Quality at Havel metal foam
Havel metal foam GmbH is certified to DIN EN ISO 9001:2015 and DIN EN ISO 14001:2015, with the scope “Development, production and distribution of innovative lightweight metal foam products”. Both certificates run from August 27, 2026 to August 26, 2029 and carry the registration numbers QM-060614-DE and UM-060614-DE; they were issued by TAW Cert GmbH, accredited by DAkkS under D-ZM-16100-01-00. There is also a laser protection test to DIN EN 12254:2012-04, protection level AB5 or AB7 (AAS 15-1-1), and material testing to DIN EN 45545-2 with classification as HL3. Quality assurance runs through the entire foaming process, from thermocouples in the infrared oven to X-ray or computed tomography (CT) of the finished components.
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Which certifications does Havel metal foam hold?
Havel metal foam is certified to DIN EN ISO 9001:2015 and DIN EN ISO 14001:2015; the scope of both reads “Entwicklung, Herstellung und Vertrieb von innovativen Leichtbauprodukten aus Metallschaum”, in English “Development, production and distribution of innovative lightweight metal foam products”. The certification body TAW Cert GmbH issued both on August 27, 2026, after an audit from 18 to August 20, 2026; they run until August 26, 2029. Initial certification dates from 2014 for quality management and from 2021 for environmental management. The DNV GL QS Certificate of Assessment EC (Module D), which the newsletter “Extension of our certification” reported at the time, has since expired and has not been renewed for now.
- DIN EN ISO 9001:2015
- Quality management, scope “Development, production and distribution of innovative lightweight metal foam products”. Registration number QM-060614-DE, valid from August 27, 2026 to August 26, 2029, issued by TAW Cert GmbH. Initial certification 2014.
- DIN EN ISO 14001:2015
- Environmental management, same scope. Registration number UM-060614-DE, valid from August 27, 2026 to August 26, 2029, issued by TAW Cert GmbH. Initial certification 2021.
- DNV GL QS Certificate of Assessment EC (Module D)
- Expired and not renewed for now, as there is no current demand. If needed, Havel metal foam can have it renewed at short notice.
| Record | Number | Valid until | Issued by |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIN EN ISO 9001:2015, quality management | QM-060614-DE | 26.08.2029 | TAW Cert GmbH, accredited by DAkkS under D-ZM-16100-01-00 |
| DIN EN ISO 14001:2015, environmental management | UM-060614-DE | 26.08.2029 | TAW Cert GmbH, accredited by DAkkS under D-ZM-16100-01-00 |
| DIN EN 12254:2012-04, laser protection | no certificate, test | not applicable | Tested on AAS 15-1-1: protection level AB5 (continuous-wave laser, 1064 nm) or AB7 (continuous-wave laser, 10,600 nm) |
| DIN EN 45545-2, fire behavior | no certificate applied for, material testing | not applicable | Material testing of AAS and SAS: classified HL3 |
| DNV GL QS Certificate of Assessment EC, Module D | expired | expired | Renewal is possible at short notice; there is no demand at present |
The first two rows are certificates for the management system: they say something about the organization and nothing about an individual component. The rows below them are tests without a certificate, and that difference is what a supplier questionnaire turns on: a test result without a certificate is not an approval.
Does Havel metal foam hold DNV GL certification for shipbuilding?
Not at present. The DNV GL QS Certificate of Assessment EC (Module D) has expired and has not been renewed for now, as there is no pressing demand at present; it can be renewed at short notice if needed. What it is needed for: Module D is required to use the products SAS 15-2-2 to 50-2-2 in shipbuilding, for example. It means that the technical documentation for the product complies with the relevant standards, and it covers the documentation of the quality management system with an audit of the company. If your project has this requirement, raise the renewal with us early.
The newsletter “Extension of our certification” had reported the certificate at the time as one of two newly added certifications, alongside DIN EN ISO 14001:2015.
