testing


Trelleborg Sealing Solutions is continuously working on the measuring and predicting of the condition of seals and it therefore runs a wide variety of instrumented tests on its test rigs. Measurements such as temperatures, speed, pressures and vibration are captured in very high frequencies. Now, the company has joined the Smart Data Innovation Lab (SDIL), the main goal of which is to accelerate innovation cycles using smart data approaches and it provides extensive support to collaborative research projects. Trelleborg’s partners on this project are Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and IBM. By utilising Big Data Technology from its SDIL partners, Trelleborg will apply advanced machine learning in order to gain new


insights, reduce testing costs and lay the foundation for advanced condition monitoring of sealing solutions in the field.


Driven from Germany and operating across Europe, the SDIL initiative offers big data researchers unique access to a


Completion of acquisition by Element Materials Technology


On 29 June Exova became part of the Element Materials Technology Group, the testing and product qualification business. Exova is one of the world’s leading


laboratory-based testing groups, specialising in advising on the safety, quality and performance of products and operations. Headquartered in Edinburgh, UK, Exova operates 138 laboratories and offices in 33 countries and employs around 4,200 people throughout Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Asia/Asia Pacific and Africa. The combined company, which is


majority owned by Bridgepoint, an international private equity firm, now has more than 6,200 employees and will operate in the future as Element Materials Technology. The new Element Group will consist of 200 laboratories located in more than 30 countries. Exova will continue to operate


‘business as usual’ under its new ownership and name, and a full programme of organisational integration is underway to introduce beneficial


processes and procedures across the group as the Exova team becomes part of the Element community. Ian El-Mokadem, the former CEO


of Exova, has moved on from the business to pursue other opportunities while Element’s CEO Charles Noall takes responsibility for the combined


large variety of big data and in-memory technologies. Industry and science collaborate closely to find hidden value in big data and generate smart data. Projects focus on the strategic research areas of Industry 4.0, Energy, Smart Cities and personalised Medicine. Johannes Kunze von Bischhoffshausen, Manager Digital Transformation and Internet of Things at Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, says: “Industry 4.0 and the internet of things are becoming an important focus for manufacturers worldwide and there is a call for products to become smarter and more intelligent whatever and wherever they may feature. “SDIL is a great initiative that is easing the journey for component developers and producers to fulfil the objectives of Industry 4.0. Intelligent sealing systems have long been a dream of engineers at Trelleborg Sealing Solutions. With the support of SDIL and in collaboration with our partners on the ‘Advanced Condition Monitoring for Sealing Solutions’ project, we hope that in some way we can make that dream a reality.” EE


company, alongside a new Executive Team made up of senior management from both companies. This latest acquisition by Element follows a period of significant growth for the business, helping it to become such a fast-growing independent materials testing and product qualification company. It is expected that the combined group will deliver in excess of $700m in annual revenues and serve more than 40,000 customers worldwide. EE


York EMC Services joins Eurofins Group


Eurofins Product Testing Lux Holding SARL has acquired the entire share capital of York EMC Services (YES) Ltd from The University of York. YES was formed in 1995 as a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of York and has developed


into a leading provider of regulatory compliance products and services in both the UK and overseas. It has laboratories in Grangemouth in Scotland, Castleford near Leeds and Yate near Bristol as well as an office on the University of York campus. The Eurofins Group is a provider of analytical services with an international network of over 310


laboratories across 39 countries in Europe, North and South America and Asia-Pacific. It employs over 28,000 staff. Chief Executive of YES, Nick Wainwright, commented: “YES has grown rapidly over the last


five years and we have made significant investments in our laboratories and our products and services. By joining the Eurofins family, we can ensure that this momentum is maintained and that our business continues to develop so that we are even better able to meet the global regulatory compliance needs of our customers in the future.” EE


Testing & Test Houses 2017 /// 9


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