February 22nd, 2021
Polyram strives to be at the cutting edge of advances in standardization and regulatory compliance. Our customers for Bondyram®, for irrigation and water sector materials and for other industries, all benefit from the fact that we serve the automotive industry and thus adhere to strict standards.
Our approach to regulatory compliance is one of proactivity. We initiate our certification updates, making sure we are always in a leading regulatory position.
Highlights from our regulatory compliance activity:
- Making every effort to be ready for REACH and SVHC on schedule in summer 2018
- Polyram is certified according to the latest new IATF 16949 Automotive standard
- We work with 6 organizations regarding potable water regulation compliance
- Polyram provides diverse compliance confirmation for its products
- UL 94 flammability testing and glow wire test
- Food contact compliance regulation
Potable Water Regulations
Polyram works with seven different organizations that inspect the substances which are in contact with potable water.
NSF
The American public health and safety organization inspects and certifies manufacturers of materials that comply with its safety, health and environment requirements.
The organization develops standards for certification of products and systems and it is an independent accredited organization that also provides auditing, education and risk management solutions.[4]
WRAS
WRAS is short for Water Regulation Advisory Scheme and it is the body responsible for public health protection in the UK.
On its website[5] its states its purpose as “the protection of public health by preventing contamination of public water supplies and encouraging the efficient use of water by promoting and facilitating compliance with the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations and Scottish Water Byelaws.”
Its states four main objectives for its activity, related to the Water Fittings Regulations: raise awareness, provide approval scheme, provide cost effective support and guidance, represent the UK water industry.
ACS
Attestation De Conformite Sanitaire (ACS) is the material safety approval required for materials and products in contact with drinking water in France.
Certification is mandatory to all materials or products that come in contact with water.
For Polymers, formulas are reviewed against a positive list.
This review will determine which tests are required to comply.
An ACS certificate is issued by an approved laboratory and is valid for up to five years.
KTW/ UBA/W270
The German environment office (Umwelt Bundesamt) is responsible for publishing and evaluating compliance with the KTW guideline[6].
A guideline for Hygienic Assessment of Organic Materials in Contact with Drinking Water.
KTW contains test protocols and safety requirements for plastics and silicones that come into contact with drinking water.
Here too, evaluation criteria and tests are determined according to a positive list of starting organic materials.
KIWA
An independent company that states it purpose as “facilitating your quality assurance needs for your products and services in the water sector.”[7]
In its Netherlands website it is specified that the company provides high-quality certification services that are supported with inspection, assessment, technical knowledge, research, training and data services.[8]
AS4020
Compliance with Water Fitting Regulations is required in Australia for any manufacturer of water installation that carried water to and from public mains.
AS2040 is the accepted standard for non-metallic materials and is ranted directly by representatives of the water suppliers.
The standard covers five test categories to ensure that certified materials do not:
- Impart odor or flavor to the water
- Cause change in the appearance of the water
- Promote microbiological growth (MDOD test)
- Leach substances harmful to human health into the water (cytotoxicity)
- Leach toxic metals into the water
BELAQUA
Belaqua is “The professional federaton representing the public services of drinking water and waste water treatment in Belgium.”[9]
The organization provides conformity inspections to appliances that are connected to the water supply network and approval of materials used for water distribution required by the Hydro check system.
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Polyram’s pro-active approach to regulatory compliance means we take great care to study each of the water regulatory compliance standards and positive lists.
We then check our formulas to see which materials can comply with which authority and strive to gain official certification when it is required.
Polyram currently manufactures 21 products that are certified as compliant with 30 international food and beverage regulations.
See Table below for more information:
Summary – Advanced Standardization Always
As part of our proactive approach to certification, born form our wish to support our clients and to provide top notch manufacturing services, Polyram ensures that its regulatory department is always up to date on the latest standards and that it efficiently leads the cross organizational effort to comply with as many regulations as possible and ensure the highest quality of both our organizational infrastructure and our products.
[4] http://www.nsf.org/about-nsf
[5] https://www.wras.co.uk/
[6] https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/en/topics/water/drinking-water/distributing-drinking-water/guidelines-evaluation-criteria#textpart-2
[7] https://www.kiwawater.com/
[8] https://www.kiwa.nl/about/
[9] http://www.belgaqua.be/en/home.aspx