Has aluminum foam been tested as laser protection?
Yes, as protection for laser workstations. The sandwich material AAS 15-1-1 (1 mm aluminum sheet / 13 mm aluminum foam / 1 mm aluminum sheet) was tested to DIN EN 12254:2012-04. The protection level is AB5 (continuous-wave laser, wavelength 1064 nm) or AB7 (continuous-wave laser, wavelength 10,600 nm). No certificate comes with it; the test report itself is the basis.
How well does aluminum foam shield electromagnetic fields?
This was measured by the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU, to EN 50147-1, as the shielding attenuation of the magnetic field over frequency. All tested samples from Havel metal foam reach at least around 80 dB across the range shown; below 3 MHz they range from 86 to 113 dB. For comparison, a metal fiber fleece 5 mm thick was measured as well: it reaches around 51 dB at 0.1 MHz. The samples tested were SAS sandwiches with 2 mm cover layers and aluminum foam with and without a cast skin.
The values are read from the chart of the measurement and are therefore accurate to within a few dB. The frequency range shown ends at about 30 MHz; the caption of the measurement gives 100 kHz to 1 GHz. For design against a specification, Havel metal foam provides the underlying measurement data on request.
How is the foaming process monitored?
The foaming process in the infrared oven is monitored in two ways. Integrated thermocouples measure the temperature in the sandwich continuously and show the characteristic temperature curves by which the progress of the process can be monitored and controlled. A visual inspection adds to this: telltale holes in the sandwich cover layers allow the foam formation to be checked. As soon as the aluminum foam emerges at the top, foaming is complete.
- Thermocouples
- Continuous temperature measurement in the sandwich; characteristic temperature curves show the progress of the process and allow it to be monitored and controlled.
- Visual inspection
- Telltale holes in the sandwich cover layers make the foam formation visible; when the aluminum foam emerges at the top, foaming is complete.
How is the quality of finished components tested?
After the foaming process, pore size and pore distribution are tested: the pore distribution in the finished components can be checked by X-ray or computed tomography (CT), and software produces a statistical evaluation of the pore sizes from these images. Partners for material testing and trials are also on hand: Fraunhofer IWU, Technische Hochschule Brandenburg, MPA Dresden and Beschussamt Mellrichstadt.
Management system and manufacturing standards
What is the certification status of the management system?
Also asked: Is there quality management to ISO 9001? · Is there an environmental certification?
The management system of Havel metal foam is certified to DIN EN ISO 9001:2015 and DIN EN ISO 14001:2015, by TAW Cert GmbH under the registration numbers QM-060614-DE and UM-060614-DE. Both certificates run from August 27, 2026 to August 26, 2029, following an audit from 18 to August 20, 2026. The scope is identical for both standards and reads: development, production and distribution of innovative lightweight metal foam products. For supplier qualification, Havel metal foam provides the certificates. This is not the same as a material or product certification: a management system certificate says something about the organization and nothing about any individual property of the foam.
- Sources
- Certification
- Brand content
Which tolerance standards apply to the components?
Also asked: Is there a geometric tolerance for foamed shaped parts? · Which general tolerances apply to the components?
For the dimensions of Havel metal foam's components, the general tolerances to ISO 2768-1 and ISO 2768-2 apply, as stated on all three product data sheets. These are manufacturing standards, not product certificates: they describe the rules by which manufacturing and testing are done. A geometric tolerance for a foamed shaped part is not covered by them and does not exist so far; the known tolerance of ±0.3 to 0.8 mm applies to thickness when parts are foam-filled afterwards.
- Sources
- Brand content
- Fact sheet
Tested properties
What fire record is there for the sandwiches?
Also asked: Has the material been tested to DIN EN 45545-2? · Which hazard level to EN 45545 is established?
