The Test and Research Institute Pirmasens is headquartered in a town that is a hub of footwear competence located on the verge of the Palatine Forest in south-west Germany. Originally founded to serve the needs of the footwear industry, this institute has meanwhile developed into a modern service and research center with operations spanning the globe.
Thanks to its intimate historical association with the footwear industry the institute enjoys a profound wealth of knowledge of the manufacturing methods, components, and materials used in that sector. Nowadays, however, our activities extend far beyond the footwear industry to cover a wide range of materials, semi-finished products, and finished products in the areas:
Footwear, leather goods, and textiles
Orthopaedic products and medical devices
Personal protective equipment
Plastics and adhesives
Toys and sports goods
Automotive interiors
Goods coming into contact with foodstuffs
About 100 highly qualified scientists, engineers, and laboratory support staff carry out chemical, physical, biotechnological, and microbiological investigations on your products – even within 24 hours if you need the results fast. Our engineering department develops and builds a wide range of testing devices tailored to our clients’ specific needs for the best possible application of individualized test methods.
As an accredited certification body we assess and certify the quality of both consumer goods and personal protection equipment as well as of quality, energy, and environmental management systems for your company and social standards as defined by you. Certification of your products by PFI sends a clear quality signal to your customers.
In the field of biotechnology our experts conduct research into modern solutions, control of process stabilities, trace element status, and gas yield and can provide support in the operation and planning of biogas plants.
Nowadays, PFI undertakes work for almost all sectors of industry, supports you in optimisation of your products and processes, whether in design, development, production, or logistics, or also in quality assurance. Our goal is make your products better, safer, and more efficient.