ExcelPlas Receives Full NATA Accreditation for its Pipe Testing Labs ExcelPlas Pty Ltd, a leading Australian Polyethylene Welding Testing Organisation and ISO Weld Testing Facility in Dalby (Queensland), has officially received full NATA Accreditation for tensile testing of butt fusion and electrofusion polyethylene welded joints.
The Australian Pipeline Industry Association (APIA) and its Coal Seam Gathering (CSG) code of practice now require destructive testing to be carried out on a number of welds cut out of existing pipelines prior to commissioning as an industry best practice. With the increasing use of polyethylene piping in infrastructure and construction, testing of welds has seen a corresponding rise over the last few years making NATA accreditation more important than ever for quality assurance. The integrity of piping welds is critical as welded joints are considered the weak points of a pipeline.
The National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accreditation officially approves ExcelPlas for conducting tensile tests of polyethylene welded product according to ISO 13953 and Peel Decohesion Tests on pipe and related products including electrofusion pipe fittings to ISO 13954. This recognition combined with 8 dedicated pipe testing stations makes Excelplas the leader of a very select group of internationally recognised laboratories in Australia eligible to offer these testing services.
The NATA recognition also ensures that the mechanical testing of polyethylene welded joints performed by ExcelPlas laboratories meet a very stringent and demanding set of test protocols. The NATA accreditation also assures clients that Excelplas test methods and procedures meet the exacting requirements of the International Standards Organisation (ISO) and as well as those of the Australian and New Zealand Standards (AS/NZ).