LAEDE, a laboratory for static and dynamic mechanical testing of materials and structural components, which is part of IEME Brasil, begins 2025 strengthened by the modernization process of its facilities and the acquisition of new equipment. The laboratory now has a new hydraulic unit and a new controller for hydraulic actuators, which together increase the company’s efficiency and service capacity.

“The hydraulic unit increases the laboratory’s capacity to perform more simultaneous tests, offering a time saving in these services. With the new controller, the laboratory is now able to control more hydraulic actuators simultaneously, in addition to modernizing the precision of the tests”, explains Lucas Juliani, director of LAEDE. In addition, the new hydraulic unit is more modern from an environmental point of view, providing energy savings of around 30% for its operation.

The equipment particularly benefits the performance of material fatigue tests, which can be performed with greater quality, accuracy and speed. “With this equipment and the ongoing modernization of the laboratory, LAEDE, which has Inmetro accreditation, the only one in Brazil for various tests on metro-rail components, will double its capacity to perform tests, being able to serve its customers much more quickly,” says Marco Juliani, director of IEME.

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The National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (Inmetro) has just concluded its annual audit and revalidated the status of IEME Brasil Accredited Inspection Body (OIA), obtained at the beginning of 2023 and now renewed. The revalidation ensures IEME’s compliance with the requirements of the International Accredited Inspection Standard ISO 17020, ordinances from Inmetro and inspection agencies (such as ANTT and Artesp), Inmetro procedures and technical standards applicable to road infrastructure projects. Accreditation is based on a double audit system: an auditor independent of the organization and Inmetro itself.

According to railway and automotive engineer Octavio Camerini, management systems auditor for over 25 years and advisor to the company in the technical revalidation process, the accreditation was confirmed for the scope of inspection of highway and railway projects and works, without the need for authorization from Inmetro to issue inspection certificates. “For the scope of inspection of highway and railway works, it is necessary to involve Inmetro for sample technical monitoring of initial inspections, before issuing the respective certificates, which is part of the normal accreditation process”, he explained. According to him, Inmetro praised IEME’s technical and administrative competence in the accredited inspection of infrastructure projects and made few recommendations for improvement, focused on the management system.

For the specialist, this official and international recognition demonstrates that “IEME follows the most demanding and contemporary requirements of technical and administrative competence for Inspection Bodies of Projects and Works of Highways and Railways, guaranteeing the technical conformity of the project or infrastructure work , its budget forecast and its schedule”.

The most developed countries in the world have already been working with Accredited Inspection for 10 years, guaranteeing the impartial evaluation of the project or work and contributing to the agility and compliance of the implementation of mobility infrastructure in the country. The accreditation obtained by IEME recognizes not only the implementation of ISO 17020 and Inmetro requirements, but also the concessionaires’ procedures, which are gradually demanding compliance with acceptable standards of corporate governance (transparency and anti-corruption practices), social responsibility (inclusiveness) and environmental responsibility (prevention of environmental impacts of the project and infrastructure work).