IK4-TEKNIKER, first organisation to be accredited in Spain by the ENAC for the analysis of the degree of cleanliness of automotive components
30-09-2015
IK4-TEKNIKER
The R&D Centre is now the only organisation accredited by the Spanish National Accreditation Body to carry out the analysis of the degree of cleanliness of components.
IK4-TEKNIKER’s cleaning service for components and parts has received accreditation from the Spanish National Accreditation Body (ENAC) for its compliance with the standards in force. The R&D centre thus becomes the only organisation in Spain accredited to conduct tests of this type.
The ENAC confirms that IK4-TEKNIKER meets the parameters established in the UNE-EN ISO/IEC 17025: 2005 standard for tests on the degree of component cleanliness, which are in turn provided for in international regulations on the cleanliness of components in fluid circuits according to the ISO 16232: 2007 standard.
What is more, the testing methodology and result display format offered by the service of the Basque centre are in line with the standards stipulated in the VDA-19 guidelines and specific standards of companies in the automotive sector and other in-house standards of sectors such as the aerospace, medical and electronics sectors.
IK4-TEKNIKER’s service analyses the residual contamination present in parts and components destined to be incorporated into systems that have high levels of requirements, such as engines, suspension systems, steering and electronics systems; the aim is to prevent breakdowns and extend the useful service lives of these parts and components.
The test that has received the ENAC accreditation assesses the quantity of contaminants present in components by means of gravimetric analysis, classifies them and automatically counts the particles.
IK4-TEKNIKER complements this service with the identification of the nature of the particles thanks to the use of advanced technologies and tools, such as techniques involving the chemical analysis of the particles by means of Scanning Electron Microscope and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometer (SEM-EDS) or identification by means of X-ray fluorescence.
So it contributes towards finding out the origin of the particles, which could come from manufacturing, assembly, storage and component packaging processes, in order to eradicate present and future operating problems.
“Properly and correctly verifying the presence of contaminating particles in components and fluids is an indispensable requirement for achieving reliable performance and reducing wear,” stresses Jose Rodriguez, the technical head of IK4-TEKNIKER’s Technological Diagnostics and Solutions Unit.
In his view, the ENAC accreditation obtained by IK4-TEKNIKER turns the R&D centre into an alternative to other countries such as Germany for companies in such important sectors like the automotive sector where complying with the standards in force is indispensable.
A number of quality control and safety parameters have been established recently. They require that the components be free of contaminating particles, and meeting this standard is posing a barrier preventing manufacturers accessing various markets and industrial sectors.