Product Prototype Testing Prior to Certification

Here’s a question we often hear from our clients during the early certification stage for a new building product: “Should I test a prototype of my product before starting a certification program?” The answer is a resounding yes.

Preliminary testing before moving forward with a certification program is a smart, proactive approach that will help build confidence in your product and help decrease the likelihood of unforeseen issues during the testing phase of certification. There may be some initial fees associated with preliminary testing, but you can save a great deal of time, money and frustration later on.

Preliminary testing doesn’t have to be completed at an accredited laboratory if it won’t be submitted as part of the certification program. You can perform the test yourself in-house. The advantage of in-house testing is that you’d have the test(s) already set up and ready to be implemented as part of your plant’s quality control program.

The advantage of having an accredited laboratory perform the testing is that the test(s) can then be submitted as evidence for certification. Additionally, if your product certification agency is also your testing laboratory, you can ask them to quote the full qualification scope required, but start with just the test(s) of most concern to you. If the test results are acceptable, the data becomes part of the certification program and you can move forward with the remaining tests. If the test results aren’t acceptable, you now have the opportunity to assess and implement product changes and not incur any additional costs until you’re ready to test again.

Questions? Call us at 574.773.7975 and we'll be happy to answer them.