Author: seo

BTRA, a pioneer textile research institute over the 65+ years, was established in 1954 by Govt. of India along with the industry association to boost research, conducting testing, consultancy and certification in the field of textile, polymers, fibers and other materials. Currently it is partially funded by Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India and its labs are approved and recognized by the Ministry of Textiles. We are the first MOT funded Center of Excellence (COE) for geotextiles in India and most sought-after Lab in India and neighboring country as far as technical textile is concerned.

The Synthetic & Art Silk Mills’ Research Association (SASMIRA) established on 12th January 1950 under Registration No. 2505 of 1949-1950 granted under societies act XXI of 1860 and is a cooperative venture set up by the man-made textile industry of India after independence as a multi-functional institute to serve its scientific and technological needs.

This proposal was supported by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and other Government agencies that culminated into establishment of SASMIRA, earlier known as Silk and Art Silk Mills’ Research Association.

SASMIRA’s Activities

Commencing with the testing of silk and art silk materials, SASMIRA has geared its activities since then to meet the changing needs of the man-made textile industry thereby fulfilling its objectives. At present, SASMIRA is an Approved Body of the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. The major areas of functioning at SASMIRA are listed as below:

-Research & Development

-Technical Textiles

– Accredited Testing Services

-Technical Services and Consultancy

-Services to Decentralized Sector

-Textile Instrument Development

-Educational Activities

-Publication

-Knowledge Dissemination

 

Northern India Textile Research Association (NITRA) is one of the prime textile research institutes in the country.  The textile industry and Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India jointly established NITRA in 1974 for conducting applied scientific research and providing support services to Indian textile industry.  The organization is situated in a 50acre land at NCR Ghaziabad, near national capital New Delhi. It is certified by ISO 9001:2015. Today NITRA’s prime activities include research & development, technical consultancy, quality evaluation of materials, manpower training, third party inspection and publishing technical books and papers. NITRA also provides facilitating services to the decentralized powerloom sector through its eight centres located at Tanda, Kanpur, Meerut, Gorakhpur, Varanasi (all in U.P.), Panipat (Haryana), Ludhiana (Punjab) and Bhilwara (Rajasthan). NITRA is operating under the administrative control of Council of Administration comprising of representatives from Textile & Apparel industry, Govt. of India, trade associations, academic institutions and Textile Research Associations.

NITRA undertakes research projects in textile product development, machine design, instrument development and process development. NITRA also possesses patented technologies based on its R&D works. NITRA’s quality inspection & testing laboratories work 24×7 and analyze  materials as per IS, ASTM, DIN, BS, ISO, JASO, AADTCC, EN and other customized standards.

For export to India, manufacturers need BIS certification (ISI) under Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS), or BIS registration (CRS) for certain products. The BIS Certification is obligatory for these products, so that they can be introduced and sold on the Indian market. BIS Certification India or BIS Registration issued by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) ensure the quality, safety and reliability of products in accordance with Indian Standards (IS). The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the national certification body in India under the umbrella of the Indian Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution. On April 1, 1987, it effectively replaced the Indian Standards Institution (ISI) organization and took over their functions.

There are three main types of certifications:

-BIS-Certification (ISI), Includes Factory Inspection (Scheme I, ISI Mark Scheme)

-BIS-Registration (CRS) Without Factory Inspection (Scheme II)

-BIS-Certification with Factory Inspection (Scheme X)

The BIS certification process always includes:

-Preparation of application documents and application at BIS

-Only with ISI: Factory Inspection

-Product tests in accredited laboratory

-Issuance of certificate

-Marking and labeling of the product

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for protecting public health by regulating imported products. Any company that plans to distribute food, animal, medical, or beauty products for the U.S. market is required to register with FDA.

If you produce products in the categories below, FDA registration may be mandatory:

• Food, beverages, or dietary supplements
• Cosmetic products
• Animal and veterinary products
• Medical devices
• Drug products (including OTC)
• Tobacco products
• Radiation-emitting devices (RED)
• Biologics

By registering your facility with FDA, you help to promote consumer safety and keep your company FDA compliant. FDA registration involves submitting detailed information about your products, manufacturing facilities and processes, quality control, labeling, recall procedures, and more.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) is a non-governmental trade association and advocacy group based in India. It is the largest, one of the oldest and the apex business organisation in India. It is a non-government, not-for-profit organisation. From influencing policy to encouraging debate, engaging with policy makers and civil society, FICCI articulates the views and concerns of industry. FICCI draws its membership from the corporate sector, both private and public, including SMEs and MNCs.

