The lab inside Balkrishna Industries Ltd.'s (BKT) OTR tire plant in Bhuj, India, has earned ISO/IEC 17025:2017 certification, an "important and strategic" distinction for the tire manufacturer.
"The certification was recently awarded by NABL, the Indian body which regulates the accreditation of test and calibration laboratories," note BKTS officials.
"It is a member of the international bodies in the sector – i.e. the International Laboratory Accreditation Co-operation and the Asia Pacific Accreditation Co-operation - and it follows their standards and criteria.
"This recognition makes it possible to have certified the quality by precise tests of the raw materials and semi-finished materials and control over manufacture and testing of the end product. It also allows to obtain trustworthy reports on the tests and better results in terms of accuracy and reliability. It improves control over laboratory work and the feedback processes on the results.
"The greatest benefit is for the tires which become even more reliable and safe," say BKT officials. "Certified by rules which are valid worldwide, this certification abolishes the need for new tests once the product has been exported, thus reducing costs and lead-times."
The plant, where BKT's Earthmax OTR tires are manufactured, opened in 2015. The research and development center there opened in 2017.
An article about the newest addition to the Earthmax line, a 57-inch prototype designed for rigid dump truck applications, can be found in the February 2021 edition of MTD, available here.
