Protective coatings manufacturer Carboline (St. Louis, Missouri, USA) recently broke ground on a full-scale passive fire protection testing facility at its research, development, and innovation (RD&I) center. The $4-million investment is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2018.
The new space will be the first manufacturer-owned, UL-approved fire testing facility in North America.
With the facility, the company says it will be able to test products on its own timeline and not rely on an outside testing agency’s schedules. The group’s current fire lab was built in the 1970s, and although it was upgraded over the years, this project represents a total redesign and rebuild of its capabilities.
The manufacturer explains that it felt the upgrade and expansion were necessary to address new developments in the industry.
“Our new testing facility will increase our speed to market for new fireproofing products, give us the ability to receive approvals for alternate raw materials, and fulfill testing requirements for ever-changing codes and regulations,” said Jim Rippe, executive vice president for fireproofing/engineering sales.
Source: Carboline, www.carboline.com.