Zwick’s 16th International Forum for Testing Technologies in Ulm, Germany from October 22nd to 25th drew international acclaim. A record number of almost 2,000 visitors witnessed the latest developments from the company and its 30 co-exhibitors. The visitors came from 37 countries including France, UK, Italy, Spain, Poland, Czech Republic, Sweden, Romania, Russia, Hungary, China, Korea and India.

Many of the exhibits were on show in Zwick’s brand new 5200m² assembly hall. To make it easy for guests to find their topics of interest the forum was arranged in specific industry segments including metals, plastics, automotive, medical and building materials. This provided the perfect opportunity to discuss personal testing requirements with application specialists. In addition, the ‘tested for life’ centre demonstrated a range of mechanical tests on products we experience in our daily lives such as wallpaper, cookies and the safety testing of children’s toys.

Whether for research and development or quality assurance, software plays a key role in meeting today’s requirements in each market sector. Zwick’s testing software testXpert® II was developed from the beginning to meet both of these needs; on the one hand quality assurance laboratories require simple, fast, reliable, and cost efficient operation. On the other hand, academia requires vast flexibility, functionality and accessibility to test data, often without the constraints of ‘standard solutions’. testXpert II is the only software which comprehensively addresses both of these points.

Zwick also demonstrated important developments concerning the measurement of strain. As a pioneer of commercial non-contact extensometry over the last 20 years, Zwick is continuing to increase its investment in this technology and, unlike many other test equipment suppliers, now offers the widest range of contact and non-contact extensometers to suit each and every testing application.

As more and more companies streamline their manufacturing processes they benefit from Zwick’s experience in test laboratory automation. As a global leader in robotic technology for materials and component testing it is also one of Zwick’s favorite fields, and one in which they continuously introduce innovative, interesting and cost effective solutions.

An extensive range of after-sales products demonstrated the cost effectiveness of upgrading, or modernizing (retrofitting) both Zwick and non-Zwick brands of testing machine, whether they are electro-mechanical, servo-hydraulic, pendulum impact, or creep testers.

With highly informative and topical presentations in German and English on current hot topics, complemented by active workshops, visitors were ensured comprehensive and practical information in a friendly and relaxing atmosphere, away from the daily rat-race.