RAL – Independent and objective quality monitoring services
Die RAL-Gütegemeinschaft Rückproduktion von Kühlgeräten verwaltet und pflegt im Auftrag des (neben DIN und VDI einer der Stützen deutscher Normen und Standard-Dienste) die beiden RAL-Gütezeichen
The RAL Quality Assurance Association for the Demanufacture of Refrigeration Equipment maintains and administers the two RAL quality marks RAL-GZ 728 and RAL-GZ 729 on behalf of RAL – the German Institute for Quality Assurance and Certification.
Besides the German national standardization body DIN and the Association of German Engineers VDI, RAL is one of the main pillars of the standards landscape in Germany.
RAL quality marks (German: RAL Gütezeichen) certify those products and services that have been manufactured or marketed in accordance with stringent quality assurance specifications.
RAL specifies the stringent quality requirements that need to be met in each of its product or service categories. Each set of quality criteria is drawn up on the basis of a consultation process involving manufacturers, service providers, distributors and suppliers, consumers, testing institutes and government agencies. At the end of this process, RAL publishes the product-specific or service-specific quality criteria, thus making them available to the wider public.
RAL quality marks are awarded to product manufacturers and service providers by RAL-approved quality assurance associations. Manufacturers and service providers hoping to be awarded a RAL quality mark must first subject themselves to an audit to determine whether they meet the required quality assurance and test specifications.
If the requirements are met, they must then agree to undertake continuous monitoring and, additionally, to subject themselves to regular monitoring by an independent external auditor.
There are currently more than 160 RAL quality marks covering many thousands of different products and services. A list of all the RAL Gütezeichen (RAL quality marks) can be found on the main RAL website.