The Government of India has set up the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), also referred to as ‘BEE’ under the provisions of the EC Act, 2001 with the primary objective of reducing energy intensity of the Indian economy. The Standards and Labeling Scheme (S&L) is one of the major thrust areas of BEE. The mission of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency is to institutionalise energy efficiency services, enable delivery mechanisms in the country and provide leadership to energy efficiency in all sectors of the country. Its primary objective is to reduce energy intensity in the economy.

The broad objectives of BEE are as follows:

• To exert leadership and provide policy recommendation and direction to national energy conservation and efficiency efforts and programs.
• To coordinate energy efficiency and conservation policies and programs and take it to the stakeholders
• To establish systems and procedures to measure, monitor and verify energy efficiency results in individual sectors as well as at a macro level.
• To leverage multi-lateral, bi-lateral, and private sector support in implementation of Energy Conservation Act and efficient use of energy and its conservation programs.
• To demonstrate delivery of energy efficiency services as mandated in the EC bill through private-public partnerships.
• To interpret, plan and manage energy conservation programs as envisaged in the Energy Conservation Act.
• To promote research and development in energy efficiency and energy conservation.
• To develop testing and certification procedures for energy consumption of equipment and appliances and promote the testing facilities.

To strengthen consultancy services in the field of energy conservation.

Department of Healthcare Professions (DHP), Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) is the Sole authority responsible for the regulating of all healthcare practitioners​ working in both governmental and private healthcare sectors in the state of Qatar.

The Standards and Metrology Department, under the Qatar General Organization for Standards and Metrology (QS), prepares Qatar national standards and adopts international standards to be used as national standards for health, safety and the environment. The ASTM International MOU program is designed to encourage, increase and facilitate the participation of technical experts from around the world in the ASTM standards development process.

This year, QS referenced 233 ASTM International standards in Qatar regulations. The referenced standards cover plastics, plastic piping systems and concrete and concrete aggregates. Several technical experts from Qatar participate on one or more of ASTM’s 142 standards development committees, and QS has participated in various ASTM technical training programs through the MOU program.

METS lab is one of the leading fire testing labs in UAE. We are accredited to carry out the fire testing you need to get your products certified for your destination market.

International Fire Testing Standards which METS follows :

• ASTMD635- Standard test method forrate of burning and/or extent and time of burning of       plastics in a horizontal position.
• ASTMD1929- Standard test method for determining ignition temperature of plastics.
• ASTMD3801- Standard test method for measuring the comparative burning characteristics of solid plastics in a vertical position.
• ASTME84- Standard test method for surface burning characteristics of building materials.

• ASTME136- Standard test method for assessing combustibility of materials using a vertical tube furnace at 750°c

• ASTME2652- Standard test method for assessing combustibility of materials using a tube furnace with a cone-shaped airflow stabilizer, at 750°c

• ASTME2768- Standard test method for extended duration surface burning characteristics of building materials (30 min tunnel test)

• BS476-4- Fire tests on building materials and structures- part 4: Non-combustibility test for materials
• BS476-6- Fire tests on building materials and  Method of test for fire propagation for products

• IEC60695-11-10- Fire hazard testing – Part 11-10: Test flames – 50 W horizontal and vertical flame test methods.

• IEC60695-2-10- Fire hazard testing: Glowing/Hot-wire Based Test Methods – Glow-wire Apparatus and Common Test Procedure
• IEC60695-2-11- Fire hazard testing – Part 2-11: Glowing/hot-wire based test methods – Glow- wire flammability test method for end products (GWEPT)

• IEC60695-2-13- Fire hazard testing – Part 2-13: Glowing/Hot-wire based test methods – Glow- wire ignition temperature (GWIT) test method for materials

• IEC62115- Electric toys – Safety only Clause 2.2 Resistance to fire non-metallic parts

• ISO1182- Reaction to fire tests for products — non-combustibility test
• UL-94- Standardfor safety of flammability of plastic materials for parts in devices and appliances testing.
• UL 723- Test for surface burning characteristics of building materials.

Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) was established to ensure food safety, guarantee the quality of food for human consumption, and conduct necessary research and studies on safe food. ADFCA’s mission is to develop a sustainable agriculture and food sector that ensures the delivery of safe food to the public and protects the health of animals and plants while promoting sound agricultural and food practices through cohesive and effective policies and regulations, quality standards, research and awareness.

Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (ADQCC) is an Abu Dhabi government entity established in accordance with Local Law No. (3) of 2009 to raise the quality of Abu Dhabi’s exports and products traded locally. QCC consists of a council of regulators and industry with a mandate to ensure provision of quality infrastructure in line with global standards. QCC’s functions are divided into six key areas: developing standards and specifications, capacity building of metrology systems, strengthening testing infrastructure, launching conformity schemes, protecting consumer interests and ensuring fair trade. METS Lab following the methods of ADQCC and co-ordinating with them in product testing.

Abu Dhabi Agriculture & Food Safety Authority is the local authority in charge of agriculture, food safety, food security and biosecurity in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. It aims to develop a sustainable agriculture and food sector and protect the health of animals and plants to enhance the biosecurity and achieve food security. In addition, the authority is responsible for preparing plans, programs and activities in the field of agriculture, food safety and food security.

ADNOC is a leading diversified energy group, wholly owned by the Abu Dhabi Government. They are in the top tier of the lowest carbon intensity oil and gas producers in the world. ADNOC is committed to operating with integrity and maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards in every aspect of its business. ADNOC operates under the guidance and direction of the Abu Dhabi Supreme Council for Financial and Economic Affairs (SCFEA) formally known as Supreme Petroleum Council (SPC). METS Lab playing a crucial role in the testing of ADNOC products.

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is an Indian Apex-Export Trade Promotion Active government body. APEDA is the premier body of export promotion of fresh vegetables and fruits. It provides the crucial interface between farmers, storehouses, packers, exporters, surface transport, ports, Railways, Airways, and all others engaged in export trade to the international market. It was set up by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry under the Agriculture and Processed Food products Export Development Authority. The Act was passed by Parliament in December 1985. It was formed and came into effect from 13th February 1986 by the notification issued in the Gazette of India.

 

APEDA has been entrusted with the responsibility of export promotion and development of following scheduled products :
1. Fruits, Vegetables and their Products
2. Meat and Meat Products
3. Poultry and Poultry Products
4. Dairy Products
5. Confectionery, Biscuits and Bakery Products
6. Honey, Jaggery and Sugar Products
7. Cocoa and its products, chocolates of all kinds
8. Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Beverages
9. Cereal and Cereal Products
10. Groundnuts, Peanuts and Walnuts
11. Pickles, Papads and Chutneys
12. Guar Gum
13. Floriculture and Floriculture Products
14. Herbal and Medicinal Plants
15. De –oiled rice bran
16. Green pepper in brine
17. Cashew Nuts and Its Products

 

Basmati Rice has been included in the Second Schedule of APEDA Act. In addition to this, APEDA has been entrusted with the responsibility to monitor the import of sugar as well.

APEDA also functions as the Secretariat to the National Accreditation Board (NAB) for the implementation of accreditation of the Certification Bodies under National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) for Organic exports.

Ashghal is the Public Works Authority of Qatar headquartered in Al Dafna, Doha. It was established in 2004 to oversee the planning, design, construction, delivery and asset management process of all infrastructure projects and public buildings in Qatar.

Ashghal’s primary tasks include supervising the design, construction, and management of major projects for roads, sanitation, and public buildings, such as schools and hospitals.

The Authority is an essential supporter of the economic and social development process to achieve Qatar Vision 2030, through several projects that serve ports, logistics and industrial areas, as well as local communities in the regions.

Ashghal’s strategy is based on four basic strategic axes :

1. Health and Safety:
Since the beginning of preparations for hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the State of Qatar, the local and international community has been focusing on the health, safety and care performance in the country. In this regard, the Qatari government has set specific standards to measure improvements, through which the regional performance of health, safety and care can be measured. To support this goal, Ashghal continues to design, build, operate and manage the country’s infrastructure while ensuring that the health, safety and welfare of employees, contractors and customers are its top priorities.

2. Achieving excellence:
Achieving excellence in the delivery of projects and services is considered essential for the continued success of Ashghal, and the delivery of our projects and services on time and within the budget allocated to them while ensuring the required quality standards are important factors for this success. Ashghal focuses on the added value for money and environmental sustainability of our projects and services. The authority also seeks to ensure asset readiness and reduce customer inconvenience.

 

3. Capacity development:

The Public Works Authority is transforming from an organization that uses external resources to a model that implements and manages projects with internal resources. We are also developing our asset management capabilities to enhance our ability to manage the large volume of infrastructure assets planned to be delivered in 2022 and beyond. Achieving this mission requires that we have robust transition plans from program management consultants to our internal resources. Qatarization and developing staff competencies remains a priority for Ashghal, with an emphasis on investing in attracting and developing non-Qatari capabilities to ensure the presence of sufficient and efficient human resources to support the needs of our clients. We will continue to develop public-private partnerships and ensure a resilient supply chain for Ashghal. Ashghal will also continue to promote economic growth for small and medium-sized Qatari companies.

