ISO/IEC 17025 Accredited Independent Testing Laboratory
Outdoor Retailer Snow Show This Month
ACT Lab representatives will attend 2020’s first major outdoor industry trade show, the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show, January 29-31 in Denver, Colorado. Going to the show? Let’s meet to discuss your 2020 testing needs. Please email us at info@act-lab.com with your complete contact information so we can schedule an appointment.
UL Publishes First E-Bike Standards for North America
On January 2, 2020, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) published UL-2849, a new voluntary safety standard for the United States and Canada which establishes requirements of lithium-based rechargeable battery powered electrical systems on e-bikes.
While voluntary, the new standard is expected to be readily adopted, now that it is tailored specifically for electric bicycle systems rather than many different e-mobility type products. This is also the first edition that has approval by American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and Standards Council Canada (SCC).
ACT Lab participated on the Standard Technical Panel that developed the UL-2849 standard, and is notifying clients and the industries they serve about the recent publication. For more information, please contact info@act-lab.com.
Trend Watch: Tent Flammability Standards
Health Canada is developing a new National Standard of Canada for tent flammability and labelling, CAN/CGSB-182.1, which is expected to change testing protocols and improve the safety of tents intended for consumer use. At the upcoming Outdoor Retailer Snow Show, the ASTM Working Group will meet to discuss new tent flammability test methods, among other topics.
The new standard will update CPAI-84, which was last revised in 1995, and it addresses the flammability properties of lighter, synthetic materials that have replaced the waxed and oiled canvas tents of the past. Its aim is to minimize fire hazards and improve safety. The standard also reduces testing variability and allows for a greater degree of innovation of tents to meet consumer expectations.
Please contact us with questions or to discuss how we can help your company meet the new testing requirements.
ACT Lab Collaborates with San Diego State University
Engineering students at San Diego State University gained real-world design experience in a recent collaboration with ACT Lab.
Their mission was to create a “golden test frame” capable of measuring strain data during test cycles. This type of test frame is critical to the correct calibration of bicycle fatigue testing machines and reducing the variability of testing results between testing facilities across the globe.
Under the guidance and sponsorship of ACT Lab, the students succeeded in calibrating two machines, the Horizontal Fatigue Testing Machine, and the Pedal Fatigue Testing Machine.
Here’s what people are saying about ACT Lab
“ACT Lab has been a real partner helping Pret navigate and manage the various domestic and international QC & testing requirements required to deliver safe, quality helmets to our customers. They are always up-to-date with the evolving standards, and readily available to provide support to our team.“
Steven Bellefeuille
President & CEO
Pret, Inc.
