It is neither simple nor guaranteed for a manufacturer to obtain accreditation based on the EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018 standard. In fact, in Italy, no one has it, and even abroad, only a few do. Yet, this is the important milestone achieved by CPF, a brand of the CPF Group, a company specializing in the production of extinguisher valves, technical gas valves, sprinklers, and firefighting equipment.
CPF's internal laboratory thus positions itself among the sector's centers of excellence, providing the company with numerous strategic advantages in terms of quality control, image, credibility, and customer service, especially internationally.
This achievement goes well beyond mere technical certification, marking a fundamental milestone in the Group's growth and international affirmation.
It confirms CPF's ability to consistently invest in the development of cutting-edge skills and infrastructure.
Accreditation UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018: what it is and why it is important
Published by UNI (Italian Organization for Standardization, an independent organization recognized by the Italian State and the European Union) in February 2018, UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018 is the Italian version of the international standard ISO/IEC 17025:2017 approved in 2017.
This standard (established by ISO, the most important international organization for the definition of technical standards) sets the requirements for the accreditation of laboratories that perform tests and calibrations.
It is an international standard, recognized worldwide, that certifies the technical competence and reliability of a laboratory, whose results, tests, and measurements are thus guaranteed in terms of quality and precision.
Certified laboratory tests and analyses
Thanks to ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, CPF positions itself as a structured and cutting-edge company. Our internal laboratory is recognized as a technical structure of absolute excellence, capable of independently performing all the analyses and tests required to certify the quality and compliance of its products, without any need to rely on external suppliers.
This translates into greater confidentiality, speed in developing new products, and, above all, reliability in quality control processes, benefiting customers who can count on complete and clear technical documentation to support CPF products.
CPF's path to accreditation
To obtain accreditation, CPF's internal laboratory had to demonstrate compliance with specific requirements in four macro areas:
- Resources: The laboratory has the personnel, infrastructure, and services necessary for its activities. The personnel working in the laboratory have adequate skills, including specific education, qualifications, training, technical knowledge, skills, and experience, all documented. Additionally, the laboratory has specific equipment, such as measuring instruments, software, samples, reference materials, reagents, all well identified, documented, and recorded (including maintenance, updates, and replacements).
- Organization and structure: There is a management responsible for the laboratory that has defined (and documented) the activities to be carried out in compliance with the standard. All procedures are defined and documented to ensure regular execution of activities and the validity of results.
- Process: In a transparency effort towards the client, the laboratory defines and establishes its decision-making rules in agreement with the client. These rules refer to, for example, verification and validation of methodologies; sampling; handling of items to be tested and calibrated; evaluation of measurement uncertainty; presentation of results; and complaint management.
What CPF's laboratory is accredited for
In the accreditation process, the laboratory must declare and document the activities it intends to carry out in compliance with the standard.
This means that an accredited laboratory cannot perform any activity but only those specified for which it has demonstrated it has the structure, means, organization, resources, and competencies.
In our case, these are tests, calibrations, and calibrations in the GTE sector (Gas Train Equipment, i.e., valves, filters, regulators) in which CPF specializes:
- EN 13611:2019 - Safety and control devices for gas and/or liquid fuel burners and appliances;
- EN 88-1:2016 - Pressure regulators and associated safety devices for gas appliances. Pressure regulators for inlet pressure not exceeding 50 kPa;
- EN 88-2:2008 - Pressure regulators and associated safety devices for gas appliances. Inlet pressure >500mBarg <5Barg;
- EN 161:2013 - Automatic shut-off valves for gas burners and gas appliances;
- EN 334:2019 - Gas pressure regulators for inlet pressures up to 100 bar.
Since these are gas safety and control instruments, it is important that they are tested, calibrated, and precisely and reliably calibrated, as their malfunction can compromise the safety of people and property.
Hence the importance of a test laboratory with recognized independence and reliability by a third party.
The advantages for CPF Group and its clients
Having an internal laboratory qualified according to this rigorous international standard allows for complete and certified quality control on all CPF Group products. Indeed, analyses, tests, and certifications are conducted internally according to globally recognized protocols, ensuring maximum reliability.
This also translates into greater brand solidity for CPF in foreign markets, where compliance with technical standards is essential. Additionally, having an accredited laboratory allows CPF Group brands to provide superior technical documentation to support their products, a key factor for export.
Another aspect to consider is the efficiency of processes guaranteed by the internalization of testing and calibration activities. Thanks to the investment made to accredit its laboratory, CPF is now completely independent and can manage all stages of product qualification internally, in a sector where finding adequately accredited external laboratories is often challenging.
All this results in a significant improvement in operational efficiency, delivery times, and the completeness of technical documentation.
Crucial aspects to maintain the competitive advantage that has made CPF a global reference player and to offer the end customer indisputable guarantees of quality, precision, and reliability.