Dec 20 2012
New leak-detection products to help auto makers and their suppliers reduce costs and improve quality were among the technologies featured at this year's Automotive Testing Expo (ATE) in Detroit.
INFICON at Automotive Testing Expo.
The ATE and its companion show, Auto Engine Expo, attracted record numbers of exhibitors and attendees in 2012. Nearly 200 automotive suppliers had exhibits at the two shows which attracted a total of more than 5,000 visitors from 22 countries.
INFICON technology on display at ATE included a new component leak-detection system (LDS3000) with the industry's fastest measurement speeds and an industry-best three-year warranty on its ion source. LDS3000 has a unique compact modular design that can be integrated into most manufacturing and assembly systems.
The company also introduced new software for its T-Guard Helium Leak Detection Sensor that shortens test cycles by 40 percent or more. The new system, especially designed for testing a variety of automotive components, including fuel injectors, torque converters and oil containers, reduces test-cycle time from 13 to 8 seconds, and significantly improves volume-production test-cycle efficiency by nearly 40 percent.
Traffic at INFICON's exhibit at ATE was up 50 percent from the previous year, according to Sandra Seitz , INFICON's automotive market manager. The company also obtained nearly 100 new-customer inquiries from show attendees, the highest number recorded in recent years.
"Automotive OEMs and their suppliers are focusing more and more on ways to increase quality and efficiency in their manufacturing processes," Seitz said. "INFICON has a variety of new and improved products to help them achieve those production targets."
Other exhibitors at ATE 2012 included AVL, Horeba, ETAS and Mustang Dyno.
INFICON plans to exhibit at a number of major conferences next year, including the International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) in Dallas, Tex., Jan. 28 – 30; Control – International Trade Fair for Quality Assurance in Stuttgart, Germany, May 14 – 17; Automotive Manufacturing Technology & Materials Show (AMTS) in Shanghai, China, Aug. 20 – 22; Motek - International Trade Fair for Automation in Production and Assembly in Stuttgart, Oct. 7 – 10; Automotive Testing Expo (ATE) in Novi, Mich. Oct. 22 – 24, and The ASSEMBLY Show in Rosemont, Ill., Oct. 28 -30.
INFICON is a leading global developer, manufacturer and supplier of instruments and equipment essential for leak detection in air-conditioning, refrigeration and automotive manufacturing. The company has manufacturing facilities in Europe, China and the United States, as well as subsidiaries throughout the world.