Testing Lab Update

Dear Members,

Below is a list of testing labs that are also members of The Vision Council. We wanted to reintroduce these testing labs to you, as some of them have updated their service offerings. The labs are listed alphabetically below, with descriptions of services provided by the labs.

We hope you find this information useful. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Michael C. Vitale, ABOM
Senior Technical Director & Lens, Lab and Lens Processing & Technology Division Liaison
mvitale@thevisioncouncil.org
Phone – 703-548-2684

Certottica

Certottica is the Italian Certification Institute for Personal Protective Equipment for eyes and face, registered in Bruxelles, with the identification number 0530, and authorized by the Italian Ministry of Development, and by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, to issue EU Type-Examination Certificates for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), in compliance with Regulation 2016/425.

In addition, Certottica laboratories are accredited since 2009 by Accredia, the National Institute for the accreditation of certification laboratories.

Certottica issues test reports, according to the main International standards, on all the eyewear PPE of I and II categories and Medical Device of I class, such as: sunglasses, ski goggles, swimming goggles, safety eyewear, motorcycle goggles, spectacle frames, reading glasses and ophthalmic lenses.

Certottica, as an active member in the UNI, CEN and ISO committees, plays an active role in the definition and development of standards at international level.

Eleven years ago, Dolomiticert was born as a natural evolution of Certottica, with a particular focus on sports and industrial safety equipment.

Dolomiticert can carry out tests according to European, US and international standards on all PPE for the protection of the full body, from head to feet, except for the eyes and face (i.e., safety and sports footwear, protective motorcycling clothing, equipment for protection from falls from a height and all the mountaineering and climbing protective equipment – harnesses, ropes, connectors. sports and industrial helmets, etc.).

For further information regarding Certottica services, please contact Tiziana Gabas at tiziana.gabas@certottica.it or +39 0437 57 31 57.

COLTS

John Young, The Vision Council’s Hall of Fame inductee and ophthalmic lens industry leader with more than 40 years of experience started COLTS Laboratories in 1997 as an independent 3rd party test lab, specifically to support the ophthalmic lens industry. His vision was to create a high level of expertise by staffing COLTS with ABO certified Opticians and optical industry veterans.

We are an ISO 17025 accredited testing laboratory providing ophthalmic lens testing to ANSI, ISO-EN, AS/NZS standards. COLTS also provides industry standard testing to evaluate abrasion, adhesion, durability, impact resistance, optics, lens mapping, cleanability, environmental exposure, spectral/photochromic attributes, cosmetic evaluation and wearers studies. COLTS representatives participate in ANSI Z87.1, ANSI Z80.1, Z80.3 and Z80.5 (ISO 12870) committees and serve as Vice Chairman of TVC’s Lens Technical Committee.

Responding to the needs of our clients in 2000, COLTS expanded into PPE and Military Eyewear testing. COLTS is an approved test lab for SEI (Safety Equipment Institute), BSI (British Standards Institute) and the Department of Defense. COLTS provides PPE testing to various ANSI, CSA, EN standards, along with APEL and MIL-SPEC requirements. In 2014 COLTS added Industrial Head Protection to our scope of testing.

COLTS supplies current market data with many industry standard tests for “like” product comparison.

COLTS offers a series of affordable programs that assist our customers with FDA compliance, competitor analyses, suppler management, new product validation and product performance confirmation programs.

COLTS is a manufacturer/distributor of specialized testing equipment and consumables for the ophthalmic lens industry.

For additional information about COLTS please view our web site www.coltslabs.com. For a complete list of standards, tests and services provided contact Greg Williams at gwilliams@coltslabs.com.

ICS Laboratories, Inc.

ICS Laboratories, Inc. was established in 1995 to provide testing and conformity assessment services for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and related devices. We are the leading independent laboratory in North America for PPE testing and one of the foremost in the world. As a specialist facility, our reputation for expertise, competence and client service is unrivaled.

The range of PPE products that we assess performance of mandates the facilitation of a broad array of optical, mechanical and chemistry material characterizations. Our expertise includes thin film surface characterizations, environmental (solar, temperature, humidity) simulation, evaluation of stress, strain compression, restitution, and mechanical impact, advanced spectroscopy (UV, VIS and IR) and geometric optics.

Specific to the interests and needs of Vision Council members, ICS provides ISO 17025 accredited testing and certifications for products such as Sports/Recreational Protective Eyewear (ASTM, ISO, EN & AS/NZS), Occupational Protective Eyewear (ANSI, ISO, EN & AS/NZS), Sunglasses (ANSI, ISO, EN & AS/NZS) and OTC Readers (ANSI, ISO & EN). Our accredited test results are recognized internationally, and we maintain partnerships with European Notified Bodies and UK and Australian Certification Bodies.

