Air Movement and Control Association
The Air Movement and Control Association International, Inc. (AMCA) is a long-established American trade body that sets standards for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment. It is best known for its ratings in fan balance and vibration, aerodynamic performance, air density, speed and efficiency. AMCA was formed in 1955 from several earlier trade associations which could be traced back to the fan-testing requirements of the US Navy in 1923. It is a nonprofit organization that issues over 60 publications and standards, including testing methods, a Certified Ratings Program (CRP), application guides, educational  texts, and safety guides. Membership and Activities. AMCA membership is open to any company that manufactures or holds the design of a product that falls under the AMCA scope. AMCA publications and standards are developed when sufficient interest has been expressed by AMCA members. Publication and standard writing committees are composed of volunteers, which include both AMCA members and interested individuals with a technical background. All AMCA standards are proposed as American National Standards. AMCA lobbies code bodies on the behalf of member companies to ensure that member company products are represented in local and national codes. AMCA hosts two  educational seminars in alternating years. The Technical Seminar, next occurring in 2009, provides engineers with basic information regarding devices and engineering principles relevant to the air movement and air control industry. The Engineering Conference is a discussion forum for presentation of engineering papers written by engineers and experts in the air movement and control industry. U.S. licensed engineers attending either seminar are eligible for approximately 12 Professional Development Hours. The AMCA headquarters is located at 30 West University Drive, Arlington Heights, IL 60004 USA. Certified Ratings Program. The AMCA Certified Ratings Program (CRP) is a program which allows all manufacturers  of air movement and air control devices to obtain an AMCA Seal when their equipment has been tested and rated in accordance with recognized test standards. The goal of the AMCA CRP is to ensure that a manufacturer's product lines have been tested and rated in conformance with an approved test standard and rating requirement. Only after the product has been tested and the manufacturer's cataloged ratings have been submitted to and approved by AMCA International's staff, can performance seals be displayed in literature and on equipment. Additionally, each certified / licensed product line is subject to continuing  check tests every three years in AMCA International's Laboratory or one of AMCA International's Independent Accredited laboratories. Publications and Standards. AMCA International publishes over 64 publications and standards, including testing methods, a Certified Ratings Program (CRP), application guides, educational texts, and safety guides. AMCA is an accredited ANSI developer, and all AMCA standards are proposed as American National Standards. Certified Ratings Program. The following publications provide specifications and guidelines for participants in the Certified Ratings Program. Testing Laboratory. The AMCA testing laboratory is an A2LA accredited laboratory that tests air control and air movement devices for members of  the air control and air movement industry. The AMCA lab comprises the following: AMCA International also oversees 40 accredited laboratories and two independent, accredited laboratories located in Taiwan and Singapore. Additional independent AMCA accredited laboratories are under construction in Korea and China. History. The Air Movement and Control Association, International was founded in 1955 when the National Association of Fan Manufacturers (NAFM) combined with the Power Fan Manufacturers Association (PFMA) and the Industrial Unit Heater Association (IUHA). Originally known as the Air Moving and Conditioning Association, AMCA was retitled in 1960 to its current name. In 1996, the AMCA Board  of Directors added the term 'International' to AMCA's name in order to better indicate the global scope of AMCA's membership. In 1923, the first edition of the "Fan Test Codes" was developed as a result of problems encountered by the U.S. Navy in regards to performance ratings of fans being procured during World War 1. To resolve the issue of variations in testing methods and performance ratings, a joint committee of NAFM and the American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers (ASHVE) was formed to develop a standard test code for fans. When NAFM combined with PFMA and  IUHA, the organization's major concern was the accuracy and practicality of the pitot traverse method of testing, and a committee was formed to study various test methods and develop a new test code. To aid in the study, AMCA sponsored research by the Battelle Memorial Institute to compare the test results using the pitot tube test methods and nozzle test methods. The result of this effort was a new revision of the test code, which was published in 1960 as "AMCA Standard Test Code for Air Moving Devices, Bulletin 210". Standard 210 became widely accepted and known as virtually  the only standard used in the United States and Canada. In 1985, AMCA expanded its scope to include air control devices, such as louvers, dampers, and airflow measurement stations. In 1996, AMCA's first accredited laboratory, ITRI, began testing in Taiwan. In 2008, AMCA's second independent accredited laboratory, AFMA, began testing in Singapore.