The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) has received ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) for its newly established Cylinder Testing Facility at the Mobility Research Centre (MRC) in Takwe, Pune.
The facility is now operational and provides testing and validation services for high-pressure gaseous cylinders used in alternative-fuel applications. ARAI can test Type I to Type IV gaseous cylinders for applications across the automotive, industrial, marine, defence, space and other specialised sectors.
The NABL accreditation covers testing capabilities intended to support cylinder manufacturers and technology developers through product development, evaluation, certification, type approval, batch testing and developmental testing, in accordance with applicable national and international standards.
Testing Capabilities
The facility supports testing of cylinders used for CNG, HCNG, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, inert gases and other gaseous applications covered under applicable Gas Cylinder Rules.
ARAI said the facility can also conduct testing of hydrogen cylinders up to 700 bar within its established capabilities, although certain specialised hydrogen tests remain outside the current NABL accreditation scope.
Its infrastructure supports both destructive and non-destructive testing to assess cylinder performance, safety, reliability and durability. Key capabilities include:
- Material characterisation and testing
- Hydrostatic testing
- Pressure cycling under climatic conditions
- Permeation testing
- Burst testing
- Bonfire testing
- Drop testing
- Mechanical durability testing
- Environmental durability testing
- Other specialised cylinder validation tests
Dr Reji Mathai, Director, ARAI, said the NABL accreditation establishes a standards-based quality framework for high-pressure gas cylinder testing while strengthening India’s domestic testing capabilities.
The facility is also expected to help manufacturers and technology developers conduct testing and validation within India, reducing dependence on overseas laboratories and potentially shortening product development and certification timelines.
Supporting Alternative-Fuel Technologies
ARAI said the facility can support technical qualification and validation requirements associated with government initiatives, including the Automotive Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme.
The testing infrastructure is particularly relevant to high-pressure storage systems used for CNG, Bio-CNG, hydrogen and other gaseous fuels, supporting the development of alternative-fuel technologies and domestic manufacturing capabilities.
Vehicle manufacturers, cylinder producers, technology developers and other industry stakeholders can access the facility’s NABL accreditation scope and technical capabilities through ARAI.
