The Gold Standard for Metal Buildings:

Why You Should Choose an IAS-Accredited Manufacturer

Introduction:

How do you know if a metal building systems manufacturer is worth its salt? The IAS Metal Building Systems Inspection Accreditation (AC472) is the field’s gold standard. This seal of excellence ensures that a company meets rigorous quality-assurance requirements and delivers the highest quality products.

What Is IAS Accreditation?

The International Accreditation Service, or IAS, is a global, independent organization that evaluates and certifies the quality of companies’ processes and products all over the world. It offers accreditation in a wide range of fields, from medical science to building inspection to various types of manufacturing.

IAS provides accreditation in a range of industries and scientific fields, include metal building manufacturing

IAS offers the leading accreditation program for metal building systems manufacturing.

It attests to the quality of a specific manufacturer’s production processes through scrutiny and evaluation of its inspection program. Approval certifies that a company’s design, detailing and manufacturing processes meet a rigorous set of requirements.
This set of requirements is known as “IAS Accreditation Criteria AC472,” or “AC472” for short. It is drawn from the International Building Code® and related standards that have been agreed upon by governing bodies worldwide.

IAS provides accreditation in a range of industries and scientific fields, include metal building manufacturing

The AC472 designation helps architects and consumers identify which metal building systems manufacturers meet the highest standards of operation and produce the highest quality products.

AC472 accreditation is specific to metal building systems and does not apply to other types of production such as metal building assembly (which has its own IAS accreditation program), making it highly specialized and precise.

AC742 accreditation applies exclusively to metal building systems manufacturing

What Does AC472 Accreditation Mean?

In order to become IAS accredited, a metal building systems manufacturer must meet stringent requirements in all 3 of its main functions: sales, engineering and manufacturing. This is distinctly different from other metal building accreditation and certification programs such as ISO’s and AISC’s, which only evaluate the manufacturing process and do not address the critical design and detailing processes.

Metal building systems are unique in that they are typically designed, detailed and manufactured by a single company, so it’s important that all three processes are separately and carefully assessed by an impartial third party

The accreditation process requires comprehensive inspections by an approved inspector twice a year

The AC472 accreditation is therefore designed to demonstrate that a company’s overall operation (not just its manufacturing floor), from staffing and management to industry expertise to production methods, meets the highest standards. 

This helps ensure safe, affordable, high-quality products as well as a high level of workplace safety.

AC472 requirements include: 

  • Periodic review of quality assurance documents such as a quality manual, quality system procedures, and an organizational chart of qualified staff
  • Audits of order documents provided to customers
  • Audits of the design and detailing process
  • Audits of material sourcing, usage and workmanship, including proper ordering practices and product traceability
  • Audits of manufacturing practices including machinery calibrations, measuring tools, and weld certification
  • Twice-a-year inspections of the manufacturer’s design and manufacturing facilities

Regular audits help manufacturers pinpoint weaknesses and improve processes

Why is AC472 Accreditation Important?

AC472 Accreditation is optional, so not all metal building manufacturers pursue it. Those that do show a commitment to going above and beyond basic requirements, giving architects, builders, and consumers a high level of confidence in the integrity of their products and processes.


The pursuit of IAS Accreditation often helps metal building systems manufacturers identify gaps or weaknesses in their operations, pushing them to further improve and streamline processes, resulting in better production methods and a higher quality product.

IAS accreditation introduces a greater level of accountability that can help streamline production and boost quality

According to the Building Safety Journal, Arizona-based company Central States Manufacturing significantly improved a number of its practices during the IAS accreditation process, including the use of internal monitoring devices such as tape measures.


“‘We check each tape measure against an outside calibration lab verified standard at the beginning of every shift,’” explained the company’s managing director. “‘Any tape measure that does not check out is removed and replaced. We were amazed at how many tape measures we were removing from the shop floor. Now we remove those tape measures from the floor more frequently, and that equates to a more precise finished product.’” (https://www.iccsafe.org/building-safety-journal)

Key industry players such as the MBMA view IAS accreditation as an important marker of quality and commitment

This greater accountability is one of the reasons AC472 accreditation is recognized as an important quality indicator by key industry players such as The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA). The MBMA is a non-profit trade organization that supports manufacturers and promotes metal building systems in the low-rise non-residential market. MBMA requires member companies to commit to IAS accreditation, ensuring a high level of quality and credibility among its constituent manufacturers.

Package Steel has been an IAS-accredited manufacturer from the very start

Package Steel Systems in Sutton, Massachusetts has been a proud AC472-accredited manufacturer since its inception in 2009.

The IAS program has helped cement the company’s status as the leading producer of high-quality metal building systems in the Northeast for the Northeast.

Package Steel president Bob Fisette explains how AC472 accreditation helps the company uphold its standard of excellence:

“The IAS certification program has provided Package with a higher standard for all phases of our manufacturing process from design, detailing, manufacturing through project installation by our builders. This ongoing program provides our builders and their customers a higher level of confidence that the finished product we produce is on par with all the top manufacturers in our industry.”

If you’re in the market for a metal building manufacturer, IAS’s AC472 accreditation is your best source of assurance that a company’s processes have been thoroughly vetted and meet the industry’s international benchmark for excellence.

To start your metal building project, contact us at 1-800-225-7242 or [email protected]

PackageParts©

Speak with a professional metal buildings part consultant now. Get the exact items you need for your project today!

   (508) 865-5871

Monday to Friday 7am-5pm

   15 Harback Rd.

Sutton, MA 01590

Get a parts quote

We usually respond within one day – Monday to Friday.




    Speak with a professional metal buildings part consultant now. Get the exact items you need for your project today!

    Do you intend to have a full foundation for your building?

    All Package Steel buildings require a full and properly designed foundation including flooring, piers, and perimeter frost walls. This work should be completed prior to the arrival of the building on-site. Every foundation is site-specific and should be designed by a local engineer who will consider soil conditions, frost depths and any local regulations which may affect it.

    If you do not already have an engineer to design the foundation, Package Steel can provide assistance with locating an independent licensed engineer who can help you through this portion of the project.

    Do you have a building permit from your local city/town?

    Before any construction can begin, you must secure the required building permits from the city or town in which your site is located. This allows the local government to ensure your project and the resulting structure will be safe and meet all zoning, size and other requirements. The process involves submitting an extensive application along with a certified site plan, property deed and scheduling of all necessary inspections. Specific requirements vary among municipalities, as does the time it takes to get your building permits. An experienced builder can help you meet all these regulations and secure approval.

    Are you okay with a 6 month lead time?

    Metal buildings generally take less time to construct than wood or concrete buildings, but the exact timeline varies widely. We recommend allowing at least 6 months for the process, which includes matching you with a local builder, developing a scope of work and design proposal, fabricating the building components and delivering your structure to the site. The actual time from start to finish is determined by a variety of factors, including the size of the building, the complexity of the design, availability of materials and uncontrollable variables such as the weather.

    Have you contracted a builder?

    Some business owners with construction experience choose to build or to coordinate the building of their own structures independently, often with prefabricated metal building kits. This do-it-yourself approach can work for smaller structures, but for medium- to large-sized buildings, it’s best to enlist the services of a high-quality builder. An experienced builder, paired with the right metal building manufacturer, can help guide you through the entire process, from ensuring that your site and structure conform to all local building codes to construction to final approval for occupancy.

    Do you intend to have a full foundation?

    The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s5
    "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum."

    Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC
    "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?"

    1914 translation by H. Rackham
    "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes