EN13501-1 classification – Duferco International Trading Holdings

EN13501-1 classification. Duferco International Trading Holdings is a global leader in the trading and distribution of steel and steel making raw materials. Duferco International Trading Holdings head office is in Switzerland, with 60 locations worldwide, active in 88 countries and over 50,000 customers and traded over 14.5 million tonnes of steel and associated products.

Trading as Duferco UK Ltd in the UK they import, market, and distribute steel products including hot rolled coils, galvanized steel, cold rolled steel, pre-painted coils, rebars, beams, wire rods, pipes, silicon steels, and tin plate, from its affiliated companies.

As part of their commitment to quality, Duferco UK Ltd test imported products for the UK market in batches and have chosen System Laboratories to undertake testing of the coated steel products to ensure continued compliance with the fire regulations/ Construction Products Regulations/ UKCA marking requirements. 

System Laboratories conduct a range of tests on the products on behalf of Duferco UK Ltd to ensure that the products still meet the required EN13501-1 classification.

We are committed to a rapid turnaround of testing and more importantly the publication of test and classification reports within two weeks.

David Mann of Duferco UK Ltd stated: System Laboratories are new to the UK market but have provided Duferco UK Ltd with the level of service we need. Interruptions to the supply chain are very costly and System Laboratories have this at the forefront of their mind.

Our research of the UK market indicated that there are capacity issues within the UK market and more importantly the issues of delays to  test reports was raised repeatedly. Currently test reports from Europe are still accepted (link) in support of products being placed on the market in the UK, however if the UKCA marking regulations are fully implemented then this could lead to increased demand on testing and notified body services in the UK. We will always ensure that our commitment to delivery is prioritised. – Asaf Gitarts – Managing Director  

OBEX Protection Ltd

OBEX Protection Ltd specialises in the manufacture and distribution of innovative protection films and membrane solutions for the construction industry.

One of the most significant innovations in the history of OBEX has been the development of our OBEX CORTEX fire-classified membrane systems and throughwall solutions.  Architects, contractors and installers now have a source for façade membrane systems that are compliant with the government’s fire-regulations and are rigorously tested to the correct EN standards for performance.

System Laboratories UK offer UKAS accredited reaction to fire testing to BS EN ISO 1182 non-combustibility test, BS EN ISO 1716 Determination of the gross heat of combustion (calorific value), BS EN 13823 Building Products excluding flooring exposed to thermal attack by a single burning item (SBI) and BS EN ISO 11925-2 Ignitability of products subjected to direct impingement of flame – Single-flame source test (small flame test).

Callam Doouss – Technical Manager OBEX Protection Ltd. “OBEX have found System Labs to be proficient in their testing and certification, whilst also offering a fast turnaround. OBEX are a fast moving company which challenges the status quo in how we work and the speed of response to our customers, so this is why a fast turnaround service is important to us.”

The UK construction industry is going through a profound change with an increased focus on products tested for compliance. It is critical that the supply chain keeps pace with the ongoing demands and delivers in a timely fashion.   The focus of System Laboratories is fast turnaround reaction to fire testing. – Asaf Gitarts – Managing Director System Laboratories. 

Saint-Gobain

Saint-Gobain produce a wide range of construction materials and use System Laboratories for Reaction to Fire testing.  

“From start to finish it’s been a pretty seamless experience.

System Laboratories were very accommodating.  Sample preparation issues at our end resulted in delays to the test programme, however we were able to store samples at System Labs until the full submission was complete.

We received the draft test reports soon after completion of the programme and have received follow up emails to ensure we are happy with the contents of test and classification reports.  

We will indeed be using System labs for future testing endeavours”.

Marmox Waterproofing & Insulation Solutions

Marmox produce range of board material for construction applications and approached System Laboratories to undertake a range of reaction to fire tests.

On completion of the testing, Marmox were asked to rate our fire testing services.

“The best reaction to fire testing laboratory we have ever used.

 System Laboratories were very helpful in explaining what tests were necessary and how we should prepare the samples.

 The phone was always answered if we needed to call you and you could always provide the answers we needed.

 What was absolutely astonishing was how quickly this was all done – from delivering the samples to getting the classification took just a few weeks”.