Testing systems for foodstuffs and packaging - Zwick - #2

Text version of the page

2 The Zwick Roell AG – More than a century of experience in materials testing Mechanical-technological testing is one of the oldest disciplines of materials testing. As early as in the 15th and 16th century, Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo Galilei were already considering the flexural stressing and the elastic behaviour of materials. In the course of time further knowledge was obtained. In the middle of the 18th century the first testing machines finally appeared in France. Since 1920 the company Roell & Korthaus has been involved in the materials testing business. In 1937 Zwick built it first testing machines and systems for mechanical testing of materials. Many years prior to that in 1876, a Professor Seger had already founded a chemical laboratory as part of a scientific techno-logical consulting company for nonmetallic materials. During the 20th century, the present company called Toni Technik has evolved from these origins and is now considered a leading expert in test systems for building materials. Another predecessor of the Zwick Roell is a company MFL (Mohr & Federhaff) – a company that was founded in 1870. Interestingly enough Carl Benz (of Mercedes Benz fame) was one of their employees. Since 1992, these companies have formed the Zwick/ Roell company group. In July 2001, this company group was converted into a stock corporation: the Zwick Roell AG. Part of this stock corporation are the companies Zwick, Toni Technik, Indentec Ltd., and since may 2002 Acmel Labo. These companies supply an extensive program for materials, component, and functional tests – from the manually operated hardness tester up to a complex test system for the process-accompanying application. Zwick has many years of experience, combined with a multitude of supplied systems. This experience is continuously supplemented by the constant communication with the users. On this solid basis, the company supplies a wide range of high-performance products – from the economical standard machine up to special versions and designs for special test jobs. Modern mechanics, high-performance electronics and the application-oriented software are the prerequisite for the versatility and the high “intelligence” of these modern testing machines and systems. However, the services of the Zwick Roell AG go far beyond the supply of products. Already in 1994 the company received the certification according to DIN EN ISO 9001 and thus guarantees a consistently high product and service quality. With accredited calibration laboratories, the companies of the Zwick Roell AG are in addition entitled to verify and to calibrate test systems and to document that with internationally recognized certificates. Fig. 1: The headquarter of the Zwick Roell AG and the Zwick GmbH & Co. KG at Ulm, Germany