GCE R&D LAB ACHIEVES “GOLDEN CERTIFICATE” OF 5-YEAR ISO ACCREDITATION
Published on 21 March 2023 byGCE R&D LAB ACHIEVES “GOLDEN CERTIFICATE”
OF 5-YEAR ISO ACCREDITATION
GCE expands independent testing services to help other manufacturers meet EU regulations.
GCE® Group has been awarded a certificate of accreditation for the CSN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018, a standard that covers testing. The accreditation, achieved by GCE’s Research and Development Laboratory in Chotěboř, Czech Republic, is valid for a five-year period and encompasses new test methods and re-accreditation for its former scope of accreditation. GCE Group is the leading European manufacturer for gas control equipment, pressure regulators, valves and flow meters for oxygen and acetylene welding and cutting equipment, high-purity gases and medical and electronic industrial applications. The company’s R&D lab also provides services to industry users and other manufacturers.
“The extended ISO accreditation achieves a key goal in developing our capabilities,” says Gareth Pemberton, Director of Innovation, GCE. “The need for excellent testing services is increasing not only from regulatory requirements such as the medical device transition to MDR, but also from our customers. With this scope and our continued investment into the laboratories, we can meet the increased requirements in certification testing, as well as the increased demand for testing.”
Newly accredited tests include those for compatibility of pressure regulating devices. GCE also offers more testing methods for artificial aging, salt mist corrosion, mechanical strength, leak tests, plastic parts that require checking for resistance against sunlight and heat, and metal parts that are to be checked for resistance to corrosion and many more. Companies seeking these services include those that provide compressed gases, medical pressure regulators, shut-off valves, flow measurement equipment, cylinder/manifold pressure regulators, terminal and quick coupler units.
Jakub Jonák, head of GCE’s R&D laboratory, says, “In addition to performing in-house tests for standards conformance, GCE has the advanced equipment and experienced personnel to investigate inspection test results. We can help manufacturers identify sources of problems and create non-accredited tests to prove out theories or check specific areas of product performance. We can run tests on fast schedules, especially repeat tests, providing responsive customer service.”
GCE’s certificates of accreditation can be found on the company’s website. The list of several dozen tests in the scope of accreditation includes:
· Durability of markings and color-coding tests (ČSN EN ISO 2503; ČSN EN ISO 7291; ČSN EN ISO 10524-1; ČSN EN ISO 10524-2; ČSN EN ISO 10524-3; ČSN EN ISO 10524-4; ČSN EN ISO 9170-1; ČSN EN ISO 15002; ČSN EN ISO 5359; ČSN EN ISO 20417).
· Mechanical strength tests (ČSN EN ISO 2503; ČSN EN ISO 7291; ČSN EN ISO 10524-1; ČSN EN ISO 10524-2; ČSN EN ISO 10524-3; ČSN EN ISO 10524-4; ČSN EN ISO 10297; ČSN EN ISO 22435; ČSN EN ISO 15996; CGA V-9; CGA E-18; CGA E-4).
· Tests of terminal units and quick couplers (ČSN EN ISO 9170-1).
· Tests of medical valves integrated with pressure regulators (ČSN EN ISO 10524-3).
· Tests of shut-off valves (ČSN EN ISO 10297).
· Tests of industrial cylinder pressure regulators (ČSN EN ISO 2503)
