North American Material Engineers and Managers Now Can Attain Access to Advanced Composite Testing
20 Dec 2011
Intertek offers composite material solutions to meet the increased needs of growth industries in the US
Pittsfield, MA – Intertek (LSE: ITRK), a leading provider of quality and safety solutions serving a wide range of industries around the world, today announced that it is now offering Hydraulic Composite Compression Fixture (HCCF) testing to composite industry material engineers and material managers. The addition of HCCF now gives these engineers the ability to complete more advanced testing of their materials domestically inside North America to meet the growing market demands.
“In order to remain competitive, composite material engineers and manufacturers in North America must think globally and have the ability to continue operations and ensure that their products are compliant with multiple worldwide demands – specifically within key markets such as aerospace, automotive and building products,” said James Galipeau, Intertek General Manager, Polymer and Plastics Services. “The addition of the HCCF fixture demonstrates Intertek’s commitment to providing the composites industry with state-of-the-art independent test data required to make material decisions.”
Currently, the HCCF is widely used and accepted in Europe and is quickly becoming top-of-mind to independent laboratories across US and Canada. Composites engineers and material managers involved in material production or material applications in aerospace, automotive and building must manage material data for accurate quality assurance and optimum material selection. Accurate and reproducible compression data is necessary for all aspects of supply management and material suitability decision making in stringent markets such as automotive and aerospace. More specifically, North American material engineers and managers looking to have their composites meet compliance and make more informed decisions regarding materials can expect the following from the HCCF:
- The HCCF fixture is designed to eliminate test set up variants with exact specimen positioning for compression testing of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics and Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastics with Uni-Directional Fibers.
- The HCCF fixture assists material managers with more reproducible and accurate compression data by eliminating flexure for a more constant deformation rate, uniformly applied gripping force for dependable and reproducible specimen gripping, and minimized frictional forces.
“More than ever, the composite material market is changing at a rapid pace and engineers must meet standards in order to remain competitive,” said Galipeau. “Intertek is committed to helping engineers deliver a well-performing product as it expands its capabilities while – at the same time – playing a critical leadership role in the composite material industry as it evolves and changes.”
Intertek’s expanded scope of testing for composites and plastics continues to grow. The Hydraulic Composite Compression Fixture (HCCF) is a continued investment to the existing Intertek Composites Test Center, a dedicated center for composite material evaluations including mechanical, physical, electrical, optical and exposure evaluations for the aerospace, automotive and building industries.
For more information about Intertek's Composite Testing Services, please visit: https://www.intertek.com/polymers/composites/
For Media Inquiries:
Cassie Biscanin
PR Manager, Intertek Group, Americas Region
Direct: +1 713.543.3775
Email: cassandra.biscanin@intertek.com
For Market Inquiries:
Joel Pekay
Global Marketing Director
Direct + 312.906.7716
Email: joel.pekay@intertek.com
About Intertek
Intertek is a leading provider of quality and safety solutions serving a wide range of industries around the world. From auditing and inspection, to testing, quality assurance and certification, Intertek people are dedicated to adding value to customers' products and processes, supporting their success in the global marketplace. Intertek has the expertise, resources and global reach to support its customers through its network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and 30,000 people in over 100 countries around the world. Intertek Group plc (LSE: ITRK) is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Visit: www.intertek.com