AISCAN, conduction and conduit manufacturer of electric wiring systems, has an internal laboratory which has been accredited by ENAC according to UNE-EN-ISO/IEC 17025 to perform different tests on their electrical and electronic wiring conduits.

In this interview, Antonio José Francés Perez, General Manager of AISCAN, explains the experience of having an internal laboratory accredited in production processes and marketing products internationally.

How has having an accredited laboratory benefited the company? And the customers?

One of the facts we consider having most helped smooth functioning and to guarantee an objective criterion regarding the laboratory results is complete departmental independence between production and sales in AISCAN, S.L.

There are many advantages for us of having our own laboratory since it gives us agility when having our product test reports every week, there is random testing on the wiring families we manufacture, and production lines. Therefore, we are certain that we are fulfilling the characteristics declared in our products at all times. In addition, the fact of having an internal laboratory accredited by ENAC, is a way of monitoring, at any time, the production quality almost in real time, under quality standards fully in accordance with the ISO 17025 standard. It also enables us to develop product innovations and improvements, testing them with the standard's requirements. This information gives us a huge advantage in being able to respond to many challenges.

Therefore, our customers can access the product test reports included in the accreditation scope, thereby providing a product compliance guarantee, meaning greater safety for purchasers.

AISCAN is authorized to market their products in the Middle East. To what extent has having an accredited laboratory helped to obtain this authorization?

Having our laboratory accredited by ENAC and under ILAC's international umbrella enabled our test reports to be accepted and recognized when the products were approved by the competent local authority, thereby avoiding having to repeat the product testing in another external laboratory with the consequent time and cost savings.

Have you previously had similar experiences developing your activity in other markets?

So far, no. But we are sure that in the future we will, particularly in markets where products are not all standardized under IEC standards.

In recent years you have initiated an internationalization plan, by setting up a new production plant in North Africa and activities in the Middle East. Would you consider accreditation to be a useful tool for opening up these and other markets?

We consider our laboratory's ENAC accreditation to be useful since our tests are recognized internationally. Having accreditation gives us a very effective tool for penetrating those markets where the regulations applied to our products is still a bit confusing.