Time is flying…

more than 40 years of test bench manufacturing

With roots leading back into valve design and development, from the very beginning LS-Mechanik had what is essential to build best testing solution – profound engineering knowledge about valves and high pressure.

1960
There is no manufacturer of armature test benches in Germany. Test benches in use where produced before the war between 1930 and 1945. Arising demand from power industries for high pressure test equipment is covered with test benches designed by armature manufacturers.

1962
At Rheinische Armaturen- und Maschinenfabrik A. Sempell, Lothar Seer develops the first automatic seal head solutions with o-ring sealing. Those replace the common leather disks used in low pressure testing as well as copper sealings for high pressure testing up to 650 bar.  To use those automatic seal heads existing clamping units are modified in the beginning. Later first column/spindle design clamping units are developed for clamping forces of 30t, 60t, 120t and even 400t.

1970
In co operation with Rheinische Armaturen- und Maschinenfabrik A. Sempell, Lothar Seer founds LS-Mechanik Lothar Seer KG. The company’s business purpose is the development, production and sale of pressure and tightness test benches for armatures and pressure vessels as well as the development and production of measuring levers (mechanical version of on line valve testing equipment).
LS-Mechanik delivers first pneumatic driven N2 / air boosters as well as air driven water pumps for pressure up to 1000 bar.

1971
LS-Mechanik supplies the its first type approved, pilot operated safety valve VSG for high pressure liquid. Used widely in hydraulic press application, those valves are outstanding in precision, performance and tightness. Within the following years, a number of special safety valve applications are developed based on the unique VSG design.

1975
LS-Mechanik supplies compact design test benches to power industry, chemical plants and oil and gas industry across Europe. K-Series test benches are the standard solution used widely in every German power station and chemical plant.

1977
Rheinische Armaturen- und Maschinenfabrik A. Sempell resigns with Lothar Seer carrying on as sole owner of LS-Mechanik Lothar Seer.

1986
First fully automatic test benches with electrical passed/failed indication are supplied, not having computers or PLC yet.

1988
First fully automatic, computer controlled test bench for gas and water valves is supplied to work in every day production of a valve manufacturer. Within the following years, LS-Mechanik continues to develop the PA series and implements it’s own valve technology. PA series test benches remain second to none regarding reliability and accuracy.

1990
Engineer and MBA Horst Stein joins LS-Mechanik to become share holder and managing director.

1996
First high pressure test bench with 1000 t clamping force and up to 1050 bar water test pressure is supplied to India’s leading state leading industrial companies to be operated in two shift production.

2001
METRUS becomes supplier of standard valve testing software for LS-Mechanik test benches.

2007
After the successful operation of the 1000 t test bench for over 10 years, LS-Mechanik supplies a 1450t clamping force, 1200 bar water test pressure test bench to India.

2008
Merge of METRUS and LS-Mechanik with Johannes Junior and Horst Stein becoming managing directors. LS-Mechanik founder Lothar Seer retires to carry on as a free lancing consultant to the company.

2009
METRUS LS-Mechanik supplies valve technology as well as engineering for a 3000t valve test bench produced by a partner company.

2010
METRUS LS-Mechanik supplies a 2000t clamping force, 1600 bar water test pressure test bench to India.

2013
After more than 20 of being managing director at LS-Mechanik and METRUS, Host Stein decides to resign from his positions and leaves METRUS, continuing as a consulting engineer. The company is now managed by Johannes Junior supported by ppa Thomas Kamphausen.

15 years of expertise in online safety valve testing

Being the son of Furmanite Germany’s founder and graduate from Munich technical university, Johannes Junior set up the first company in Europe to specialise in on line safety valve testing and CRS solutions.

1988
Furmanite owns a world wide patent for on line safety valve testing using force sensors. Being the son of the Furmanite Germany founder, Johannes Junior assists in on line valve testing while working during summer vacation at his fathers company.

1998
After graduating from Munich technical university, Johannes Junior starts the approach to sell the Legatest on line safety valve testing system produced by the Slovenian company. After three units sold the product reveals massive technical problems that remain unsolved by the manufacturer.

1999
With the manufacturer of Legatest refusing to solve customers issues, Johannes Junior decides to re-design on line valve testing from scratch, developing the first fully computer driven on line safety valve testing system TESON and the TESON testing method.

2000
The TESON prototype with fully automatic computer control (automatic testing) as well as the unique TESON diagram analysis method is presented on Achema 2000 in Frankfurt. Along with the TESON system, the first CRS solution Valve Test is exhibited.

2001
Johannes Junior founds METRUS GmbH as a company to specialize in on line valve testing equipment and CRS applications.
The first two TESON units are sold to Sweden and England. LS-Mechanik starts implementing ValveTest CRS into its test benches.

2002
TSB – TESON safety barriers achieve a product series ATEX approval to enable operation of the test rig in ATEX area 1.

2003
A benchmark carried out on a valve manufacturer’s development facility reveals the TESON method to be as accurate and reliable as a test bench test. The TESON system and the TESON method have lifted on line testing to a new level.

2006
Sweden’s largest nuclear power station saves a total of 3 days on its spring shut down, due to strategic TESON on line valve testing.

2008
Merge of LS-Mechanik and METRUS GmbH.

2010
After more than 10 years of expertise and a development team working together since day 1, TESON is the leading technology in on line safety valve testing on the market.