VIPA International reaffirms commitment to quality by signing an agreement on the usage of the RAL VIP Quality Mark

VIPA International signed on 12 October a co-operation agreement with the European Association of Thermal Insulation Manufacturers (GSH) for the use of the RAL VIP Quality Mark. The agreement has a twofold objective: to offer the members of VIPA direct access to the VIP quality mark and to allow the association’s members to participate at the drafting process of the quality assessment criteria governing the label.

The GSH is an approved inspection and certification body in Germany (No. ÜG049) and in Europe (No.0919) and it has also been notified by the European Commission. The association is divided in six product groups including one on vacuum insulation panels (VIP). With this agreement, VIPA members will also become a member of the GSH’s VIP group. These members will then advise and ultimately decide within the GSH’s VIP group about the RAL quality and test conditions.

The co-operation agreement was signed in Barcelona, Spain, during the General Assembly of VIPA International and will enter into force as of 1 January 2017. VIPA members are strongly encouraged to apply to the label, but for the time being this will not be a requisite for membership. A Task Force already started reviewing the RAL-GZ 960 document to align it with the work of the CEN TC 88 WG 11 and the VIP specification for buildings which will be finalised still this year. VIPA’s ambition is to extend the label to all VIP applications and core materials as well as to suppliers of vacuum insulation panels.

Gregor Erbenich, the newly elected President of VIPA International stated his satisfaction with the conclusion of this agreement: “we spent the past year negotiating with the GSH the terms of this agreement so we are very pleased to have signed it at our 2016 General Assembly. VIPA’s mission states our commitment to promote and raise the quality of the VIP industry and this agreement is surely a great first step in this direction. We hope all our members will apply to the label so we can demonstrate our engagement to high quality vacuum insulation panels.”