In Brehna engines must pass endurance tests with full marks

In Brehna, near the motorway intersection Schkeuditzer Kreuz, in just three weeks it is possible to put car engines through the same level of stress they would be subjected to have covered 50,000 kilometres. The car does not drive on the roads, however. Its engine is simply clamped in an ultra modern test rig. "In bad weather and wind and with varying road conditions a car cannot cover the ground that a test rig creates," explains Stefan Trampert, Director of FEV Dauerlaufprüfzentrum GmbH in Brehna (FEV DLP).The Brehna continuous-running testing centre is part of the Aachen based FEV group, which employs over 2,000 employees world-wide. The abbreviation FEV stands for the name Forschungsgesellschaft für Energietechnik und Verbrennungsmotoren (Research Organisation for Energy Technology and Combustion Engines) which was the original name of the company when it was established by Prof. Franz Pischinger in 1978. In addition to Aachen, further development locations are situated in the USA, China and India. All types of engine, world-wide, are tested on the ultra modern test rigs, including ship engines. The markets in Europe, North and South America and Asia are covered.At the Brehna location of the FEV group, confidentiality is one of the most important rules. Cameras have to be handed over, mobile phones switched off and customers are never left to their own devices. When journalists visit, engines and machine parts are covered with custom made tarps. "We must ensure absolute levels of confidentiality in order to protect our customers," explains FEV DLP Director, Stefan Trampert. And he has good reason to do so: the customers of the FEV group include almost all aircraft and engine manufacturers in the world and they are naturally in competition with each other. In Brehna, drive trains, combustion engines and gears are primarily tested for cars. This enables manufacturers to save both time and costs, highlights Trampert, as the continuous-running testing centre in Brehna does not require any cars - which may not yet be available - for the tests that are completed.The decision to build the test centre has its roots in the year of 2006. A major German car manufacturer handed over the entire continuous-running testing to the FEV group. At that time, however, the group's resources were insufficient to realise an exceptionally large scale task of this kind. The graduate technician goes on to explain how a new location was therefore found. Its sound logistical connections to the motorway network and the nearby Leipzig/Halle airport were the key factors in the decision in favour of Brehna. Its distance from the existing structures in Aachen also played a role, however. A modern structure is easier to implement if there is distance from the existing one, explains Trampert, substantiating the decision for Brehna.This decision is now bearing fruit. The 115 employees, a third of whom are qualified engineers, do their best on 35 fully automatic test rigs. This year, four additional test rigs were upgraded to the latest technological level to extend capacity even further. On each test rig, up to 160 sensors measure the performance of the 'candidates', as Trampert calls the test objects with which he is entrusted. The results in Brehna are also evaluated by the car manufacturers themselves via online link. Winter driving is simulated on a deep freeze test rig. Here, car parts can be tested to their limit for 3,000 hours at minus ten degrees. Electrical engines simulate the behaviour of wheels. All the combustion engine test rigs are monitored and controlled by a central control room. "Our task" explains Trampert, "is to test until either proof of long term durability is provided or destruction becomes apparent. Losing a candidate must be avoided at all costs, however, as they are frequently very expensive." To ensure that does not take place, the employees receive thorough training in Aachen for the work they do in Saxony-Anhalt. According to Trampert, over 50 million Euros have been invested in the buildings, technical installations and in training the engineers, technicians and mechanics in Aachen over several months. Most of the employees originate from the local region but many have returned to central Germany after having worked in western Germany for long periods of time.The continuous-running test centre does not construct any engines or gears, but develops, tests and optimises them. "We steer them up to series production," explains Trampert. There are clear criteria that the 'candidates' have to fulfil in complete form. Even engines from the Formula 1 racing series have been put through their paces by the FEV group. For this reason, Trampert enjoys telling his employees to take the example of Formula 1. He wants the test rigs in Brehna to be as clean as the pits and lanes of Formula 1. And that is indeed the case at the work stations in Brehna.The tests in Brehna begin roughly one and a half to two years before a new engine enters the market. Each of the 'candidates' stays there for up to six months without the competition finding out. There are certainly more than enough reasons for Trampert and his colleagues to keep quiet - confidentiality is a key part of their business.Contact:Dr. Stefan TrampertFEV Dauerlaufprüfzentrum GmbH OT BrehnaAachener Straße 106796 Sandersdorf-Brehnaph: +49 (0)349 / 54903500E-Mail: trampert@fev.comWeb: www.fev-dlp.com