In any industry around the world, there are specific labels, abbreviations and terminology that need to be learned and properly understood. If not, confusion and misunderstanding follow.

The aluminum truss manufacturing is no different. We use our own terminology regarding the production process - materials, welding, testing, packing and transportation to the final customer – and for the names and functions of our products. Some of these terms can be found on our website and our employees use them on a daily basis when communicating between themselves, as well as when speaking with suppliers and customers.

In this article, we would like to dive a bit deeper into these terms, in order to clarify their meaning and stress the importance of their usage within our industry.

 

Two Groups of Terms

 

In general, we can divide the terminology we are about to discuss into two groups. The first group consists of labels we obtain via certifications and various testing processes that are usually outsourced by our company. The second group is made up of descriptive terms that are used on our website and allow customers to better understand our products.

 

 

 

The second type of CE certificate can be issued for items that are designed and manufactured by us according to the necessary EU standards and guidelines, but they have no static calculation to support their characteristics, e.g. corners and circles. The third version of the CE certificate is issued for products designed outside our company, e.g. clients, external engineers, static engineers, etc. with no static calculation in hand. However, these certificates state that all necessary EU manufacturing standards and guidelines are followed in the production of the product. This kind of CE certificate is the only one that can accompany customized items coming from our production line. As long as the production processes remain the same as certified by DVS ZERT, the validity of this certification does not expire. Any change in the manufacturing technology, materials or techniques must be reported to the certification body for further review and assessment.

 

TÜV (in German: Technischer Überwachungsverein)

 

There is a long story behind the TÜV test mark that we are allowed to use with most of our products. We’ll start at the beginning.

TÜV stands for “Technical Inspection Association”, which was established in 1866 in Germany as a result of the increasing need for high quality, technical inspections of steam engines that were produced during the Industrial Revolution. As the use of steam engines, and especially steam boilers, became more and more a part of everyday life in the 19^th century, many accidents involving steam boiler malfunctions, explosions and bursts occurred, causing many injuries and sometimes having fatal consequences. Engineers in the first private testing and monitoring association were very successful in preventing steam boiler malfunctions, as they were able to check and test production processes that state deployed inspectors could not keep up with.

Soon enough, the success of the first professional engineers who focused on product testing led to the establishment of an Association for Inspecting and Insuring Steam Boilers, with headquarters in Mannheim. This association was a predecessor to the contemporary TÜV association, which tests, inspects and certifies all types of technical systems, facilities and objects, in order to minimize hazards and prevent damage.

Nowadays, there are three large TÜV holding companies - TÜV Nord, TÜV Rheinland and TÜV SÜD. All are headquartered in Germany. In addition to these three main TÜV companies, there are also three smaller, independent companies that provide similar checks on products and companies - TÜV Thüringen, TÜV Saarland, and TÜV Austria.

 

 

TÜV companies can help with all kinds of security-related issues. They currently employ thousands of people who have a wide range of expertise in many fields, such as transport and mobility, energy and related technologies, buildings, real estate, health, occupational safety, industry, IT, environment, certification, etc. Furthermore, these companies offer various training and professional development courses that are led by top-notch experts in their respective fields.

Throughout the years, TÜV became a respected trademark around the world, with every product carrying the TÜV logo considered to be safe and reliable to the extent stated by the manufacturer.

TÜV regularly inspects the loading charts of products manufactured by our company, which are based on the static calculation of every truss system in our portfolio. TÜV experts visit our company to carry out loading tests on our products, in order to assess whether the values and characteristics of our truss are accurately described in the static calculations correspond to products that come off our production line. These physical tests evaluate whether the static calculations truly reflect the characteristics of our products.  The certification we receive after successful tests of our products is valid for five years. At the end of this period, the product needs to be re-certified, which means being thoroughly tested again.

 

TAF Static Approved    

 

This label can be found on all truss systems and truss structures designed in-house by TAF engineers. It represents the fact that the specific truss system or truss structure in our portfolio is backed by a professional static calculation, which is in compliance with EU standards for aluminum structures.

Every TAF static calculation lists material specifications used in the manufacturing process of the product, the technology used in the production process, the product design and all characteristics. With truss systems, such as our FT34 truss, the static calculation is used to create the loading table, which is then tested and assessed by TÜV experts.

TAF support structures, such as roofs, LED frames, towers, etc. have a static calculation that covers the individual truss products used in assembly of the structure, as well as all specific products that can be used together with the structure and the environment where the structure can be built. All are necessary for specifying loading characteristics, ballast, guy wires, and safety features that ensure successful assembly and use of the support structure.

 

Powder Coating Icon

 

This icon signifies the possibility of our products to be powder coated in any RAL color requested by our customers. The powder coating process includes degreasing the aluminum truss, followed by powder coating and curing with heat. Powder coating is normally used to create a thick finish that is more durable than conventional paint. The choice of whether or not to powder coat is up to each customer.

 

 

 

Quicklock refers to the connection system used on certain types of our truss. It is the quickest and strongest connection system. The Quicklock system consists of a welded fitting, conical connector, pins and safety clips. The number of connections for each truss segment depends on the number of tubes used in its design (i.e. single tube = one connection on each side, three tubes = three connections on each side, etc.). Quicklock truss is often referred to as “spigoted” or “conical” within the truss industry.

 

 The key to understanding

 

By identifying and learning industry-specific terminology, you will unlock the door to a better understanding of a wider range of products, their use and the processes utilized in their production.