Testing labs in Murano

Stazione Sperimentale del Vetro S.C.P.A. (SSV) is an internationally recognised, non-profit research and testing institute that has served the global glass industry from its historic base on the island of Murano, Venice, Italy since 1956. Organised as a publicly-owned joint-stock consortium (s.c.p.a.), SSV is majority-owned by the Chamber of Commerce of Venice, Rovigo and Delta Lagunare, with the remaining stake held by Assovetro, the Italian association of glass manufacturers. The institute fields more than fifty graduates, engineers, and specialised technicians across two sites — the principal headquarters at Via Briati 10, Murano, and a dedicated Flat Glass division at the VEGA Science and Technology Park in Marghera (Porto Marghera), established in 2001. SSV operates as the primary centre of applied scientific and technological support for the complete glass supply chain: raw-material suppliers, glass melters, processors, end-product manufacturers, and industrial users of glass. The laboratory's chemical analysis capabilities represent one of its most comprehensive offerings. SSV can characterise the bulk and micro-scale chemical composition of glass articles, ceramics, refractory materials, and all related raw materials using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry and X-ray diffraction (XRD) for mineralogical phase identification. Wet chemical methods are applied for the determination of trace elements, with detection and quantification limits reaching well below the ppb level for selected analytes. Specific testing programmes include pharmacopoeia compliance testing for pharmaceutical glass containers, REACH regulation compliance assessment, analysis of elastomeric closure components (caps and stoppers) used in pharmaceutical packaging, decor and glaze compliance testing for multi-material glass articles, and measurement of hot-end coating (HECM-S and FCM-S) thicknesses on container glass. Chemical resistance of glass to aqueous attack is evaluated per ISO 719 (at 98 °C) and ISO 720 (at 121 °C), among other international methods. CO₂ emissions allowance verification for the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) is also conducted. Mechanical and physical testing at SSV spans both hollow and flat glass product types and extends to refractory materials. For flat glass, the institute measures bending resistance, surface compression, residual and coupling stress, steel-ball drop impact resistance, and vertical load bearing on fully glazed elements. Optical characterisation includes colour measurement in CIELab 1976 coordinates, reflectance and transmittance determination, and surface coating analysis. High-temperature property testing — a speciality of the institute — covers glass viscosity, density, thermal conductivity, linear thermal expansion coefficients, annealing and strain point determination, thermal shock resistance, and surface tension at process temperatures. Defect analysis employs advanced micro-analytical techniques to examine the compositional, morphological, and structural nature of inclusions, gas bubbles, cords, stones, and devitrification products; fractographic examination after breakage is also available. Durability and ageing testing at SSV verifies conformance with international technical standards as well as bespoke customer protocols. The institute operates climatic chambers for thermal and humidity cycling, salt spray (saline mist) chambers, autoclaves, and solar radiation weathering equipment, as well as washing-cycle simulators for tableware and household glassware. Additionally, SSV maintains three fully equipped mobile laboratories that can be deployed anywhere in Europe and beyond, providing on-site atmospheric emissions measurement, workplace air quality analysis, Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) calibration, flue-gas treatment system performance evaluation, and sulphur and chlorine mass-balance determination for glass-melting furnaces. On-site process services include combustion optimisation, carry-over determination, helium tracing, endoscopic and thermographic furnace inspections, post-mortem refractory analysis, Heat Soak Test (HST) plant calibrations, and bottling-line shock-load optimisation using logger technology. SSV serves an exceptionally broad range of industries that use or produce glass. Primary sectors include hollow glass (food and beverage containers, pharmaceutical vials, ampoules, and primary packaging for cosmetics and perfumery), flat glass for the construction and building industry (architectural glazing, structural glass, energy-efficient coatings), flat glass for automotive transport (windscreens, tempered and laminated safety glass), household and tableware glass, technical and specialty glass, glass fibres, and traditional artistic glass of the Murano tradition. The institute participates actively in national and European standardisation committees, contributing to the drafting of regulations covering both flat glass and glass containers. SSV holds accreditation as a Testing Laboratory in compliance with UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17025 awarded by ACCREDIA, the Italian national accreditation body, covering both the Murano and Marghera sites, with recognition under the ILAC mutual recognition arrangement. The institute is authorised by the Italian Government as a testing laboratory and Notified Body (No. 1694) under European Construction Products Regulation CPR 305/11 for building glass applications, and is also recognised as a UNI Trademark inspection body and testing laboratory. Site B (Marghera) additionally holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and ISO 45001:2018 management system certifications covering quality, environment, and occupational health and safety. Since 1983, the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR) has designated SSV as a Highly Qualified Research Centre for Applied Research. The institute also holds recognition by the French Ministry of Research as a public research institute, enabling international collaborations. Memberships include ICG (International Commission on Glass), ESG (European Society of Glass Science and Technology), USTV, and Glass Trend. Buyers seeking a testing partner for glass materials and glass-based products will find in SSV a uniquely capable independent laboratory that combines deep industry expertise, multi-site accredited infrastructure, rare high-temperature and optical instrumentation, and over six decades of continuous operation in the glass sector. Its consortium governance structure — rooted in the Italian glass industry — combined with its ACCREDIA ISO 17025 accreditation, Notified Body status, and active role in European standard-setting, make SSV the reference laboratory of choice for quality control, certification, regulatory compliance, and applied materials research across the full glass value chain.