Daimler has accredited imat as global partner in the field of testing. Besides the German branches being listed for the “A” methods in Web V 100 by Daimler, the OEM has now also approved the imat branches in China and in the U.S. for the “A” methods.
The approval is based on the accreditation according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025: 2005 and the evaluation in compliance with VDA 250 part A as well as successful audits by Daimler and round robin tests.
For the imat branch in the U.S., the Daimler approval is at the same time the kick-off for various lacquer tests. In Atlanta, material and part testings for OEMs and their suppliers are in focus and from now on special lacquer tests like steam jetting and stone-chip resistance will be performed. Further tests of the portfolio are for instance emission tests for which imat is an approved expert.
In China, imat is also approved for “A” methods by Daimler. At the branches in Shanghai and in the northern Chinese city of Shenyang, various materials and part tests are performed. This includes emission testing according to VDA 278, 276-1 and ISO 12219-4, odour testings according to VDA 270, and further methods down to endurance tests of parts on a shaker.
‘The proximity to the customers is essential for us, therefore we offer all services in the most important automobile markets in Europe, the U.S. and China,’ explains CEO Dr. Hans Peter Schlegelmilch. The approval as global partner by Daimler is a successful confirmation of a long-term policy of expansion for the imat-uve group. Since several years, the company has been successfully working on positioning itself where the customers need it. The Daimler approval forms another milestone on this path. It also enables the imat employees to develop further suppliers for the German OEM.
All imat branches operate worldwide according to DIN EN ISO 17025, ISO 9001 and VDA 6.2.as well as diverse OEM requirements.