The Central Institute of Engineering, Electronics and Analytics (ZEA-1) at Forschungszentrum (FZ) Jülich has spent more than 40 years developing highly complex, unique instruments and systems for other research institutions. The key to its great success lay, and still lies, in gathering every stage of the process – from planning, simulation and feasibility studies to development, production and assembly - under one roof. This provides its customers and partners with a high level of planning reliability and end-to-end support from the initial idea right through to the end product. The team at ZEA can use state-of-the-art special machines and tools to process an exceptionally wide range of materials. Cutting-edge measuring and testing procedures ensure every product boasts optimum properties and performance. The ZEA-1 has chosen HANNOVER MESSE 2018 to exhibit one of its unique masterpieces for the very first time, after so many of its inventions have proved instrumental in scientific findings.

The AirLIF measuring device has already seen a lot of the world before landing in Hannover. It is being used on board the HALO research aircraft to collect and examine air samples on repeated missions in the name of climate research. While this might sound very straightforward, a sophisticated, innovative system is required to ensure the air does not come into contact with the walls of the device prior to analysis - otherwise the findings would be worthless. The AirLIF was developed by the ZEA-1 in partnership with climate research scientists at Jülich, Mainz and Oberpfaffenhofen. Their next task is likely to be refining this new system for applications in the private sector and then marketing it.