Interlaken Technology
Other metal finished products
Company Overview and History
Interlaken Technology Company (ITC) has been a significant presence in the metal forming and testing industry since its establishment in 1980. Initially focusing on transducers, load cells, and controls, ITC evolved to develop PC-based control systems and its own system designs. By the late 1990s, the company was actively producing metal formability, friction, fatigue, and tensile testing systems, with its servo presses utilized in diverse sectors including university research, bio-medical, automotive, and aeronautical laboratories. In 2000, ITC ventured into hydroforming, designing its first research system, which quickly led to production hydroformers. The company's journey saw a strategic integration in 2015 when Robb Bass, founder of Water Works Manufacturing (a major hydroforming parts producer for the power sports industry), acquired Interlaken. Today, ITC operates from Chaska, MN, combining hydroforming parts production, system design and assembly, and elevated temperature forming capabilities under one roof. The company prides itself on a culture of innovation, problem-solving, and a deep commitment to customer success.
Core Products and Services
ITC specializes in advanced metal forming systems, offering both outsourced part production and custom in-house solutions. A primary offering is its range of hydroforming systems, including production tube hydroforming systems up to 2000 tons. These systems are engineered to produce unique and complex shapes with exceptional part consistency, reducing weight, component count, and assembly costs while increasing strength and stability. Key features include servo-controlled hydraulic presses, hydroforming feed actuators, pressure intensifiers (up to 30,000 psi), and custom tooling with changeable die inserts. ITC also excels in elevated temperature forming of aluminum tubes, a process that significantly enhances formability and reduces required pressures and forces. Furthermore, the company designs specialized metal bellows forming systems tailored to specific convolute diameters.
Testing, Analysis, and Support
Beyond forming systems, ITC provides comprehensive material testing and analysis solutions. Its seven standard models of precision-controlled hydraulic ServoPress systems (SP75 to SP600) are designed for evaluating sheet and tube forming properties, ranking lubricants, and supporting product development and quality control. These double-acting, servo-controlled presses monitor and record critical parameters like clamp force and punch force. ITC also offers pressure and burst testing systems, capable of handling pressures up to 100,000 psi (7000 bar), and implements the autofrettage technique to enhance the fatigue life of thick-walled metal components. The company's services are underpinned by robust engineering support, including product design consultation, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for feasibility assessment and design validation, metal formability testing, tooling design, and prototyping, ensuring a collaborative approach to developing cost-effective and high-performing solutions.
