¶ National Quality Infrastructure
¶ Motivation
A consumer expects compliance with technical quality standards when buying a product. In addition, manufacturers (companies) also need the possibility to check goods and services for compliance with their product requirements.
For this purpose, a national system for quality assurance and consumer protection is needed, which is called National Quality Infrastructure (QI).
¶ Required institutes
¶ National Metrology Institute
In Germany, the role of the National Metrology Institute is assumed by the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB).
¶ National Accreditation Authority
The Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle GmbH (DAkkS) is a private-sector organisation that performs the function of the national accreditation body of the Federal Republic of Germany.
¶ National Standards Organisations
There are several national standards organisations in Germany. The best-known national standards organisation is the Deutsches Insitut für Normung e. V. (German Institute for Standardisation). (DIN).
¶ Accredited service providers
The verification of compliance with standards as well as the performance of calibrations is often not carried out by the national institutes, but by accredited service providers, which are subdivided as follows:
- Certification bodies
- inspection bodies
- Testing laboratories
- Calibration laboratories
¶ Schematic representation of the National Quality Infrastructure