Contacts:

Standards Conformity Testing - Mr. Keith Whitten Laboratory Manager - kwhitten@icslabs.com Special Projects - Dr. Emmanuel Alabi - Vision Scientist - ealabi@icslabs.com
Certifications - Ms. Shelley Brady - Certification Administrator - sbrady@icslabs.com

www.icslabs.com / 330-220-0515

NSL Analytical

NSL Analytical provides independent laboratory testing services to a diverse array of customers within regulated end-markets, where testing speed, accuracy and consistency are mission critical to operations. Our teams of chemists, engineers and metallurgists provide scientific expertise in materials testing are utilized in critical end-market applications.

NSL Analytical has earned its reputation as a leader in the testing of production and process materials by providing data that meets or exceeds the most exacting standards of companies, government agencies, and researchers worldwide. We dedicate ourselves to partnering with customers to solve their challenges by providing valuable data and insight into their process and product.

NSL Analytical offers comprehensive Ophthalmic Testing Services with reliable results to ensure you are providing the best quality, performance and safety for consumers. Offerings include: Abrasion Resistance & Adhesion, Impact Resistance, Surface Analysis & Curvatures, Luminous Transmittance, Photochromic & Sunglass Testing, Material & Surface Tension, Surface Quality, Hydrophobic Properties, Accelerated Weathering and Simulation of Environmental Exposure, Regulatory Compliance (Prop 65 and CPSIA), Chemical Content, Process Evaluation, Statistical Analysis and Failure Analysis.

Have you heard about our flagship product – Enhance Simulated Wear Test (ESWT)? NSL Analytical has developed a test with the wearing in mind. ESWT uses scientific, quantifiable, and repeatable procedures to evaluate lens coatings. The test simulates actual wear such as scratching and cleanability—the two primary consumer concerns—while including baseline measurements on adhesion, delamination, peeling and transmission.

Contact us today to ask about our discount for all TVC member companies!

For more information, contact Melissa Gorris at mgorris@nslanalytical.com or (800) 497-6752. www.nslanalytical.com.

PEL

As a professional optical product testing laboratory and third-party inspection service provider, PEL provides a full spectrum of eyewear supply chain services covering over 400 eyewear product-related testing items from various standards. PEL boasts one of the most modern, up-to-date eyewear testing laboratories in Asia and rates as one of the most comprehensive and experienced eyewear testing and product inspection companies in Asia.

PEL focus solely on eyewear products from frames to eyewear accessories such as cases, cleaning cloth etc. From comprehensive product inspections and eyewear testing services to factory compliance audits and corporate social responsibility. PEL can inspect eyewear from base raw material to inline production through to the final products, dealing with technical aspects and issues that may arise in the production process protecting brand reputation and helping with overall market share. Customized testing and inspection services tailored to your needs in line with various international standards ensuring you remain compliant.

Learn more about PEL by visiting our website www.pel-eyewear.com.

For questions and pricing, please contact us at info@pel-eyewear.com or call us at +86 0755 84264042.

QIMA

QIMA is a leading provider of supply chain compliance solutions, that partners with brands, retailers and importers to secure and improve the quality of their global supply network. QIMA combines on-the-ground experts in 85 countries for quality inspections, supplier audits, certification and lab testing, with a digital platform that brings accuracy, visibility and intelligence for quality and compliance data.

As a member of the Vision Council, QIMA offers a two-tier approach for supporting the compliance of your eyewear products:

Laboratory Testing – our HOKLAS accredited laboratory in Hong Kong provides a variety of mechanical, optical and chemical tests on frames, lenses and accessory products.

We provide a wide range of testing on prescription and reading glasses, spectacles, fashion sunglasses, face shields and goggles for safety as well as sport activities such as skiing, swimming and snowmobiling.

Testing covers physical, optical and chemical tests to ensure compliance with US and European requirements such as REACH and CA Prop 65. We provide testing to many global standards such as ISO, AS/NZS, ANSI and ASTM. We are recognized by the European Notified Bodies for our accredited testing services on Personal Protective Equipment of eye and face protection.

On-Site Product Inspections – We provide product inspections on eyewear products against predetermined specifications, to avoid receipt of defective or poor-quality merchandise. Our on-line booking system makes it easy to keep track of your vendors' performance and provides a live data feed into your dashboard. With easy-to-budget all-inclusive pricing, flexible booking terms, report delivery in 24 hours and presence in 85 countries around the world, we are “Your Eyes in the Supply Chain”!

Our US expert team in Buffalo work collaboratively with our Hong Kong laboratory and can work with you to customize a program that meets your needs and budget.

For more information, please contact visioncouncil@qima.com or visit www.qima.com.