In the past few decades, changes in global trade flows have enhanced the role of quality and standards in economic development. Countries rely on their national quality systems to remain competitive in the global economy. Standards are ubiquitous in this world, defining much of the way people, products and processes interact together. Standards define characteristics and performance. You can read more on standards and quality systems that are relevant to UPI Laboratories at menu options hereunder.
ISO is an independent, non-governmental international organization with a membership of more than 160 national standard/accreditation bodies. Through its members, it brings together experts to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based, market relevant International Standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges.
Member organizations collaborate in the development and promotion of international standards for technology, scientific testing processes, working conditions, societal issues and more. ISO and its members then sell documents detailing these standards.
A General Assembly, which consists of representatives from ISO members and elected leaders called principal officers, acts as the decision-making body for ISO. The organization has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, where a central secretariat oversees operations.
Key facts:
Because ‘International Organization for Standardization’ would have different acronyms in different languages (IOS in English, OIN in French for Organisation internationale de normalisation), the founders decided to give it the short form ISO. ISO is derived from the Greek ‘isos’, meaning equal. Whatever the country, whatever the language, it is always ISO.
There are more than 1600 ISO standards
There are more than 3600 technical bodies
There are more than 5200 meetings in more the 40 countries
There are more then 30 technical meetings per working day
All UPI Laboratories Europe BV calibration materials meet the requirements of the relevant ISO standards.
Contact ISO:
International Organization for Standardization
ISO Central Secretariat
Chemin de Blandonnet 8
CP 401 – 1214 Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland
ASTM was originally known as the American Society of the International Association for Testing and Materials when it was created in 1898 by Pennsylvania Railroad engineers and scientists. Its purpose was to address and prevent the frequent rail breaks that were plaguing the industry by developing standards that would ensure higher quality rail products.
Today, the American Society for Testing and Materials is known as ASTM International. It consists of over 30,000 members that include product users, producers, consumers, academics, and consultants. ASTM is still headquartered in Pennsylvania, but it also has offices throughout the world that are located in Belgium, Canada, China, and Mexico, as well as one other domestic office in Washington DC.
ASTM develops and publishes technical standards for many different industries with the goal of enhancing performance and safety over a wide range of products, materials, systems, and services. Thousands of ASTM standards are upheld all over the world, each with their own unique number. Each standard falls into a variety of categories which include:
Not only does ASTM create dependable standards, the society also offers technical training programs, proficiency testing, and inter-laboratory crosscheck programs.
Continuing education and online training programs are available for industries and government employees. Courses can include plastics, coal, statistics, glass, and more. Self-guided training courses are available for QA/QC technicians who work with cement, concrete strength training, and who conduct aggregate testing. On-site training is also available, as are certification programs that cover a wide variety of products, materials, systems, and services in keeping with third party compliance standards.
Laboratories can assess their performance with proficiency testing. These ASTM tests are ideal for aromatic hydrocarbons, petroleum products, engine coolant, textile testing, and more.
The Annual Book of ASTM Standards:
Each year, the ASTM publishes the Annual Book of ASTM Standards. The book addresses many different products, services, and industries that include:
Because the ASTM covers so many industries, it is divided into multiple volumes. A total of 143 technical writing committees work on the standards inside the book each year, developing those standards in accordance with the guidelines of the World Trade Organization.
All UPI Laboratories Europe BV calibration materials meet the requirements of the relevant ASTM standards.
Contact ASTM:
ASTM Headquarters
100 Barr Harbor Drive
P.O. Box C700
West Conshohocken, PA
USA
The Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) is a collection of Japanese national standards stipulating the criteria for mineral or industrial products, data and services in Japan, including their quality, performance and test methods.
The unified national system of industrial standardization began to function with the establishment of JESC (the Japanese Engineering Standards Committee) in 1921. JESC undertook the adoption of national standards (JES).
In 1949, the Industrial Standardization Law was promulgated, and the Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC) was newly set up under the Law, as an advisory organization to competent Ministers in charge of the elaboration of Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) and the designation of the JIS Mark to products.
Nowadays the Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC), Japan’s national standardization body, plays a central role in developing standards in Japan covering a wide range of products and technologies from robots to pictograms. JISC is also responsible for Japan’s growing contribution to setting international standards through its work with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
The committee consists of the Council, as well as two Boards established thereunder. The Boards have Technical Committees, which have as members all concerned parties among producers, dealers, users, consumers and academic circles. Standards cover all fields of industrial and mineral products except medicines, agricultural chemicals and chemical fertilizers, which are established under other laws.
Contac JISC:
Japanese Industrial Standards Committee
Technical Regulations, Standards & Conformity Assessment Policy Unit
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
1-3-1, Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 100 – 8901
Japan
ISO/IEC 17025:2017, general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories, is the international reference for laboratories carrying out calibration and testing activities around the world.
It facilitates cooperation between laboratories and other bodies by generating wider acceptance of results between countries. Test reports and certificates can be accepted from one country to another without the need for further testing, which, in turn, enables international trade.
