The certification body at FIW München
FIW München is the main body for the certification of insulation materials and building components and can look back on a 100-year tradition of product testing and assessment in the building industry as a whole.
Even if there is usually no difference in quality to the naked eye, there can sometimes be major differences depending on the product and the intended use. European standards, which have been harmonised in many areas, merely form a (minimum) consensus at European level when it comes to defining the requirements for construction products. There are moreover still different national building inspection requirements. Manufacturers of high-quality products are forced to take action themselves, for example to define the interfaces between components and ensure consistent quality. Ultimately, a quality seal offers a guarantee for certain quality agreements, for example between ETICS system holders and insulation manufacturers, avoids criticism and costly recalls and creates trust among those involved in the market. The various tasks of the certification body of FIW München are presented below, which in recent years has developed from a certification body that operates in line with the German Landesbauordnung (State Building Code) to a certification body that complies with the European Construction Products Regulation (CPR) or voluntary certification programmes.