Safety, functionality and quality under demanding conditions

Components on ships and in maritime applications are subjected to extreme stresses. Water, wind and pressure, fluctuating temperatures, intensive use and high mechanical stresses place particular demands on doors, windows, glazing, hatches, fittings and specialised structures.

The PfB Testing Centre for Building Components supports manufacturers in demonstrating the performance of their products through independent testing.

We carry out tests in accordance with existing national and international standards, as well as individually developed test programmes tailored to customer specifications.

Our aim: not only to develop and evaluate products, but also to demonstrate their performance under defined and reproducible conditions.

Components for maritime applications

Our testing expertise is aimed, amongst others, at manufacturers of:

• Ship windows and glazing
• Doors and door systems
• Sliding and automatic doors
• Hatches and flaps
• Fittings and locking systems
• Partition walls and modular components
• Hull and façade elements
• Fastening and joining systems
• Customised special designs

We can test both complete structural elements and individual components and materials.

Our aim: not only to develop and evaluate products, but also to demonstrate their performance under defined and reproducible conditions.

Why have products tested independently?

An independent test is more than just fulfilling a formal requirement.

It offers manufacturers the opportunity to

• objectively demonstrate the quality and performance of their products
• identify development risks at an early stage
• optimise designs in a targeted manner
• back up technical claims made to customers and clients with reliable test results
• to demonstrate compliance with requirements set out in tenders and project specifications
• to build trust with shipyards, designers, shipping companies and clients
• to stand out from untested competitor products with proven performance characteristics

Don’t just claim it. Prove it.

Particularly in the case of technically sophisticated products, an independent test report creates transparency and confidence in a product’s actual performance.

PfB – Testing expertise for maritime applications

For over 20 years, PfB has been testing doors, windows, façades, glazing, fittings and special structures.

Across more than 3,000 m² of testing space, various test rigs are available for climatic, mechanical, acoustic and safety-related tests. Even large building components and bespoke structures can be tested.

As a company within the TÜV NORD GROUP, further expertise from within the international network can be drawn upon as required.

Experience with specialised components and exceptional loads

The PfB has many years’ experience in testing technically complex specialised components. These include, for example, large and heavy doors for power stations and industrial plants, as well as components for specific safety and operational applications.

For such designs, standardised test procedures are often insufficient. High compressive and tensile stresses, exceptional dimensions, specialised locking systems or project-specific load cases require individually tailored test concepts.

This is precisely where the PfB’s particular expertise lies:

• Testing of large and heavy special components
• exceptional mechanical and climatic stresses
• high pressure, tensile and load requirements
• complex locking and fitting systems
• combination of various load scenarios
• development of project-specific test set-ups and test procedures
• metrological documentation of component behaviour

This experience can be directly applied to maritime applications. There, too, components often have to meet requirements that go beyond conventional window and door testing.

This makes the PfB particularly attractive to manufacturers who not only require standard certification but are also seeking robust solutions to exceptional technical requirements.

Exceptional components require specialised testing expertise.

From the initial technical enquiry through the development of the test concept to the execution and evaluation of the test, the PfB supports manufacturers with challenging custom designs.

Water, air and pressure

Watertightness and durability are among the key properties of components used in maritime applications.

The PfB offers tests including:

• Watertightness and driving rain
• Splash resistance
• Air permeability
• Resistance to pressure loads
• Wind loads
• High-pressure loads
• Customer-specific water and pressure loads

Our test rigs also enable the testing of large-scale components and bespoke designs.

Climate and environmental influences

Temperature variations and changing climatic conditions place demands on materials, seals, glazing and joints.

Possible tests include:

• Temperature resistance
• Thermal cycling
• Differential climate behaviour
• Condensation simulation
• Artificial weathering
• Corrosion resistance
• Durability tests

This enables products and prototypes to be tested under defined conditions whilst still in the development phase, allowing potential weaknesses to be identified at an early stage.

Mechanical strength and long-term performance

Doors, windows, hatches and fittings must continue to function reliably even after intensive and long-term use.

Among other things, the PfB investigates:

• Long-term performance
• Operating forces
• Mechanical strength
• Tensile and compressive loads
• Load-bearing capacity of fittings
• Fastening and connecting elements
• Movement absorption
• Self-weight and horizontal loads
• Operational safety

Force-displacement curves and other parameters can be recorded, documented and evaluated during testing.

Sound insulation and comfort

Particularly on passenger ships, ferries and yachts, comfort requirements are of great importance alongside safety and functionality.

The PfB’s sound insulation test rigs can be used to test, for example:

• Doors and door systems
• Windows and glazing
• Partition and wall elements
• Connecting structures
• Special components

The independent determination of airborne sound insulation enables manufacturers to objectively demonstrate the acoustic performance of their products.

Safety

The PfB possesses extensive testing expertise for building components with heightened safety requirements.

Depending on the product and area of application, the following, amongst others, can be tested:

• Impact resistance
• Collapse and fall protection
• Burglary resistance
• Mechanical resistance
• Resistance to shock waves
• Resistance to explosive effects

This means that, in addition to conventional building components, products for particularly demanding or safety-critical applications can also be tested.

Customised testing and product development

Not every load to which a marine component is subjected can be fully replicated using an existing standard test method.

A particular strength of the PfB therefore lies in the development of bespoke tests and test set-ups.

Together with the manufacturer, we define:

• the properties to be tested
• realistic load scenarios
• test procedure and load stages
• Measured parameters
• Evaluation criteria

This enables us to test prototypes, new developments and special designs for which no standardised test procedure is available.

Particularly in product development, preliminary tests can help to identify weaknesses at an early stage and to refine designs in a targeted manner prior to subsequent type, acceptance or certification testing.

Do you develop components for ships or maritime applications?

Talk to us about your product, its intended area of application and the requirements of your project.

Together, we’ll determine which tests are appropriate and, if necessary, develop a bespoke test programme.

PfB – We test what ensures safety.