PPG Industries’ fiber glass business has received certification from Germanischer Lloyd (GL), a leading international certification body in the wind energy industry, for technical competence in the field of mechanical and analytical testing at the PPG Fiber Glass Science and Technology Center in Suzhou, China.

“This laboratory is outfitted – as are our technical centers in Europe and the United States – with state-of-the-art equipment for the testing and analysis of fiber glass materials and composites,” said Dr. Paul Westbrook, PPG science and technology director, fiber glass.

“This certification shows the technical competence of our services as well as our scientists and industry experts.” Dr. Carrie Guo, PPG manager of the Suzhou fiber glass science and technology center, said, “PPG is committed to helping its customers deliver solutions that meet the demands of the marketplace. Using industry standards and customer-specific requirements, we offer a wide variety of services such as composite testing and evaluation and technical support and service.”

Established in 2007, the center offers equipment for fabricating fiber-reinforced plastic products and testing composites for static and dynamic mechanical properties using International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards, American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards and Chinese national Guobiao (GB) standards. The center provides domestic and global customers with consulting, technical support and material evaluation that help them enhance their composite products and business.

“This certification shows our expertise in mechanical and analytical testing and the commitment we have to providing customers with accurate and reliable results and evaluations,” Guo said. “As a GL-recognized lab in China, our testing can be done independently because our test results are GL-certified and globally recognized.”

PPG Fiber Glass is a global manufacturer of reinforcement materials for thermoset and thermoplastic composite applications with manufacturing and research facilities in the United States, Europe and Asia. It serves the transportation, energy, infrastructure and consumer markets, as well as electronic circuit board and specialty yarn markets.

PPG: BRINGING INNOVATION TO THE SURFACE

PPG Industries’ vision is to continue to be the world’s leading coatings and specialty products company. Through leadership in innovation, sustainability and color, PPG helps customers in industrial, transportation, consumer products, and construction markets and aftermarkets to enhance more surfaces in more ways than does any other company.

Founded in 1883, PPG has global headquarters in Pittsburgh and operates in nearly 70 countries around the world. Sales in 2012 were $15.2 billion.