Intertek, a leading international provider of testing, inspection and certification services, today announced the completed expansion of their smoke detector and alarm test facility in Arlington Heights, IL. The Center of Excellence (C.O.E.) Laboratory is the first third-party laboratory capable of providing commercial and residential smoke detector testing and certification in a single location to manufacturers seeking compliance to U.S., Canadian and EU standards. The opening of this facility enables manufacturers to have their products tested in one location which reduces costs and shortens time to market by eliminating manufacturers’ need to conduct testing through separate certification labs in multiple locations.
“Designed to help manufacturers accelerate their smoke detector testing process, this laboratory provides a new solution that will help companies that require testing and want to shorten their time to market,” said Thomas Connaughton, Intertek’s Global Director of Life Safety and Security Services.
The new facility eliminates the need for redundant testing and enables manufacturers to remain on site during set-up, pre-qualification and final testing. In addition, manufacturers will have access to the new test laboratory to aid in research, development and design of their new products or technologies. The laboratory features two key developments that will streamline and enhance the testing process: A breakthrough EU smoke and heat tunnel; and a three-in-one, environmentally controlled smoke testing facility that allows manufacturers of commercial and residential detectors and alarms to conduct concurrent certification testing to North American and European requirements.
“Manufacturers can now benefit from local testing solutions for global markets,” said Connaughton. “Intertek’s continued investment in the Center of Excellence will enable users to bring their products to market faster while working with one set of testing and certification engineers, in one location.”
The smoke room can test to various U.S. and Canadian standards, including ANSI/UL 217 for Single and Multiple Residential Station Smoke Alarms, along with testing for ANSI/UL 268 for Commercial Smoke Detectors and Fire Alarm Systems. For Canadian requirements, Intertek tests to CAN/ULC-S531 for Single and Multiple Residential Station Smoke Alarms, and CAN/ULC-S529 for Commercial Smoke Detectors and Fire Alarm Systems. Testing to European requirements will begin in Q3 to the following standards: EN 14604 for Smoke Alarm Devices, and EN 54-7 Part 7 for Fire Detection and Fire Alarm Systems.
