Link Engineering Company

Company History

In 1926 Herbert W. Link moved from Germany to the United States to play professional soccer. He played soccer in St. Louis, Missouri for a year until he had an unfortunate accident where he broke his leg. At that point, he made the decision to move closer to the hub of the automotive industry and he took a job with the Cadillac Motor Car Company in Flat Rock, Michigan.

The Link Group of Companies was founded in 1935 in the Link basement on Mendota Street. Tap wrenches were the first products produced by Link. At one point in the 1930’s, Mr. Link acquired the patent for a spring testing device from a man he met on the street. To accommodate the increased business the Spring Tester activity created, it was soon necessary to relocate to a rented storefront at Baltimore & Hamilton Streets in Detroit. Eventually, several more storefronts were added as the business grew.

In the early 1940’s construction of the John Lodge Expressway forced Mr. Link to buy the Company’s first facility on Elmira Street in Detroit. He purchased the United Electric Company from General Motors, providing an entry to the electric motor repair business. In the early days, employees received tap wrenches and “wigglers” as their Christmas bonus. The wiggler was a device created by Mr. Link to help center the workpiece in machining operations.

In the 1940’s the Link’s acquired a great deal of land in Indian River, Michigan. The Link Ring Seat concept for center drills was patented and center drill manufacturing was relocated to a new facility in Indian River in the early 1950’s.

By the late 1950’s, Link was involved in the manufacture and repair of electric motors. A hydraulic stator coil winding machine and stator lacing machine were developed for internal use, and then later enhanced and sold to electric motor manufacturers as commercial products.

Also in the 1950’s, Link began its involvement with dynamometers. The Company produced high-speed gearboxes for use in engine dynamometers designed by others. In the early 1960’s, the Company designed and manufactured its first dynamometer.

In the mid 1960’s, Roy Link, Martha and Herbert Link’s son, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration degree from Michigan State University. Roy worked for Burroughs for 3 years as a Senior Systems Analyst, before joining Link Engineering Company in 1971. Today Roy is Link’s President/CEO. Herbert Link remained active in the business until his death in February 1989. Martha Link passed away in October 1993. The Company remains family owned.

Developments in the 1970’s and 1980’s included a broad range of spring testers, stator lacing machines, motor test systems, wheel & hub test systems, transmission and axle testers and a wide range of equipment for testing brakes and friction materials, including the first in-vehicle data acquisition systems. Sophisticated computer-based electronic controls and software were developed for the testing and production equipment manufactured by Link.

To meet the increasing need for laboratory dynamometer testing of friction materials, Link Testing Laboratories was founded in Detroit, Michigan in April 1988. To support the growth of the Company into the next century, land was acquired in Plymouth, Michigan on Plymouth Oaks Boulevard in April 1991. By November 1991, a new headquarters facility was constructed on that site to house engineering, administration and several assembly operations.

Similar to the boom in laboratory testing of friction materials seen in the 1980’s, the 1990’s saw the introduction of extensive in-vehicle testing of friction materials and brake systems. Along with establishing in-vehicle capabilities at its laboratory in Detroit, Link also saw the need to provide in-vehicle testing capabilities in a region that would allow for vehicle testing in the winter months, as well as to provide testing in extreme heat conditions as needed. Link West, located near Phoenix, Arizona, was founded in August 1993 to provide these testing services for automotive companies and their suppliers.

In early 1997, a 50,000 square foot addition to the Plymouth headquarters facility was completed. Link’s manufacturing operations were relocated from Detroit to Plymouth and Link Testing Laboratories expanded to fill the available space in Detroit.

In 2003, Link Engineering Company purchased Radlinski and Associates, Inc. located in East Liberty, Ohio and Link-Radlinski, Inc. was created. This transaction enabled us to get involved in the heavy vehicle industry for both equipment sales and testing services.

In the early 2000’s, Link focused on increasing exports and created three overseas offices to support this activity. By 2006 Link had established sales and service offices in Germany, China and Brazil. In this time, Link has also established a laboratory in South Korea through its local representative, SE Systems. Link also has representation in France and India in order to further serve its customers in this global market.

Company Structure

The Link Group of Companies is composed of five US divisions, as well as operations in Europe, Asia and South America. Link Engineering Company is headquartered in Plymouth, Michigan, comprising of the administrative hub of the organization, as well as the center for engineering design and manufacturing of test systems. Located in Indian River, in northern Michigan, Link Industries continues a family tradition of machine tool manufacturing, producing a wide array of standard and custom tools for a variety of industrial applications. Link Testing Laboratories is located in Detroit, Michigan and provides testing services ranging from material characterization machines to test benches to full scale dynamometers. Link also supports vehicle testing from durability and performance testing on test tracks to off-road testing and public road suburban/traffic testing. With vehicle garages and engineering services in Allen Park, Michigan and Wittmann, Arizona, the vehicle test division of Link supports vehicle testing ranging from motorcycles to motor homes, and everything in between. Through these vehicle operations, Link also supports testing in Los Angeles, California on a daily basis, as well as testing around the world, as needs arise. Link-Radlinski, located in East Liberty, Ohio, as well as a winter site in Yuca, Arizona, delivers engineering services to the commercial truck and bus vehicle community, providing vehicle testing services, custom test equipment, software, and consulting.

