NSF International, a
not-for-profit, non-governmental organization that performs standards
development, product certification, education and
risk-management for public health and safety, has certified Diamond Standard Parts, LLC’s vehicle reinforcement bars under the NSF Automotive Aftermarket Parts Certification Program, verifying the aftermarket parts meet rigid quality, safety and performance standards.
NSF International’s Automotive Aftermarket Parts Certification Program tests and certifies reinforcement bars as well as steel bumpers, step bumpers, brackets and absorbers. NSF International engineers independently evaluated and compared Diamond Standard Parts reinforcement bars to OEM service parts for form, fit and function, material composition and properties, coating performance, and dynamic
and destructive testing.
The NSF certification process requires an on-site inspection of the manufacturer’s quality system to verify that the company has a traceability program, complaint process and an in-plant quality assurance system in place.
In September, NSF certified Diamond Standard's vehicle energy absorbers and, two months earlier, certified Diamond Standard's front steel bumpers.
“The NSF International Automotive Aftermarket Parts Certification
Program verifies both the quality and performance of aftermarket auto
parts to ensure that high-quality parts are available for purchase,”
said Bob Frayer, director of NSF International’s Automotive Aftermarket
Parts Certification Program and Engineering Laboratories. “This is
important for body shops and insurance companies.”
These high strength steel and aluminum reinforcements began the formal
certification process in July 2010 with the first parts certified by
NSF effective Monday, Oct. 18, 2010. Eight reinforcements and
applications for GM, Nissan, Honda and Toyota vehicles are included in
the first notice with an ongoing process towards the completion of all
qualifying SKUs.
Diamond Standard part certification now totals over 100 parts and
applications expanding over four categories – 24 front steel bumpers,
62 high-density foam absorbers, eight high strength steel
reinforcements and 19 bumper brackets.
Diamond Standard says its reinforcements use high strength material and
an industry accepted roll forming process for maximum strength,
integrity and equivalent crashworthiness performance.
Diamond Standard's certified reinforcement bars will now display the NSF mark. A complete list of NSF-certified automotive parts can be found on NSF’s certification listings website.
Diamond Standard must undergo quarterly facility inspections and random in-market parts testing to maintain NSF certification.
More information:
NSF International Automotive Aftermarket Parts Certification Program
New NSF Aftermarket Collision Parts Distributor Certification Program Would Enable Recall System
Diamond Standard Says Study Indicates 'Acceptable Variance' Among Parts Exists
Ford Unveils Results of Crash Part Testing at CIC