Continuous R&D
As part of an ongoing commitment to fire safety and product development, we will shortly open a global facility dedicated to fire engineering research. Incorporating a comprehensive resource of fire science equipment and expertise, its mission is to support innovation in Kingspan products (with a key focus on insulation boards, technical insulation and insulated panel products) with respect to fire performance and furthermore to advance knowledge and understanding of how building materials, products and complete systems perform when subjected to fire. Based in North Wales, the centre will be open to visitors and will welcome research partnerships and collaboration from across industry and academia. It has been in design and construction since 2018 and is expected to open in late 2020.
Extensive fire testing with a key focus on system testing
Across Kingspan Group, we offer a full spectrum of insulation cores from advanced technologies such as QuadCore, Kooltherm phenolic insulation and Optim-R vacuum insulation through to traditional synthetic mineral fibre, in order to provide solutions to meet multiple regulatory requirements.
Kingspan Group has carried out in excess of 2,400 3
rd party fire tests across our range of insulated panel, rainscreen facade and insulation board products and systems.
Buildings use a vast variety of construction methodologies and materials, leading to very different performance outcomes in the event of fire. Systems are more than just the sum of their parts. For this reason, we believe that system testing, rather than product testing, is the best way to predict the performance of a product in a real building fire scenario. This has strongly influenced Kingspan’s current and future testing programme for its insulation boards and insulated panel products across the world.
Production control with a key focus on quality and product management
Consistency and quality of manufacturing is key to upholding performance standard in our products. Our factories that manufacture Kingspan insulation board and insulated panel products sold in Britain are independently certified and regularly audited to a range of ISO management system standards, and others, relevant to our business. We proactively utilise these management systems to ensure continuous improvement as we strive for best practice in our operations. These include, but are not limited to, ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment), ISO 45001 (health & safety). By year end, all factories will also have ISO 50001 (energy). In addition, some of our sites are certified to BES 6001 (responsible sourcing).
Accurate, complete and transparent product information and marketing underpinned by robust processes
Kingspan is a participant in the CPA’s Marketing Information Group, a working group developing an industry-wide code of practice for product information, whether verbal, printed or in a digital format. This code will cover the provision of information that supports or promotes a product throughout its lifecycle, from product performance claims, installation instructions, through to maintenance documents and decommissioning information. Furthermore, the code will require that information to be wholly accurate, not misleading, in plain language, up to date and underpinned by robust processes including version control and internal training. We are fully committed to supporting this vital initiative of the CPA which is expected to be completed in late 2020.
Where 3rd party testing and accreditation is in place for Kingspan’s insulated panels and insulation boards sold in Britain, we link, wherever technically possible to do so, directly to the third party’s website from our website product pages. This helps to ensure transparency with respect to any limitations or parameters that exist with that approval, in instances where such limitations are published. All product performance claims relating to fire are subject to regular cross-functional reviews.
Kingspan Insulation and Kingspan Insulated Panels in Britain are also committed to publishing all of our BS 8414 system test reports & BR 135 assessments for systems which incorporate our standard insulated panel or insulation board products. This includes tests where the system does not meet the requirements of BR 135.
The full register of these BS 8414 system tests can be found here.
In addition, our Group-wide
Code of Conduct sets out expectations for all employees across Kingspan Group with respect to clear and honest business communications, including specific guidance for communication of product and service information.
Technical support through the stages from design to construction
We have technical teams in Britain who advise on the testing and approvals that our insulated panel and insulation board products have been subjected to, so that specifiers and others have the information they need to specify the appropriate solution.
Any enquiries relating to the use of our insulated panel or insulation board products in high-rise buildings in Britain are managed by dedicated teams in Kingspan Insulated Panels and Kingspan Insulation respectively.