TUV Rheinland of North America, Inc. Invests in EMC Test Lab Expansion at Newtown, CT Headquarters

Aug. 25, 2009 - PRLog -- NEWTOWN, CT – TUV Rheinland® of North America, Inc., the leading provider of testing and certification services for global companies, has completed the expansion of its EMC (electromagnetic capability) test lab facility at the company’s North American headquarters in Newtown, Conn.  The two-phase expansion took two years to complete and included the purchase of town land to house an additional testing facility.

As part of the expansion, TÜVRheinland updated its 10-meter EMC test lab and constructed a new 3-meter semi-anechoic testing chamber.  Together, the facility allows TÜVRheinland to test clients’ products for electromagnetic interference or electrostatic discharge (ESD).  The company issues compliance certification to manufacturers when devices are operating as designed.

“New industry testing requirements necessitated changes to our previous testing facility,” said Dana Craig, TÜVRheinland’s EMC Division Manager.  “As a testing body, we maintain compliance to industry standards so we expanded the lab in order to keep pace with those changes.  The facility update further increases our testing capacity and capabilities.”

About 90% of electronic products are affected by electromagnetic interference or electrostatic discharge.  Computers, medical devices and cell phones are a few examples of products that undergo EMC testing to verify functionality and conformity to international standards.  

“EMC tests isolate ambient noise and frequencies to certify the equipment’s true performance,” said Craig.  “Our facilities simulate various criteria to give manufacturers a much-needed look at how their products would operate in real-world conditions.”

EMC tests take place in anechoic chambers designed to isolate equipment from ambient noise.  A 10-meter lab is used to test radiated emissions for equipment with electromagnetic frequencies ranging between 30MHz and 40 GHz.  A 3-meter anechoic testing chamber is suitable for performing immunity, ESD and conducted emissions testing.

The Newtown lab expansion supports the testing needs of TÜVRheinland clients throughout the northeast and central United States. Services include pre-compliance evaluations, full compliance testing, test plan review and development, design review, and certification testing.  Ultimately, EMC tests help fulfill a variety of global requirements such as Europe’s CE Mark (for applicable EU Directives) and CISPR 11 (for industrial, scientific and medical apparatus).  

“This investment in Newtown, Conn. underlines our commitment to both expanding TUV Rheinland of North America and better serving our customers in the region.  Through our enhancements, we have set the standard for EMC test labs to accommodate the testing and certification of the industry’s most sophisticated technologies,” said Stephan Schmitt, president and CEO of TUV Rheinland North America Holding Company, a strategic management organization that oversees all of TÜVRheinland® activities in North America.

TÜVRheinland purchased land from the Town of Newtown in order to update the facility.  The property is located at the company site on 12 Commerce Road, and the purchase was approved by Newtown’s Planning and Zoning Commission as well as the town’s residents. The new testing facility is accredited by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology under the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP).    

Previously, the original EMC test lab at Newtown was the company’s first EMC test lab. TÜVRheinland now has over 21 test labs throughout the United States.  All of them are approved by the Federal Communications Commission, Wi-Fi Alliance and the ZigBee Alliance for telecom, Wi-Fi and wireless testing along with Industry Canada.  

The new lab site was designed by TÜVRheinland’s EMC Division and the EMC test chamber was constructed by Scientific Hardware Systems, based in Gilroy, Calif.  This is the ninth chamber this company has built for TÜVRheinland.

Additionally, during phase one of the lab expansion, the company updated its mobile In-Situ Test Labs, which brings the EMC test engineer and specialty equipment to the client’s door.  The mobile labs travel to the client’s production site to test and certify equipment that is too large or heavy to ship to the testing facility. TÜVRheinland’s In-Situ Test Labs serve customers coast to coast in the U.S. and Canada.  
   
About TÜVRheinland®

TÜVRheinland® delivers premier independent testing, assessment, and certification services to help companies gain access into global markets. Boasting an international network across six continents, the company’s in-country experts ease the path to compliance with cost-effective pricing and quick turnaround times. The $1.5 billion Corporation is comprised of an international network of more than 13,300 employees in 61 countries and serves most industry sectors and markets worldwide. For more information, visit www.us.TÜV.com.

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TÜVRheinland® delivers premier independent testing, assessment, and certification services to help companies gain access into global markets.