Hansgrohe has continued its focus on investment in manufacturing with a new R&D lab in Schiltach, in Germany’s Black Forest.
The company invested in a total of €4.5 million (£3.9m) and the 1,600sq m building was completed in a year.
Deputy chairman of executive board at Hansgrohe SE, Richard Grohe, said: “Innovative environments generate innovative solutions. We now have significantly more test beds with water, where a larger number of staff members can work at the same time.”
The burst pressure testing unit is one of Hansgrohe’s innovations, which has been developed with an external partner. It can conduct six different tests that can all be conducted while taking into account factors such as temperature and climate.
Manager of the R&D lab, Michael Kluh said: “Here we test how our components and parts perform under pressure, coupled with high temperatures. The old testing machine required us to do many things manually. Now we can set all the parameters digitally.”
All newly developed products are tested in the R&D lab before going into production. Products are tested for durability and to ensure that they comply with legal standards.
Grohe continued: “Every year our staff compile 600 test reports and issue 350 product approvals following extensive testing – an impressive achievement. The lab is an expression of our power of innovation.”