Load cell certification for the US market
HBM: There are a number of requirements to be met before weighing components can be put into circulation in the USA. A so-called NTEP certificate of conformance (National Type Evaluation Program) is required, to show compliance with NIST Handbook 44.
In the USA, the technical requirements that relate to weighing technology are specified in NIST Handbook 44. NIST (National Institute for Standards and Technology) is more or less comparable with the PTB (German National Metrology Institute) in Germany.
There are a number of requirements to be met before weighing components can be put into circulation in the USA. A so-called NTEP certificate of conformance (National Type Evaluation Program) is required, to show compliance with NIST Handbook 44.
To obtain this certificate, a technical inspection of the weighing technology itself is necessary, as well as on-site acceptance testing of the scales, together with inspection and certification of the manufacturer‘s production systems, as verified by a VCAP certificate of conformity (Verified Conformity Assessment Program).
This is the result of an audit, which primarily assesses the quality assurance systems within the company. The audit must be performed by an external authority.
Weighing technology manufacturer HBM has successfully completed the relevant audit and is therefore also able to offer all its weighing technology for sale for applications in the USA.