Based in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, the new Technical Development Centre aims to keep Marley Eternit at the forefront of roof tile and fibre cement slate development. The centre houses a comprehensive range of facilities including a UKAS accredited testing laboratory, a wind tunnel and sophisticated analytical and testing equipment.
The accredited laboratory is dedicated to testing Marley Eternit’s roof tiles and fibre cement slates to ensure quality consistency and compliance with all relevant British and European standards.
The centre is equipped with a wide range of technical apparatus enabling the company to carry out extensive analysis of raw materials and close monitoring of production processes, as well as checks on the performance and durability of all roofing products when exposed to a range of environmental conditions.
Use of the impressive wind tunnel allows Marley Eternit’s full range of tiles, slates, fittings, fixings and accessories, to be fully tested for weather resistance. Standard tests include both wind driven and deluge rain conditions to replicate exposure to extreme weather events.
Sarah Hanlon, Marley Eternit’s Marketing Manager - Roofing comments “UK manufacturing has experienced tough times recently with the onset of the recession. Despite this downturn, Marley Eternit understands the importance of investing in new products that conform to the industries and our own high standards. This can only be achieved through a continued commitment to research and development, which we hope, will allow our products to evolve to meet the increasing needs of our customers.”
Marley Eternit’s ground breaking Ecologic tile is just one of the innovative roofing products to be produced as a result of the company’s commitment to research and development. The tile removes nitrogen oxides (NOx) which are well known for being a contributing factor to asthmatic and bronchial problems, from the air, along with other atmospheric pollutants responsible for smog and acid rain.
Marley Eternit estimates that during its lifetime an average-sized roof with EcoLogic tiles could remove an amount of NOx equivalent to that emitted by a modern car driving 100,000 miles. The tile also consists of much higher level of recycled material than a standard concrete tile, meaning that it is a highly sustainable product.