SGS Expands LED Luminaire Testing to Include LM-79 Photometric Services

ATLANTA, April 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- SGS Consumer Testing Services, a leading global provider of verification, testing and certification services, today announced an expansion of its solid state luminaire testing services in North America to encompass LM-79 photometric measurements through a partnership with Gamma Scientific, a manufacturer of precision light measurement equipment and LED testing solutions. Complete lighting service solutions – including safety, EMC, performance, ENERGY STAR® and photometric evaluations – will now be offered as a single consolidated source for faster service.

Safety, EMC and performance testing will be performed by SGS' dedicated E&E lab in Atlanta, with optional ENERGY STAR® energy efficiency testing under the same roof. Photometric testing will be handled at Gamma Scientific's NVLAP-accredited laboratory (lab code 200823-0) in San Diego, which has LM-79 accreditation for Solid State Lighting Luminaires – Total Flux Measurements (Luminous Efficacy) and Solid State Lighting Luminaires –Luminous Intensity Measurements.

Benefits for luminaire companies include the ability to source all services from a single provider and deal with one account manager for faster communication and better accountability, enabling the creation of custom testing schedules to meet market demands.

Specific advantages of working with Gamma Scientific for photometry testing include:

• Experience in performing photometry testing on LED and LED retrofit lighting products ranging from LED light bulbs to high bay fixtures and street lights.
• The availability of state-of-the-art equipment developed and manufactured by Gamma Scientific to provide total LED test solutions.
• The ability to test luminaires up to 30" x 30" for Luminous Intensity Distribution, with a new goniometer that allows testing of lamp tubes as long as 4 feet.

For global manufacturers, SGS also offers photometry testing at its own labs in Finland and Taiwan and provides other lighting testing services at offices around the world with CB Scheme Certification as well as local country approvals including CCC Certification for China, BSMI Certification for Taiwan, ENEC for the European Union and others. In the U.S., SGS has been an OSHA Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) since 1998. 

"The rapid growth of solid state lighting has created a need to streamline the testing process to help luminaire manufacturers save time, reduce administrative overhead, and bring their products to market faster," said Ozgur Ozturk, Manager of Operations, SGS Atlanta. "Our partnership with Gamma Scientific accomplishes those objectives by allowing manufacturers to use SGS as a central point of contact for all testing services."   

"We have been developing instruments to perform LED testing and measurement since 1979 , including high-performance spectroradiometers, spectrometers, integrating spheres and turnkey LED test systems. As a result, we now have testing solutions for any LED application as well as an in-house NVLAP-accredited laboratory using our own equipment," said Richard Austin, President at Gamma Scientific. "SGS customers can now take advantage of these capabilities to ensure fast, accurate photometric testing in conjunction with other SGS services."

For more information on LED luminaire testing, visit http://www.sgs.com/en/Consumer-Goods-Retail/Electrical-and-Electronics/Luminaries.aspx, email [email protected], or call 770-570-1800.

About SGS Consumer Testing Services

SGS Consumer Testing Services, a division of the SGS Group, is the world's leading verification, testing and certification company. The company's comprehensive testing, product inspection, process assessment and technical services cover the entire supply chain from product development to retailing for electrical products, wireless products, soft line products, hard line products and food products. SGS' global network and expertise provide a single consolidated source that can help manufacturers, suppliers and retailers reduce risk, improve efficiency and product quality, and ensure compliance to both national and international standards. Parent company SGS Group has more than 70,000 employees and over 1,350 offices and laboratories in 140 countries. For more information about Consumer Testing Services, visit www.us.sgs.com/cts  

About Gamma Scientific
With a commitment to personalized service for over 50 years, Gamma Scientific has helped leading manufacturers, universities and government institutions achieve precision light measurements. LED testing solutions include laboratory-grade, turn-key LED test systems, high-speed LED sorters, spectroradiometers, integrating spheres, photometers and colorimeters. Gamma Scientific also operates an NVLAP accredited laboratory for LM-79 testing (NVLAP Lab Code 200823-0). For more information, visit www.gamma-sci.com 

SOURCE SGS Consumer Testing Services