18 Jan 2005

UK secures UKAS accreditation

ASSA ABLOY UK becomes the first in the architectural hardware industry to be able to provide accredited testing on a range of both BS and EN rated standards. It means that the company will be able to formally test and approve its own products as well as those of other ASSA ABLOY Group companies and competitors around the globe.

The Test Laboratry at ASSA ABLOY UK has successfully achieved BS EN 17025 accreditation with the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).
 
Measure performance, safety and security
The lab is able to perform key tests that measure against important factors such as performance, safety and security of products. This includes a whole host of tests to monitor durability and potential product life span, resistance to attack, and performance when exposed to extreme conditions.

The lab, which tests dozens of items each week, can be set to run automatically 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That means the company can operate a high number of rigorous tests on products over a period of many hours, days or even months to ensure they reach the highest standards.
 
Protects the integrity of the brand
 "The whole purpose of the testing facility is to protect the integrity of our brand by making sure our products are the very best available," says Tony Collingwood, ASSA ABLOY UK technical director.
"That’s where the test lab really comes into its own; by reducing the risk of products failing when it’s already too late to do anything about it."

Text: Bev Longsden

* The United Kingdom Accreditation Service is the sole national accreditation body recognised by government to assess - against internationally agreed standards - organisations that provide certification, testing, inspection and calibration services.