With a global customer base, Link has expanded to establish sales offices, as well as testing service operations, in Brazil, China and Germany. Link also has experienced representatives in France, Korea and India, along with a test laboratory in Korea. Link understands that in today's business world, its customers need global, comprehensive support in a timely manner while also being flexible and proactive in creating custom test solutions as necessary. With Link's heavy involvement in industry initiatives, as well as Link's involvement in both designing and manufacturing test sytems and providing test services, Link continues to evolve to support its customers' ever changing needs.

Test Equipment

In 1939, LINK patented its first test system, a spring tester. Since then, LINK has developed a wide array of standard and custom test systems from tabletop test stands to building-sized aircraft dynamometers. LINK has the expertise and experience to meet the customers' unique needs. A partial list of the products for which test systems have been developed is shown below.

• Clutches
• Hubs
• Bearings
• Calipers
• Brake Boosters
• Transfer Cases
• Electric Motors
• Whole Vehicles
• Transmissions
• Brakes
• Starter Motors
• Tires
• Wheels
• Springs
• Friction Materials
• Electric Steering Systems

While LINK provides many standard products, a core capability is the development of custom test systems. LINK has the unique ability to provide a turnkey service from initial concept through design and fabrication, and even to operation should the customer desire. The company has a complete staff of mechanical, electrical, and software engineers with years of experience in developing test systems to accomplish what others felt impossible. Many of the unique testers developed by LINK have become standard equipment in the industries for which they were developed. Whether the need is for transmission dynamometer, a brake NVH test cell, or a vehicle data acquisition system, LINK has a product to meet the customer's needs.

A key part of LINK test systems and the services provided by LINK is ProLink™. This is an integrated software package providing test apparatus control, data acquisition, data analysis, and reporting functionality. It is a unique Microsoft® Windows® based software environment that has been successful in a wide array of applications around the world.

Since its introduction, ProLink has consistently been cited for its ease of use. It is a powerful tool set that is used not only on Link test systems, but also on numerous systems from other manufacturers. Customers agree it provides faster control and data acquisition capabilities, nearly "bullet-proof" reliability and convenience that cannot be surpassed.

ProLink is compatible with Microsoft Windows and is continuously updated to take full advantage of the features and capabilities of this operating system. This process assures that the customer will be able to keep up their data acquisition and analysis needs by using the latest ProLink updates.

Testing Services

Link Testing Laboratories provide a wide range of testing facilities and expertise. There are over 40 dynamometers with capabilities for testing a variety of products including brakes, wet and dry friction materials, hubs, rotors, clutches, and transmissions in laboratories around the world. In addition, the Detroit laboratory, Link-Radlinski, Link West, and the new Vehicle Test facility in Allen Park, Michigan, provide complete capabilities to support vehicle testing. Services include the performance of tests to national or international standards, proprietary tests procedures, and the development of unique procedures and hardware for a one of a kind evaluation.

In a unique partnership with Material Sciences Corporation and Brüel &Kjær, LINK provides NVH testing services at the Application Research Center in Canton, Michigan. The four-roll chassis dynamometer and other world class facilities in this complex allow us to provide testing services second to none. In addition, LINK provides testing services at facilities in Germany and Korea. LINK can provide testing services around the globe.

Whether your product is an aircraft brake, a snowmobile clutch, off-road vehicle hub, or a new friction material concept; LINK can provide the required test facilities, data analysis, and insightful reporting. The laboratory's core competence is focused on brakes, clutches, and friction materials. However, a wide range of applications are supported. A few examples are shown below:

• Automotive Brakes
• Medium Truck Brakes (Class 7 & 8)
• Railroad Brakes
• Mining Machinery
• Forklifts and Skid Loaders
• Automotive Suspension Springs
• Light Truck Powertrains
• Automatic Transmission Fluids
• Automotive Truck Hubs
• Brake Friction Material Characterization
• Calipers
• Brake Boosters
• Transfer Cables
• Electric Motors
• Truck Axle Durability
• Caliper and Rotor Corrosion

Center Drills

Link Industries, located in Northern Michigan, provides a wide array of center drills and custom cutting tools. The standard product range covers a wide variety of applications, tool holders, and special materials. The Unidapt product line provides a unique system of long reach adapters for deep hole drilling. The LINK locking system allows for easy installation and removal of cutting tools while providing a rigid fixture for drilling deep holes with high accuracy. A wide range of custom tools have been developed for customers across the U.S. Link Industries has the experience and manufacturing expertise to meet the most challenging custom requirements.

Motor Stator Lacers

For some time now, LINK has provided a range of products in support of the electric motor manufacturing industry. Today's Link Motor Stator Lacing Equipment is second to none. Using the latest controls and software, the company's lacers have the capability to provide materials handling functions, automatic part identification for production flexibility, and reliable service. There are thousands of examples of Link's Expertise in motor production lines around the world.