Applus+ Laboratories has achieved wide-ranging ENAC ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation for its new fire-resistance testing laboratory in Guadalajara (Spain). This accreditation will enable Applus+ to expand its already-extensive fire testing capacity. Furthermore, thanks to this new centre, Applus+ will be able to provide a more local service to clients based in central and southern Spain.
With the launch of this new facility, Applus+ consolidates its position as a reference laboratory in the field of fire safety testing and certification at both a national and a global level.
FEATURES OF THE NEW LABORATORY
The Guadalajara fire laboratory has two furnaces: a 4×4 metre vertical one and a cubic one measuring 3×4 metres horizontally and 3×2.5m vertically. The vast scale of these furnaces enables the testing of large doors and other vertical elements, as well as ceilings, floors and submerged elements.
The control room is equipped with control systems and cutting-edge software for the continuous monitoring of the furnaces, with graphs showing sector trends and the capacity to transmit data at high speed. Such features permit the generation of smoother heating curves, thereby subjecting the test pieces to less violent tests.
The laboratory comprises a number of different meeting rooms and workspaces so that clients can follow their tests and work in privacy at the same time.
CONFORMITY TESTING FOR MARKET ACCESS
The Guadalajara laboratory is accredited to carry out fire resistance tests under a wide range of national, European, American, international and sector standards.
Conformity with such standards is key to gaining access to the major global markets. Applus+ provides certification services for the European market (CE marking) and also has its own certification mark (Applus+ Fire Safety), which is recognised by the Gulf states as proof of conformity.
A WIN FOR THE FIRE SAFETY INDUSTRY
The launch of this new fire laboratory comes on the back of our recent acquisition of Asturian company TST, which manages Europe’s biggest fire tunnel, and the opening of a testing field for full-scale fire tests near Barcelona.
These new full-scale testing capabilities give manufacturers of fire-safety products the opportunity to test their products in realistic conditions, which complements the test results achieved in the laboratory.