 

4. Clients and Stakeholders:

Public Works Authority clients, whether they are residents of the State of Qatar or Qatari government sectors, for whom we work, expect our commitments to be fulfilled efficiently. Since we are a service organization, we will continue to focus on improving the value of our services to customers and stakeholders. To achieve this effectively, we must improve our understanding of customers, stakeholders and their needs by applying best practices, and monitoring and improving our performance based on their feedback. This will only be achieved by fulfilling our promises to customers, and earning and maintaining trust to remain at the center of Qatar’s infrastructure development program.

The ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) is the largest multi-disciplinary accreditation body in the western hemisphere, with more than 2,500 organizations accredited in approximately 80 countries. ANAB provides accreditation and training and serves as architects for the conformity assessment structure of industry-specific programs.

ANAB’s accreditation portfolio includes ISO/IEC 17021-1 management systems certification bodies, ISO/IEC 17025 calibration and testing laboratories and forensic laboratories, ISO/IEC 17065 product certification bodies, ISO/IEC 17020 inspection bodies and forensic agencies, ISO 14065 greenhouse gas validation and verification bodies, ISO 17034 reference material producers, ISO/IEC 17043 proficiency test providers, property and evidence control units, ISO/IEC 17024 personnel credentialing organizations, and ASTM 2659 certificate accreditation programs. ANAB also provides training on topics related to accreditation standards and conformity assessment.

SATRA are an independent testing and research organisation. They accredit laboratories, design, manufacture and install test equipment, and provide production efficiency solutions to customers around the world. SATRA is established in 1919, they became a leading centre of excellence in the footwear and leather industry. Over the last 100 years they are grown and evolved to maintain their position as global experts. The SATRA Laboratory Accreditation programme is internationally recognised as an assurance of quality management throughout the footwear and leather products supply chain.  it has since extended its expertise to cover other consumer product industry sectors including furniture, safety products, clothing, floorcoverings, leather goods, homeware, and cleaning technology. SATRA is also a Notified Body for EU Directives on personal protective equipment, toys and construction products. SATRA’s activities include research, material and product evaluation, consumer product and personal protective equipment testing, management systems and consultancy, international quality systems, quality assurance, publications, information services, and the production and sale of test equipment.

METS laboratories India private limited following the methods of SATRA.

It describes the country’s standards landscape, identifies the national standards and accreditation bodies, and lists the main national testing organization(s) and conformity assessment bodies.

The only standards organization in Qatar is the Qatar Laboratories and Standardization Affairs. Qatar applies product certification according to ISSO standards 22 and 28.  Product certification takes place by way of a conformity certificate from the manufacturer, self-declaration or tests reported by accredited laboratories from the exporting country.

ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, brings global experts together to agree on the best way of doing things – for anything from making a product to managing a process. As one of the oldest non-governmental international organizations, ISO has enabled trade and cooperation between people and companies the world over since 1946. The International Standards published by ISO serve to make lives easier, safer and better. METS lab following methods of ISO in different areas of testing.

A Certificate of Compliance (COC) or Certificate of Conformity (COC) is an official document that certifies that products comply with specified standards. The manufacturer usually issues it, but a third-party test laboratory can also give it.

The Bill of Entry enables the customs authorities to assess the appropriate customs duty on the imported goods. The duty is determined based on factors such as the value, classification, and quantity of the goods. Accurate submission of the Bill of Entry ensures the correct assessment of customs duty, avoiding any overpayment or underpayment.

The bill of entry plays a crucial role in facilitating the smooth movement of imported goods through customs clearance. Once the bill of entry is processed and the customs duty is paid, the goods can be released for further transportation or delivery to the importer. Timely submission of the bill of entry ensures minimal delays and expedites  the movement of goods.

The bill of entry serves as an important document for audit and compliance purposes. It provides a clear record of the imported goods, their value, and the applicable customs duty. In case of any future audit or scrutiny by the tax authorities, the bill of entry acts as evidence of compliance with tax regulations.

The ASTM E-84 is a test developed by the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM). It assesses the burning behavior of a material. This fire test provides comparative measurements of surface-level flame spread and smoke density.

This fire-test-response standard for the comparative surface burning behavior of building materials is applicable to exposed surfaces such as walls and ceilings. The test is conducted with the specimen in the ceiling position with the surface to be evaluated exposed face down to the ignition source. The material, product, or assembly shall be capable of being mounted in the test position during the test. Thus, the specimen shall either be self-supporting by its own structural quality, held in place by added supports along the test surface, or secured from the back side.

