GRENADA, Miss. - Outokumpu Heatcraft announced that it has received a certificate of qualification from Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) stating that the company has been assessed and found eligible to participate in UL's Client Test Data Program (CTDP). The CTDP allows Heatcraft to build test coils and then to test those coils in Heatcraft's own facility without anyone from UL witnessing the testing.

The assessment process involved verification of scheduled calibration of measurement instruments in Heatcraft's coil test lab and in its quality department. These calibrated instruments must also be routinely calibrated against National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) laboratories standards. The assessment verified that all personnel knew the testing procedure and the calibration procedure. It included witnessing the testing process that involved fatigue cycle testing and hydrostatic burst testing.

By qualifying for the CTDP program, data from Heatcraft's tests is now submitted to UL, and approval from UL can be granted for these new coils within 6-24 hours. In the past, Heatcraft has had to wait after building the coils for UL engineers to come to Grenada and witness the testing. This wait has generally been 4-6 weeks. Heatcraft can now save the extra time of waiting plus the expenses of an engineer to travel to Grenada, and it allows Heatcraft to get new UL-approved product to market sooner.

Publication date: 09/19/2005