Material testing of Havel metal foam's AAS and SAS to DIN EN 45545-2 resulted in classification as HL3; no certificate was applied for. Anyone specifying for a rail vehicle therefore needs the test report itself and should request it early. The reason for the good result is the build-up: the construction is purely metallic, with no plastics and no adhesives, so there is nothing present that could burn. A fire resistance class is not covered by this and does not exist for any component.
- Sources
- Brand content
Which protection levels have been demonstrated for laser workstations?
Also asked: Is the sandwich suitable as laser protection? · Which wavelengths were tested?
Havel metal foam had the sandwich material AAS 15-1-1 (1 mm aluminum sheet / 13 mm aluminum foam / 1 mm aluminum sheet) tested as protection for laser workstations to DIN EN 12254:2012-04. The protection level is AB5 (continuous-wave laser, wavelength 1064 nm) or AB7 (continuous-wave laser, wavelength 10,600 nm); these are the wavelengths of Nd:YAG and CO2 lasers. The reach of the statement matters: what was tested is one specific build-up, AAS 15-1-1, not the material family; and it is a test, not a certificate. For an enclosure, the workstation wording is more precise and more useful than a general "laser protection", because it names the tested use case.
- Sources
- Brand content
Which corrosion tests are documented?
Also asked: Has the material been tested for corrosion? · Which test laboratory carried out the corrosion tests?
For Havel metal foam there are two tests from Fraunhofer ICT in Pfinztal, a test laboratory accredited by DAkkS. The first is a salt spray test to DIN EN ISO 9227 NSS for 240 hours at 35 °C on uncoated samples. The second is a sulfur dioxide test with general condensation of moisture in an alternating climate, to DIN EN ISO 6988 or DIN 50018, with cycles of 24 hours. Both reports document the condition of the samples photographically; we carried out the evaluation of the results. The accreditation therefore covers the test procedure and not the evaluation, and that distinction belongs in every specification that relies on it.
- Sources
- Independent test
Limits of the records
Which standards serve as a test basis without any certificate?
Also asked: Is the material classified to UN 6A? · Is there a certification to GB 38031?
Several standards around Havel metal foam describe applications of the material, not its certification. UN 6A, 6B and 6C are the standards to which transport packaging for explosives is tested; aluminum foam can serve as the energy absorber inside it, which allows smaller package sizes, and there was a project on this. GB 38031 is the Chinese traction battery standard, updated in 2025, with mechanical and thermal load cases; projects are running on it and on ECE 100. None of these standards is a classification of the material, and none is listed here as one. The same holds for EN 50147-1 and DIN 50134: they are the test basis for measured values, not a certificate for them.
- Sources
- Brand content
Which records are still missing?
Also asked: Is there an aviation approval? · Is there a fire resistance class?
Three records do not exist at Havel metal foam. For aviation there is no material approval: nothing to CS-25 or FAR 25.853, nothing to ABD or AITM, no EASA release. A fire resistance class to DIN EN 13501-2 does not exist for any component, because that would require a classification report for a specific build-up. And for the ballistic and explosion tests there is no test house, no date and no report number, so no protection value can be derived from them. A test is possible for each of these questions; it simply has not been run.
- Sources
- Certification
- Brand content
How does a purchasing department obtain the current certificates?
Also asked: Can the certificate be provided for supplier qualification? · Can a class approval be obtained for a project?
Havel metal foam provides the certificates on request: QM-060614-DE for DIN EN ISO 9001:2015 and UM-060614-DE for DIN EN ISO 14001:2015, both valid until August 26, 2029 and issued by TAW Cert GmbH, which is accredited by DAkkS under D-ZM-16100-01-00. Shipbuilding is a special case that belongs in project planning: the Module D certificate it requires has expired and has not been renewed for now, as there is no pressing demand at present, but it can be renewed at short notice if needed. Anyone who needs a classification should therefore clarify the time it takes before the construction phase. Test reports on individual properties are also provided on request, provided the test laboratory concerned agrees to their release.
- Sources
- Certification
- Brand content
- Independent test
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