From dental implants to ships - AFRY´s Test Center tests it all

Hi there, Magnus Skärhem. You are Head of AFRY’s Test Center, which has been around for more than 30 years and happens to be one of the largest independent test labs for vehicles in Sweden. Would you explain your business?

In the lab we conduct tests-runs and measure products or systems that are included in both vehicles and machines. What makes our offerings exceptional is our flexibility and the capacity to quickly be able to start running tests. Particularly client-specific assessments are our most unique and firm strengths.

What types of vehicles do you test?

We run tests on essentially everything – busses, ships, aircrafts, passenger cars, construction and forest vehicles, trucks, trains and trams.

Are there any really cutting-edge tests that are conducted at the Center?

“Door Slam” is an advanced test we run on vehicles where their doors are opened and closed thousands of times with very high precision and control regarding acceleration and force. This is to verify both the doors’ and coachwork’s structure. We also conduct long term testing of complete air intake systems for automobiles in, among other things, different climates, airflows and controlling of valves.

In what way have the test procedures changed during the past ten years?

In today’s tests there are often more measuring techniques and data collecting involved than previously. The different test-orders are more extensive and frequently consist of many different subsamples. To stay ahead and follow the developments, AFRYs Test Center invests in competence development as well as mission management, equipment and collaboration with several affiliates within test-running.

How many vehicles are tested each year?

We perform around 120 test-missions each year, ranging from simple tests to more extensive ones on complete vehicles. At any given time, approximately 30 test-missions are conducted parallelly.

Short facts:

• The Test Center is located in Dalarna Science Park in Borlänge.
• There is a staff consisting of 12 personnel in addition to a small number of partners. The later consists of outside consultants like companies with supplementing test-equipment.
• Test Center has performed a variety of tests over the years - ranging from dental implants and ore crushers to ships.
• 2018 was the Center’s 30th jubilee.

Want to know more about Test Center? Take a look: