 | Thermoplastics Testing Center accredited as a testing center!
On October 11, 2001 the Thermoplastics Testing Center was accredited by the German Accreditation System for Testing Technology, Berlin, after one year of preparation to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025.
The accreditation covers tests on plastics that are constantly being supplemented by other
methods. This is the first accreditation in Germany to include the compounding
of thermoplastics and the injection molding of test specimen.
Basis for accreditation:
Accreditation means the certification of a laboratory’s expertise.
DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:
”The acceptance of testing or calibration results between different countries should be made easier if laboratories conform to this international standard and are accredited by bodies that have entered mutual recognition agreements with equivalent bodies in other countries…”
Accreditation requires binding organizational and technical regulations:
”The laboratory must be a unit that can be held legally responsible.”
In its quality management handbook the Thermoplastics Testing Center sets down the details of all responsibilities and duties within the center in terms of personnel and specialist work.
- The testing personnel, who are named, have submitted documentary evidence of their qualifications and regularly participate in further training programs.
- The employees and the management have signed an impartiality agreement in order to guarantee the neutrality and objectivity of test results.
- Staff are obliged to maintain confidentiality when dealing with customer orders.
- An employee in Quality Assurance who is responsible to the Central Quality Management in terms of specialty, monitors compliance with testing standards, using, for example internal audits.
- Complaints are handled according to a stipulated process. Any damage resulting from faulty testing is covered by liability insurance.
Within the organizational framework, the Quality Management Handbook defines the implementation and monitoring of every individual testing method with process instructions. Data scattering should be cited and measurement values must be attributed to calibration scales.
Uniform test quality – monitored worldwide with TRoPhy
TRoPhy is a database for round robin tests for monitoring the comparability and reproducibility of test laboratories worldwide. The database is provided by Central Quality Management. The test results are fed in decentrally by the individual test laboratories and are displaced using the rules of statistics and measuring system analysis. Thus all the testing laboratories connected to it are kept permanently informed about the level of quality attained.
In this connection the Thermoplastics Testing Center represents the worldwide Masterlab.
Which aims is the Thermoplastics Testing Center pursuing through the accreditation?
Comparable and legally valid test results
By using the CAMPUS®-database a cross-border and cross-company comparison of the test properties of a wide range of plastics is possible.It contains test properties that have been measured in accordance with international standards. The authenticity of these test results is underlined by the accreditation. In the event of any dispute, the test data from an accredited test laboratory constitutes a legally valid record.
Strengthening of market position
An accreditation is proof of competence in the testing technology sector. It enhances the reputation of the company.
Continuous improvement to quality
The introduction of an active quality management system leads to a continuous increase in the quality of test results and an increase in efficiency and customer satisfaction. These parameters are analyzed in an annual management review of departmental goals, which results in the introduction of further improvement measures.
Our accredited test procedures of thermoplastics are:
· Production and measurement of shrinkage sheets according to ISO 294-4 and in-house standard
· Flexural test according to DIN EN ISO 178, ASTM D790 and in-house standard
· Tensile test according to DIN EN ISO 527, ASTM D638 and in-house standard
· Penetration test according to DIN EN ISO 6603-2 and in-house standard
· Charpy flexural impact test according to DIN EN ISO 179 and in-house standard
· Izod flexural impact test according to DIN EN ISO 180, ASTM D256 and in-house standard
· Ball indentation test according to DIN EN ISO 2039-1 and in-house standard
· Melt mass rate (MFR) and Melt volume flow rate (MVR) according to DIN EN ISO 1133 and in-house standard
· Melt flow rate (MFR) and Melt volume rate (MVR) according to ASTM D1238 and in-house standard
· Time dependent melt volume flow rate (IMVR) according to in-house standard
· Melt shear viscosity of polymers according to ISO 11443, DIN 54811 and in-house standard
· Vicat softening temperature according to DIN EN ISO 306, ASTM D1525 and in-house standard
· Heat distortion temperature HDT according to DIN EN ISO 75, ASTM D648 and in-house standard
· Torsion pendulum method according to DIN EN ISO 6721-2 and in-house standard
· Torsion pendulum with Torsional vibration – Non-resonance method according to ISO 6721-7 and in-house standard
· Coefficient of thermal length expansion according to DIN 53752 and in-house standard
· Tear propagation test according to DIN 53363, DIN ISO 34-1 and in-house standard
· Separation test according to DIN 53357, DIN 53530 and in-house standard
· Determination of density according to DIN 53479, DIN EN ISO 1183, DIN EN ISO 845 and in-house standard
· Artificial light aging/weathering with modifications of ASTM G26 according to in-house standard
Further accredited examinations to determine physical-technological properties of plastic test specimen and of plastic compounds:
· Drying of thermoplastics according to in-house standard
· Injection molding of test specimen according to ISO 294 and in-house standard
· Compounding continuously, extrusion, according to in-house standard
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