Imported products prompt increase in local testing services

13th September 2019 By: Khutso Maphatsoe - journalist

Imported products prompt increase in local testing services

APPROVED Companies have become more aware of accreditation and many have insisted on the testing of products being done by an accredited testing laboratory

The influx of imported products has prompted companies to test such products to ensure that they conform to minimum requirements, says ceramics testing laboratory Cermalab MD Pieter du Toit.

“Economic pressures have resulted in companies importing cheaper products, which present a challenge to the industry. The only solution would be to conduct routine testing on the imported products.”

Cermalab has been operating as a private, independent testing laboratory since 2002, focusing on the testing and characterisation of ceramics, refractories and heavy clays.

The laboratory is South African National Accreditation System accredited in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025:2017. The accredited procedures include SANS 227 (clay bricks), SANS 1575 (clay pavers), SANS 1449 (ceramic tiles) and SANS 52004 (tile adhesives) as well as a range of refractory test procedures.

In 2011, the company became the first independent tester of tile adhesives and the only independent laboratory to test tile adhesive strength in the country.