ISO/IEC 17025 is useful for any organization that performs testing, sampling or calibration and wants reliable results. This includes all types of laboratories, whether they be owned and operated by government, industry or, in fact, any other organization. The standard is also useful to universities, research centers, governments, regulators, inspection bodies, product certification organizations and other conformity assessment bodies with the need to do testing, sampling or calibration.
Producing valid results that are widely trusted is at the heart of laboratory activities. ISO/IEC 17025:2017 allows laboratories to implement a sound quality system and demonstrate that they are technically competent and able to produce valid and reliable results.
In order to reflect the latest changes in market conditions and technology, the new edition of the standard encompasses the activities and new ways of working of laboratories today. It covers technical changes, vocabulary and developments in IT techniques and takes into consideration the latest version of ISO 9001 on quality management
UPI Laboratories Europe BV is an ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited laboratory.
Most countries in the world have a national accreditation body. In the UK this UKAS, in Germany DaKKS and in France it is COFRAC.In the Netherlands it is the RvA. Their primary task consists of accrediting and renewing the accreditations of conformity-assessment bodies: laboratories, inspection bodies, certification bodies and verification bodies. This is to ensure that trust in the quality of products and services is genuinely justified.
The RvA is a private organisation. In 2010 the Dutch government appointed the RvA as the national accreditation body based on European Regulation 765/2008. Since then the RvA has become an independent government agency that answers to the Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate. As an independent organisation and independent government agency the RvA is a non-profit organisation.
The RvA was founded in 1995 following a multi-party merger involving:
RvA clients are conformity-assessment bodies:
Conformity-assessment bodies assess whether products and services from suppliers meet the specified requirements. They do this for every imaginable field of work: health, environment, constructions, energy, food, transport and finance, to name but a few. In the event of a positive assessment the supplier is issued with a statement of conformity in the form of a certificate or report.
It is important that conformity-assessment bodies are expert, impartial and independent because only then statements they issue are useful and reliable. The RvA therefore checks that these bodies meet the European (EN) and international (ISO or ISO/IEC) standards. If they do they receive an accreditation mark – an audit of the audit.
UPI Laboratories Europe BV is an RvA accredited laboratory for the calibartion of hardness testing indenters.
You will find a list of all of all RvA clients in the list of RvA accredited bodies.
Contact RvA:
Raad voor Accreditatie (RvA)
Daalseplein 101
3511 SX Utrecht
The NETHERLANDS
ILAC is the international organisation for accreditation bodies operating in accordance with ISO/IEC 17011 and involved in the accreditation of conformity assessment bodies including calibration laboratories (using ISO/IEC 17025), testing laboratories (using ISO/IEC 17025), medical testing laboratories (using ISO 15189), inspection bodies (using ISO/IEC 17020), proficiency testing providers (using ISO/IEC 17043) and reference material producers (using ISO 17034).
Accreditation is the independent evaluation of conformity assessment bodies against recognised standards to carry out specific activities to ensure their impartiality and competence. Through the application of national and international standards, government, procurers and consumers can have confidence in the calibration and test results, inspection reports and certifications provided.
Accreditation bodies are established in many economies with the primary purpose of ensuring that conformity assessment bodies are subject to oversight by an authoritative body. Accreditation bodies, that have been peer evaluated as competent, sign regional and international arrangements to demonstrate their competence. These accreditation bodies then assess and accredit conformity assessment bodies to the relevant standards.
The arrangements support the provision of local or national services, such as providing safe food and clean drinking water, providing energy, delivering health and social care or maintaining an unpolluted environment. In addition, the arrangements enhance the acceptance of products and services across national borders, thereby creating a framework to support international trade through the removal of technical barriers
The international arrangements are managed by ILAC in the fields of calibration, testing, medical testing, inspection, proficiency testing providers and reference material producers accreditation and IAF in the fields of management systems, products, services, personnel and other similar programmes of conformity assessment. Both organisations, ILAC and IAF, work together and coordinate their efforts to enhance the accreditation and the conformity assessment worldwide.The regional arrangements are managed by the recognised regional co-operation bodies that work in harmony with ILAC and IAF. The recognised regional co-operations are also represented on the ILAC and IAF Executive Committees. ILAC works closely with the regional co-operation bodies involved in accreditation, notably EA in Europe, APAC in the Asia-Pacific, IAAC in the Americas, AFRAC in Africa, SADCA in Southern Africa, and ARAC in the Arab region.
UPI Laboratories Europe BV is an ISO/IEC 17025 RvA accredited laboratory for hardness testing indenters.
The RvA is one of the ILAC signatories, like UKAS, DaKKS, COFRAC and others.
Nadcap is an industry-managed approach to conformity assessment that brings together technical experts from both Industry and Government to establish requirements for accreditation, accredit Suppliers and define operational program requirements.
This results in a standardized approach to quality assurance and a reduction in redundant auditing throughout the aerospace industry because Prime contractors, Suppliers and Government representatives have joined forces to develop a program that:
UPI Laboratories Europe BV provides indenters certified to comply with the requirements of NADCAP.