The clock is now ticking for Insulating Glass Unit (IGU) manufacturers, following the publication of Part 5 of EN 1279: Glass In Building – Insulating Glass Units in May 2005. Although the standard has not yet been cited in the Official Journal of the European Union, signifying that EN 1279 has been fully ratified across Europe, that would normally happen within nine months after publication.

Part 5 of the standard ties the whole of the group of standards together. It also contains the Annexe ZA, which provides for CE marking.

IGU manufacturers could now have as little as 16 months in which to ensure that their IGUs comply with the Construction Products Directive (CPD) and to CE mark them.

Chiltern Dynamics Engineer Dawn Oxbrough warns that pressure on test facilities is increasing. To comply, manufacturers must submit their products for initial type testing, which involves 14 weeks of testing, plus pre-test conditioning time.

Ms Oxbrough stressed: ‘Manufacturers should also be aware that having initial type evidence alone will not be enough to ensure compliance with the CPD. They will also have to carry out the short-term climate test twice a year and most units will also need to undergo the UV fogging test.’

Chiltern Dynamics holds Notified Body status in this key field and is one of only two UKAS-accredited laboratories in the UK to be able to test to EN 1279. Sister company BM TRADA Certification offers the Q-Mark third-party certification scheme for IGUs, which was launched to help manufacturers meet the demands of EN 1279 and to prepare for CE Marking. The Q-Mark is recognised by the National House Building Council (NHBC) for IGUs going into windows for new homes.

Source

Glass Age

Postscript

Further info: Chiltern Dynamics, tel. 01494 569819, email doxbrough@ chilternfire.co.uk

BM TRADA 01494 569821 or email sbeer@bmtrada.com

For Chiltern’s free technical sheet, tel. 01494 569812 or email tgregory@chilternfire.co.uk