The laboratory is a centre for surveillance and certification according to the Building Regulations of the Land and conducts material and approval tests, product certifications and external surveillances and issues expert reports.

The experts in the MPA NRW are represented in expert committees of the DIBt, standardisation bodies of DIN and CEN and participate in the exchange of experiences of the test centres and the various quality protection associations.  

Tests are conducted on plastics in the building industry and other building products.

Tests are conducted according to DIN, EN, ISO, the construction and test regulations as well as the approval guidelines of the German Institute for Structural Engineering, technical delivery conditions of public institutions and administrative bodies as well as factory standards and stipulated test procedures.

Thereby the following key figures are determined:

Material properties

• Tensile, compression and bending test
• Behaviour under shock and impact stresses
• Water and moisture absorption
• Abrasion and wear behaviour
• Durability tests like e.g.
  - chemical resistance against liquid and gas media
  - low temperature resistance and heat resistance
  - resistance to ozone
  - natural and artificial weathering
• Permeation behaviour like e.g.
  - water vapour permeability
  - gas permeability
• Density
• Melt index (MVR / MFR)
• VICAT softening temperature
• DSC crystalline melting point
• Shore hardness
• Identification tests in short- or long-term tests

Functional tests

• Watertightness
• Bond strength
• Behaviour under long period stressing / Hydrostatic pressure resistance
• Component examinations
• Crack bridging
• Plastic bottles