ERNST develops and manufactures crash systems and test benches for passive and active vehicle safety – from design to commissioning.
ERNST + Co Prüfmaschinen GmbH
74933 Neidenstein (headquarters, development and manufacturing)New on Amplifa
About ERNST
ERNST + Co Prüfmaschinen GmbH was founded in 1965 near Heidelberg and develops, designs and manufactures crash systems and test systems for passive and active vehicle safety. The portfolio includes mobile and fixed barriers, pole equipment, Flying Floor, film pits and test benches for drivetrains, electric motors, vehicles and components, complemented by special test benches such as machine frames for hot-gas test benches and aircraft landing gear test benches. Machine frames are built as welded steel constructions with mineral casting filling for additional damping, in some cases combined with cast iron clamping fields, for speeds up to 30,000 rpm. Development is supported by FEM analyses and rotor dynamics simulations; in-house manufacturing comprises CNC machining with 5-axis machining centres as well as pre-assembly and commissioning. Customers include automotive manufacturers, suppliers and test facility operators such as MAN Diesel & Turbo SE, GE Power, Rimac Automobili and ABB. In addition to manufacturing, ERNST offers metrology, on-site service, maintenance, repairs and training worldwide. The company is located in Neidenstein in Baden-Württemberg.
- Site
- Neidenstein
- Processes
- Development and design of crash systems (special machinery construction, from idea to finished, Development and design of test systems (special machinery construction), FEM analysis (strength calculations, natural frequency simulations, SolidWorks-based software), FEM analysis for optimisation of crash systems (deformation and vibration behaviour), Vibration measurements (according to DIN ISO 10816-1 and VDI 2056), commissioning and acceptance, Bearing analysis (FFT), Natural frequency determination / modal analysis (modal test with modal hammer), Operational balancing
- Materials
- Steel, Mineral casting, Cast iron clamping fields, Steel (welded construction), Cast iron, Engineering (FEM, rotor dynamics), Metrology (vibration, modal analysis)
- Certificates
- Vibration measurements according to DIN ISO 10816-1 / VDI 2056, BSFZ seal (research allowance), ISO 9001
- Founded
- 1965
- Industries
- Automotive (passive and active vehicle safety), Automotive suppliers, Drivetrain/electric motors, Large marine engines, Aerospace, Automotive (vehicle safety, passive and active)
- 01
Development and design (special machinery construction)
- 02
FEM analysis and rotor dynamics simulation
- 03
CNC machining (5-axis machining centres)
- 04
Welded construction and manufacturing of machine frames
- 05
Pre-assembly in own manufacturing
- 06
Delivery, installation and commissioning at the customer
- 07
On-site service, maintenance, repairs and spare parts stock
- 08
Training and instruction
Materials & Processes
Steel (welded construction)
Design of machine frames and substructures for high-speed test benches.
Mineral casting
Filling of welded steel constructions for additional damping of natural frequencies.
Cast iron
Cast iron clamping fields in combination with holding angles on test benches.
Engineering (FEM, rotor dynamics)
Strength calculations, natural frequency simulations and rotor dynamics simulations with SolidWorks-based software.
Metrology (vibration, modal analysis)
Vibration measurements according to DIN ISO 10816-1 and VDI 2056, bearing analysis (FFT), modal analysis, operational balancing and laser alignment.
Locations
Neidenstein
DEHeadquarters, development and manufacturing
- Part weight / size
- Machine frame substructures 2,500–15,000 kg
- Materials
- Steel, mineral casting, cast iron
- 2x 5-axis machining centres (2021)
- Universal milling machine (2021)
- Optical laser alignment system
- Mobile metrology (modal hammer, acceleration sensors)
Components & Systems
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development and design of crash systems (special machinery construction, from idea to finishedEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Development and design of test systems (special machinery construction)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| FEM analysis (strength calculations, natural frequency simulations, SolidWorks-based software)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| FEM analysis for optimisation of crash systems (deformation and vibration behaviour)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Vibration measurements (according to DIN ISO 10816-1 and VDI 2056), commissioning and acceptanceTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Bearing analysis (FFT)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Natural frequency determination / modal analysis (modal test with modal hammer)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Operational balancingTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Laser alignment of test benches (optical laser alignment system for shaft connections)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rotor dynamics simulation (bending-critical speeds, torsional natural frequencies, intermediateEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Assembly/pre-assembly of systems in own manufacturing and installation at the customerAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| On-site service, maintenance and servicing, repairsTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacturing of machine frames (welded steel construction) for test benches, speeds up to 30,000Forming | – | – | 2500 kg – 15000 kg | – | Steel (welded construction) |
| Plan-parallel machining of installation surfaces (pole equipment, crash systems)Machining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacturing of pole equipment for crash tests (pole tests, customer-specific dimensioning,Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacturing of machine frames for hot-gas test benches (turbochargers, gas forces up to 260 kN,Forming | – | 2200 mm × 2000 mm × 340 mm | 1200 kg – 2600 kg | – | – |
| Manufacturing of test benches and frames for aircraft landing gear test benches (drive power 2,500Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Training and instruction on productsTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
4 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-axis machining centre | – | 2 | – | 2021 | Neidenstein |
| Universal milling machine | – | 1 | – | 2021 | Neidenstein |
| Optical laser alignment system | – | – | – | – | – |
| Modal hammer with acceleration sensors / miniature sensors (mobile metrology) | – | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality & Metrology
Quality is ensured by vibration measurements according to DIN ISO 10816-1 and VDI 2056, bearing analyses (FFT), modal tests, operational balancing and laser alignment. Commissioning and acceptance measurements are carried out with own metrology equipment, also at third-party facilities.
| Evidence | Neidenstein |
|---|---|
| Vibration measurements according to DIN ISO 10816-1 / VDI 2056 | |
| BSFZ seal (research allowance) | |
| ISO 9001 |
History
- 1965
Company founded near Heidelberg
- 2021
Expansion of the machine fleet with two 5-axis machining centres and a universal milling machine; significant increase in production capacity
- 2022
Site expansion and team outing
- 2023
Awarded the BSFZ seal, installation of four electric charging stations, projects with ABB and Rimac Automobili
- 2024
News about the crash laboratory, a back-to-back test bench and a new company car for the ADAC Gelber Engel