A quarter of a century of innovations: Emtec looks back on its own success story

Emtec Electronic GmbH, a leading global manufacturer of specialized electronic measurement and test equipment, turned 25 on December 21 last year. The Leipzig-based company is proud of its achievements over the past decades and looks back on more than 13 innovations, various international partnerships and successful market expansion. Emtec looks forward to continuing to support the paper, tissue, nonwovens and textile industries in the years to come.

The business development of emtec Electronic started with small steps and a big idea. In 1995, the founder and CEO, Leipzig physicist Giselher Grüner, developed a completely new method for testing the liquid penetration of paper products and the corresponding device, the Penetration Dynamics Analyzer (PDA). The ultrasonic measuring device makes it possible to predict the adhesive, pressure and coating behavior of paper and board in the converting process. With just this one product and a team of four employees, Giselher Grüner and emtec quickly made a name for themselves, helped by a focus on innovation as well as flexibility and excellent customer support.

In 2006, emtec reached another milestone with the development of the world's first objective softness tester, the Tissue Softness Analyzer (TSA). This unique device simulates the sensory capabilities of the human hand to measure perceived haptic properties based on softness, smoothness, stiffness and elasticity. From the measured individual values, so-called "hand-feel values" can be calculated, which correlate very well with human feeling. This innovative product proved to be one of the biggest successes of the decade and became an industry standard over the years. A few years later, the company adapted the concept for the nonwovens and textile industries and introduced the Tactile Sensation Analyzer.

Continuously striving for improvement and innovation, in 2012 emtec introduced the Ash Content Analyzer (ACA), which makes it possible to determine the total ash content as well as the individual minerals and fillers in paper and board within seconds, without destroying the sample. Just one year later, the company presented the Fiber Zeta Potential Analyzer Online (FPO). The fully automated online instrument transmits test data in real time to the process control system or to an Internet server, allowing access to measurement results from anywhere in the world.

The latest emtec innovation for the pulp and paper industry was developed in close partnership with AFG Analytic GmbH. Together, the two companies developed improved designs for the CAS touch! Charge Analyzing System and the FPA touch! Fiber Potential Analyzer in 2016. Although the measurement principle of the two instruments remained the same, the upgrades made them smaller, lighter and thus more portable. The touch screen allows for easy and intuitive operation, while the integrative PC software enables deeper analysis of the tested material.

Since its founding, emtec Electronic's portfolio has grown to 13 innovative instruments - some with multiple modules. Today, a total of 33 employees at the Leipzig site and a worldwide sales network with 32 independent representatives serve customers in more than 80 countries. In addition, all devices in the emtec product range are in-house developments and unique on the market.