The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) has accredited Architectural Testing, Inc., of Fresno, Calif., as its first laboratory to test “NFRC 202: Procedure for Determining Translucent Fenestration Product Visible Transmittance at Normal Incidence.”
This procedure, which was approved by NFRC membership in 2012, provides a method for measuring visible transmittance (VT) at normal incidence for translucent panels. With the accreditation of the first laboratory able to test using this procedure, manufacturers of flat, diffusing products that were not able to test for VT using simulation or a spectrophotometer, are now able to obtain a VT rating on a whole product.
This test method was created to accommodate products such as translucent fiberglass or multicell plastic sandwich panels, translucent multicell profile plastic panels, translucent multicell plastic panels, glass panels with translucent insulation insert material between panes (all with or without grids), and translucent channel reinforcing profile glass (with or without translucent insulation material between the glass).
In addition to details on the test procedure itself, the NFRC 202 document, linked above, details those products that are not covered under the scope of the document and provides manufacturers with information on sample requirements. Except where noted, this test method complies with ASTM E 972 and ASTM E 1084.
The NFRC process for developing new test procedures, and for making changes to existing procedures, is through member consensus. The development of the NFRC 202 test method was a multi-year process, culminating in the approval of the document by NFRC membership at the Spring 2012 Committee Week meeting in Austin, TX.
Manufacturers interested in having products tested may contact the lab directly. A list of all labs, their NFRC-accredited testing procedures, and contact information may be found here http://nfrccommunity.site-ym.com/?page=Testlabs
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