Baylor Materials Testing and Characterization Laboratory Earns ISO Accreditation
The Materials Testing and Characterization Core (MTACC) at Baylor University has earned ISO-17025 certification from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), a key validation for the industry-facing materials testing center. MTACC combines a wide array of state-of-the-art equipment with the expertise and resources of an R1 research university, and now is recognized by ISO.
“This is a huge deal for MTACC and for organizations that need materials testing services in our area,” Blake Heller, Ph.D., MTACC director, said. “We have passed an assessment that recognizes our proven ability to collect data, utilize our equipment and conduct trustworthy tests as a third-party laboratory.”
ISO describes 17025 certification as an accreditation that “enables laboratories to demonstrate that they operate competently and generate valid results, thereby promoting confidence in their work both nationally and around the world. It also helps facilitate cooperation between laboratories and other bodies by generating wider acceptance of results between countries. Test reports and certificates can be accepted from one country to another without the need for further testing, which, in turn, improves international trade.”
ISO-17025 is a significant step in the purposeful growth of industry services at Baylor, which have become a focus in recent years through the investment of money, time and resources. MTACC is located within the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative (BRIC) and provides testing services in imaging, materials characterization, materials fabrication and processing, sample preparation and more, bolstered by Baylor’s significant investment in research and research equipment.
Click here for an updated list of MTACC equipment and instrumentation.
“As a service center in a research university, we have equipment others don’t, as Baylor has invested in state-of-the-art equipment that can advance university research and can be utilized to solve industry problems,” Heller says. “Partnering with MTACC is a partnership with depth. Because of our research backing, we have equipment that industry testing labs do not, allowing us to provide comprehensive testing services that most places don’t have.”
Heller, who served as a materials engineer at Schlumberger before returning to Baylor, his alma mater, says the benefits of MTACC’s unique setup within the University can benefit the organizations MTACC serves. In addition to ISO standard tests and services that MTACC currently provides—more than 40—MTACC can add tests quickly due to backing from the University. These new resources do not come with the pressure to make a return on the investment, but can further bolster the University’s research enterprise when not in use by industry. That’s not the only benefit of being within Baylor, an R1 research university.
“We have resources that not all labs have. Many third-party labs have a limited number of professional engineers, chemists, or scientists of some kind. But, because we're located in a research facility, that’s different here. We have access to faculty with Ph.D.s, post-doctoral researchers, or individuals who are pursuing a Ph.D. or Master’s. So, the people running the tests have done or are currently doing research in the subject area, which provides a deeper knowledge about the tests we are running.”
While many ISO-accredited labs can be found in larger markets like Dallas or Houston, MTACC blazes new trails in the Waco area and Heart of Texas for area businesses.
“There are many organizations that will not—can not—do testing in centers that are not ISO-certified,” Heller says. “And while there are many of these in Texas and around the nation, this is not something we’ve had here. So, we’re excited to get the word out and connect with organizations in the area to let them know we’re here and partner to address their hard problems.”
To learn more, contact Blake Heller at (254)710-1172 or Blake_Heller@baylor.edu.