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The Continental Automotive France Qualification Laboratory joins Sopemea

Top News06/04/2025
The Continental Automotive France Qualification Laboratory has joined Sopemea, a subsidiary of the Apave Group specializing in qualification testing and simulation on equipment and systems. The entities have complementary expertise, with Sopemea already established in Toulouse. This acquisition will enable the Apave Group and Sopemea to draw on each other's strengths to better serve their customers in the field of testing, measurement, and simulation, notably by offering new expertise in failure and materials analysis.

Testing, measuring, and qualifying:

key skills strengthened in Toulouse

Sopemea Testing Laboratory Services
Sopemea Testing Laboratory Services

Sopemea, a subsidiary of the Apave Group, is expanding its testing services in Toulouse with the acquisition of Continental Automotive France's Qualification Laboratory. With this acquisition, Sopemea is strengthening its expertise at several levels in the following areas:

 

  • EMC: radiated and conducted immunity, ESD electrical testing...
  • Climatic, corrosion, tightness, vibration, mechanical and accelerated testing..
  • Failure and material analysis (destructive and non-destructive): control of electronic boards, cross-sections, dimensional measurements, 2D/3D X-rays, electronic microscopy, technical cleanliness...

 

Following this acquisition, the Continental Automotive France Qualification Laboratory becomes Sopemea Testing Laboratory Services (TLS).

Discover the press release

Focus on this

qualification laboratory

Founded in 1988 and based in Toulouse, this qualification laboratory, which belonged to Continental Automotive France, has more than 40 employees and offers a comprehensive range of high-quality services: testing and measurement, materials and failure analysis, technical support throughout the equipment life cycle, and production testing in direct line with industrial chain requirements. Historically focused on supporting the design and production of electronic components for the Continental plant in Toulouse, the laboratory has diversified its customer and sector portfolio and now covers a wide range of industrial sectors, including automotive, aerospace, defense, consumer goods, and medical.

Failure and
Materials Analysis

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This expertise is dedicated to understanding the causes of failure and characterising materials, combining destructive and non-destructive approaches. Activities include testing electronic boards to detect manufacturing or assembly defects, micro-sections to examine the internal structure of components, and high-precision dimensional measurements.

Advanced techniques such as 2D/3D X-ray imaging (for non-destructive internal visualisation), electron microscopy (for nanometric analysis) and technical cleanliness analysis (contaminant detection) are also used. These analyses are fundamental to continuous product improvement, production problem solving and the qualification of new materials.
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Environmental
mechanical and climatic tests

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This expertise involves a series of tests to assess the resistance and performance of products when exposed to various environmental and mechanical stresses. Activities include climate testing (temperature, humidity), corrosion testing (salt spray, controlled atmospheres), leak testing (dust, water) and combined vibration testing to simulate shocks and mechanical stresses under climatic conditions.

More general mechanical tests are also carried out, as well as accelerated tests (HALT) to predict the service life of components under extreme conditions. The aim is to guarantee the robustness and reliability of equipment, particularly for demanding sectors such as the automotive, aerospace and defence industries.
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Expertise in
electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)

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EMC is a crucial field that ensures electronic equipment functions properly in its environment without causing or suffering electromagnetic interference. Activities in this field include radiated and conducted immunity testing, which assesses a device's ability to remain unaffected by external electromagnetic waves or unwanted signals travelling through its cables.

Electrical ESD (electrostatic discharge) tests are also carried out, simulating the static electricity discharges that components may be subjected to. These tests are essential for the safety and proper functioning of electronic systems, particularly in connected vehicles and critical applications.
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I am absolutely delighted to welcome Continental's qualification laboratory to Sopemea. This acquisition, which brings together our complementary expertise, is a major strategic step for our development. In particular, it adds a new skill set in the form of materials analysis. Our shared approach to our businesses will enable us to strengthen our position as a trusted third party in the market. I am particularly pleased with this development, which ensures a promising future for the teams involved and guarantees continuity of high-quality service for all our customers.

Catherine Michelin
Catherine Michelin
Managing DirecTor | Sopemea

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