Intertek Accredited for Functional Safety - Testing and Certification
11 Jan 2017
Stuttgart/Kaufbeuren - Intertek, a leading quality solutions provider to industries worldwide, is further expanding its service capabilities with the recent accreditation by DAkkS for Functional Safety testing and certification. Involving a holistic analysis, Functional Safety evaluates the entirety of a product’s systems as an entire working unit, to determine how the product’s hardware and software interact, along with how the product responds to user inputs and the environment in which it is expected to function. It also extends to the use of electronic and other types of systems to mitigate risk for a process, typically accomplished through equipment with sensory, logic, and acting elements.
Intertek’s Kaufbeuren laboratories can now certify to the Functional Safety series IEC61508, as well as the following sector-specific standards:
- Household appliances, office equipment, software, etc. (UL/IEC60730-1, UL991, UL1998)
- Road vehicles (ISO26262 group of standards)
- Machinery (ISO13849)
- Medical software (IEC62304)
Functional Safety is applicable to all industries and is increasingly in demand as manufacturers and end users look to further mitigate risk. This includes new technologies, such as smart homes, the Internet of Things, network security systems and autonomous cars. This is in addition to the more established industries that are becoming increasingly networked.
The benefits of compliance with Functional Safety for product developers and manufacturers are many and varied. Among other benefits, value can be added in the global marketing of more efficient products with reduced risk. Products with a higher level of reliability have a higher market value. The reduction of product failures minimizes warranty claims and legal disputes.
“We are very proud to be expanding our Assurance service to support our business partners so they are best prepared for the growing market demand of Functional Safety solutions”, said Jo Ihrke, MD of Intertek Germany.
Functional Safety is one of the fastest growing areas of importance in industrial automation. New and improved safety strategies offer manufacturers a way of improving their productivity and competitiveness in the market. Safety becomes an integrated part of product functionality; safety critical software applications, artificial intelligence, wireless connectivity, remote controlling, human interfaces and usability are new drivers for state-of-the art product development.
Through close co-operation between the Intertek global network, which also includes laboratories in Shanghai (China), Kista (Sweden), Plano (USA), and Cortland (USA), Intertek possesses global expertise in the applicable Functional Safety standards and guidelines. This global network also facilitates fast and flexible responses to specific issues across a broad range of industries, including industrial machinery, hazardous locations, appliances, medical, transportation, utilities, chemical, and more.
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About Intertek
Intertek is a leading Total Quality Assurance Provider to industries worldwide. Our network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 40,000 people in more than 100 countries, delivers innovative and bespoke Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification solutions for our customers’ operations and supply chains.
Bringing quality and safety to life
Media Contact
Christian Kleinert
Director Marketing & Communications, Germany/Austria/Switzerland
Phone: +49 711 27311 449
Email: christian.kleinert@intertek.com