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Buschjost Certified to KTA 1401:
QM System Approved fot Nuclear Applications
IMI Norgren Buschjost GmbH & Co. KG with its solenoid valves is now also certified for nuclear power station
applications (in Germany). This certification to KTA 1401 (General Requirements Regarding Quality Assurance
of the Nuclear Safety Standards Commission (Germany) was initiated in response to a request from a customer for
replacement valves.
"We see a large market for us here in the future – for both new and standard products", explains Stefan Gotal,
Buschjost manager with responsibility for the conventional energies sector. Buschjost engineers therefore developed
on the basis of the standard piston valve series a new product for use in the nuclear sector. The main need was for
new materials.
To be approved as a supplier of solenoid valves for use in nuclear power stations (in Germany), Buschjost had
to be certified to KTA 1401. Areva NP (nuclear power) therefore carried out an audit of the company in line with
the Nuclear Commission's requirements. This audit unconditionally confirmed Buschjost's suitability, and commits
the firm to a process-oriented management system ensuring continuous quality improvement. Efficient organisation
and continual improvement of processes and procedures ensure Buschjost maintains its high standard of quality.
Buschjost has already the certificates ISO/TS 16949 and DIN EN ISO 14001. "Our commercial success is directly linked
to quality management as the basic prerequisite for customer satisfaction", says Head of Quality Management
Uwe Menke. "The achievement of goals fundamentally derived from our quality policy demands commitment, technical
expertise and a sense of personal responsibility on the part of each and every employee. The certification to
KTA 1401 clearly documents our consistent approach to quality."
The KTA 1401 approval led to Buschjost being included in the customer's approved vendor list. The audit report
and the certification were also forwarded to the operators of nuclear power stations in Germany, who filed the
certificate in the "VGB (European Technical Association for Power and Heat Generation ) Information System for
Contractors", which now lists Buschjost as a qualified supplier. "This is our admission ticket for other projects",
confirms Uwe Menke.
And it is only the company's first step along the power station route. The approval has made it possible for
Buschjost to supply components for safety class 3, 4 and 5 nuclear systems. "We naturally also want to extend this
to the directly radioactive classes 1 and 2, for which we will shortly qualify", says Stefan Gotal confidently.
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05.12.2007 |
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