AKKA group opens new test center for electromagnetic compatibility tests in Kösching

• The AKKA Group is expanding its range of services at its automotive location in Ingolstadt to include EMC tests
• Inauguration of the roughly 1,600 square metre EMC test centre on 23 November 2017
• Start of operations with an order from Audi
• Foundation work reveals impressive archaeological finds during the construction phase

The foundation stone was laid at the Interpark near Kösching just over a year ago. A cutting-edge test centre for testing and safeguarding vehicles in terms of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) has now been constructed on the site on Kopernikusstrasse. Here, AKKA Group has invested in the development of the location and is supporting automotive development with highly specialised services.

The international consulting and engineering service provider, AKKA, is expanding its existing EMC testing expertise at other automotive locations in Bavaria as well by means of the 1,600 square metre facility. The new hall will be inaugurated on 23 November, and as early as 4 December 2017, tests on driver assistance systems as well as electronic components for autonomous driving and electromobility will be carried out. Its opening, and the fact that AKKA was welcomed at the Interpark with such open arms, will be celebrated with guests from business and politics.

The construction of the new facility is linked to its proximity to AUDI. The car manufacturer is one of the AKKA Group’s main customers. The first vehicles are already expected to undergo measurements in the same week.

The test centre also offers its services to customers and for applications in other technological sectors. In general, the proportion of electrical and electronic components in products is growing, for example, in aerospace and, above all, in the IT sector. This, in turn, is placing increasing demands on testing technology. EMC testing is therefore playing a correspondingly important role with regard to the approval or certification of products. AKKA is thereby assisting manufacturers with the safeguarding of products and future technologies according to the latest standards. In the four test chambers, individual components through to complete systems can be tested. The large absorber chamber can even accommodate an entire helicopter.

How do electromagnetic compatibility tests work?

Products in which electrical components are installed can be subject to external interference or can themselves interfere with their environment. For example, a well-known form of incompatibility is flickering stripes or the flickering of computer monitor screens when a nearby mobile phone receives an SMS. In comprehensive test scenarios and test series, experts use special laboratories to ensure that electronic systems do not mutually impair their functions and also remain functional when subjected to electromagnetic interference.