Leading emission testing technology

Maha Maschinenbau Haldenwang is a global leader in brake and emission testing technology. The company continues to set new standards in accuracy and innovation throughout its portfolio. Industry Europe looks at the company’s innovative products and its continued move towards sustainable production.

Maha is a brand that is synonymous with quality and innovation in the field of motor vehicle testing and workshop outfitting. Founded in Germany over 40 years ago the privately owned company has seen consistent growth and today operates four major production facilities, three in Germany and one in the USA. The company’s product portfolio consists of motor vehicle test lanes that include side-slip testers, shock absorber and suspension testing equipment, roller brake and headlight alignment testers and surface mounted lifting gear.

From Maha’s headquarters in Haldenwang its more than 1000 employees manage and coordinate the movements of more than 45,000 brake testing installations currently operational in auto-dealerships, test stations, workshops and test agencies, to ensure the safety of cars commercial vans, motorcycles and special vehicles around the globe.

The company’s services include not only the realisation of complete concepts for vehicle testing programmes but also stand-alone solutions for individual, single workshop outfitting. Maha customers also receive optimal service back-up from its worldwide locations, which are supported in turn by subsidiaries and partners in more than 150 countries, to provide technical support around the clock.

Maha continues to expand its global outreach. For example in autumn last year (2013) the first Maha test lane in Canada was installed and put into operation in Toronto. ‘Canadian Tire’ is the first workshop in Canada to offer customers a professional vehicle inspection with innovative technology from Maha.

High-tech testing technology

Today everyone is aware of the dangers posed by vehicle exhaust emissions to health and to the wellbeing of humans and the environment. Vehicle exhaust gases contain some of the most dangerous components of particulate matter and only by employing highly sensitive measurement methods can essential reductions in particle emissions be achieved.

As the pioneer of innovative vehicle testing solutions, Maha has developed the most practical, innovative and accurate solutions. The company’s second generation Opacimeter is the logical development of its well-known predecessor. In the field of diesel emission measurement technology Maha relies on its highly accurate laser-scattered light measurement technology, which can identify even the most microscopic soot particles, which diesel engines with direct-injection systems tend to emit. The company’s MET 6.3 emissions tester is capable of measuring turbidity value and particle concentrations.

In 2014 Maha was also the first company in the workshop fitting industry to recognise that measuring technology needs to be very sensitive when testing emissions after-treatment systems for efficiency. This led it to develop a new measuring method for particle concentration in diesel emissions with the scattered laser light method. In order to use this new measuring technology for emissions testing, MAHA participated, under the umbrella of the ASA Association (German Automobile Service Equipment Association), together with other companies and the Physical Technical Federal Institution (PTB) in a research project.

This project has now been completed and it showed that scattered light measuring devices are able to determine the turbidity coefficient k of diesel emissions with up to 100 times more accuracy than previous opacimeters. In a further project, MAHA, together with other measurement cell manufacturers, is now working on finding solutions for some remaining open points, for example

the calibration of the devices, the contamination control and the impact of condensation. This project is scheduled for completion at the end of the first quarter in 2015.

Maha is also committed to sustainable development in all its production processes and all its environmental management systems are soundly based on ISO 14001 certification. This serves to guarantee sustainable environmental compatibility throughout its business activities, products and processes. In addition, it offers an economical tool to achieve sound environmental production throughout the company’s manufacturing processes.

Full service provider

Maha is a full service provider in every sense of the word and offers its customers everything from professional consultation at the design stage to the production of equipment and full after sales service support. Virtually all Maha products are manufactured in-house at its four modern automated production sites. Projects can range from new concepts and solutions for the implementation of individual test lanes up to nation-wide vehicle test systems with advanced e-communication networks. For example, in autumn last year (2013) one of the largest Volkswagen Centres in Germany was opened in Munich, with testing and lifting technology from Maha installed in the workshops.

Maha’s diverse portfolio consists of motor vehicle test lanes of every description, but the company has also moved into the development of an entirely new generation of tyre changing and wheel balancing equipment.

The company continues to set new world- class standards in other market sectors too, such as in its emission and performance dynamometer division. Maha’s innovative AIP (Automotive Industry Projects) sector dominates the market in the emission testing field and its latest LPS 3000 performance dynamometer has set new global standards in functionality and in the performance testing of vehicle emissions. Maha’s exhaust emission analysers for diesel and petrol engines have gained approvals in all the world’s leading markets as well as in many of the fast-growing, emerging trading nations.

Setting standards in energy management

Maha Maschinenbau Haldenwang GmbH is certified in accordance with the new DIN EN 16001:2009 standard – in fact it was one of the very first companies in the industry to introduce a concerted energy management system based on stringent European protocols. As a result, Maha’s unique ‘Greenline’ product line emphasises the involvement of the workshop outfitter for improved environmental protection.

By the year 2020 the federal government wants to reduce CO2 emissions in Germany by 40 per cent compared to 1990 levels. This can only be achieved through a more efficient use of energy. A company spokesperson said: “We are continuing down the path already set of pursuing a sustainable environmental policy. Again we are setting important trends in the industry and meeting the demands that leading automobile manufacturers place on their suppliers.” n

Fritz Stiefel GmbH

Fritz Stiefel GmbH supplies a full-range of high quality hydraulic and pneumatic systems and services including; hose technology, tube and pipe-bending, machine unit construction and module assembly.

Our commitment to quality has marked us out as a premium supplier ever since the company was established in 1962.

Customers include vehicle construction and mechanical engineering industries as well as the special-machine manufacturing sector and automotive industry. We supply throughout Europe as well as in the USA, Asia and Brazil via our network of regional offices and partners.

Fritz Stiefel GmbH is ISO 9001ff certified and thus complies with the highest quality standards worldwide.