CENTA is the first company worldwide to which Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has conferred the responsibility for alternative product certification of type-approved couplings. In the future, CENTA will have the authority to carry out acceptance testing and final stamping of those couplings that have previously been classified as approved types. These tests must be performed in accordance with the “Alternative Product Certification,†a modular certification system developed by Germanischer Lloyd (GL). The approval becomes valid by their joint signatures on the appropriate product certificate.
CENTA is one of the leading manufacturers of flexible drive components worldwide and has been supplying couplings for marine applications for more than 20 years. In 1990, the company’s quality management system was first approved by DIN ISO 9001. All subsequent audits were passed successfully, and recently the classification society Det Norske Veritas (DNV) attested that the coupling manufacturer supports a higher-than-average quality management system.
Several international classification societies, such as the Det Norske Veritas (DNV), Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NKK), and the Maritime Register of Shipping (MRS), have granted CENTA the authority to use their approval stamp on its series couplings. CENTA has a stock of approximately 65 approved types. In 2007, roughly 2,000 certifications by several classification societies were carried out on CENTA’s premises. In the future, CENTA will be the first manufacturer worldwide to be granted approval by Germanischer Lloyd (GL) to perform acceptance tests on its own flexible couplings up to 100 Nm.
Germanischer Lloyd (GL), one of 10 internationally recognized classification societies, has developed technology and quality standards for more than 140 years–standards that ensure the safety of more than 6,500 ships all over the world. “We have maintained close cooperation with several classification societies for more than 20 yearsâ€, says Gerhard Kirschey, founder of CENTA Antriebe Kirschey GmbH. “We continually strive to improve the quality of our products and processes. Approval by Germanischer Lloyd for carrying out acceptance testing of our couplings on our own, in-house, indicates that our quality management system is on the right trackâ€, Kirschey explains. “We are very proud of this sign of confidence and confirmation of our efforts, which are supported by our employees’ high commitment level.â€
CENTA couplings and drives are designed to meet the latest technical demands and requirements. A wide range of innovations has made the 40-year-old company one of the world’s leading manufacturers of flexible couplings and drive shafts for industry and marine applications.