The requirements for the ASTM E-84 test differ based on the material. According to the International Building Code, the test is required for interior wall and ceiling finishes. The National Fire Protection Agency 101® Life Safety Code® also requires testing for interior wall and ceiling finishes.

The ASTM E-84 test is ranked based on the flame spread index (FSI) and the smoke development index  (SDI) . The FSI is a measure of the speed that flames progress across a material. FSI accounts for flame initiation and flame travel during the test. The SDI measures smoke intensity during the test interval. SDI is obtained with a light obscuration meter. This measures the optical density of the smoke development. In other words, it gives a measure of how much light can travel through the smoke.

METS lab is one of the leading soil testing labs in UAE. Soil testing is the farmland analysis for multiple parameters like chemical content, toxicity, pH level, salinity, earth-dwelling biota, etc. Such tests also provide information on chemical contamination, humic or organic content, electric conductivity, cation exchange capacity, and other physical and chemical properties.

Valuable information on nutrients content allows accurate fertilization to support plant needs within precision agriculture implementations. This is why the chemical test for soil nutrients is the most common. Primarily, soil tests report on the content of nitrogen(N), phosphorous(P), and potassium(K), which are the most important nutrients for crops. Secondary nutrients to examine are calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), and magnesium (Mg), boron (B), molybdenum (Mo), and others.

Soil testing is a very important part of building and road construction projects. The purpose of soil testing for construction is to determine the suitability of the soil for the type of construction to be done. BS 1377-2 provides common laboratory tests are required for the classification of soils, determination of compaction characteristics of soils for earthworks, permeability, compressibility and erodibility and determination of shear strength of soils in terms of both total and effective stresses. The ASTM version of the Unified Soil Classification System is ASTM D2487-17: Standard Practice for Classification of Soils for Engineering Purposes (Unified Soil Classification System). This classification system is based on particle-size characteristics, liquid limit, and plasticity index. According to ASTM D2487-17, there are three major soil divisions: coarse-grained soils, fine-grained soils, and highly organic soils.

Migration testing is the analysis performed on plastic and polymeric products that are in contact with food to determine whether chemical substances are transferred from packaging and food contact materials to food. Regular packaging testing can ensure total safety across all your production processes. All types of food packaging materials, including recycled plastics, paper, cardboard, glass, or metals, can contain dangerous contaminants that can migrate into food. As such, raw, intermediate and final packaging materials need to be analysed to prevent the risk of contamination and ensure compliance with health and safety requirements. With increasing global restrictions for food contact materials (FCMs) and emerging contaminants under scrutiny, now more than ever, manufacturers need to take regular measures to ensure their packaging does not pose a risk to food.

Migration analysis mainly are of two types – Overall Migration Test and Specific Migration Test

Overall Migration Test refers to the transition of only certain molecules or elements from the plastic structure to food. Specific migration refers to the transition of only certain molecules or elements from the plastic structure to food.

The Overall Migration limit (OML) applies to the sum of all substances that migrate from the FCM into food (or food simulant). This limit is used in food contact regulations in Europe, China, and South America (Mercosur), among others. Notably, US FDA does not specify an OML, although similar requirements are in place. Our scientists are experienced in conducting migration testing to standard DIN EN 1186 Materials and articles in contact with foodstuffs – Plastics, which provides guidance on the selection of conditions and test methods for overall migration.

 

A Specific Migration Limit (SML) applies to an individual substance or to a group of similar substances. The established limits are based on the toxicological hazard that a substance causes. Analytical techniques are used to identify the presence of these substances in food (and food simulants). Limits specific to the migration of certain substances can be found in almost every food contact regulation, ranging from a handful of high-risk substances to extensive lists of constituents with a SML. For plastic FCMs, standard DIN EN 13130 Materials and articles in contact with foodstuffs is relevant.

 In food packaging specification testing, substances are assessed by their properties which are related to quality, purity or indirectly to migration behaviour. These tests are intended to verify whether a substance meets the specifications that the legislator originally used to allow a substance for use in food contact materials. These tests are applied to many substances that are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The Chinese food contact framework also uses these tests in conjunction with overall and specific migration requirements.

 We also have expertise for specific migration testing for a range of substances of concern including bisphenol A, primary aromatic amines (PAAs), metal containing substances and phthalates, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (and related compounds), UV-ink photoinitiators and the release of microplastics.