Automotive Manufacturer Equipment Compliance Agency, Inc. (AMECA) announces the major update to its automotive lighting and glazing certification program.

Since 2017, AMECA’s certification program for automotive lighting and safety glazing has been accredited by A2LA. Since then, AMECA has been working hard to update the program based on industry feedback.

AMECA was the first accredited certification body to require serial numbers on safety glass. Individual parts tracking gives consumers and installers confidence that the glass is safe, fits and just plain works, said the company.

The Equipment Compliance Program has over 115 participating companies and over 500 documents issued yearly. Twenty-five glazing laboratories are in the Equipment Compliance Program.

AMECA staff have been members of the SAE/ANSI Glazing committee for over 20 years. AMECA personnel are involved with writing the standard that other companies use.

AMECA’s uses a triple check system for product fitment. Aftermarket suppliers are required to use three separate samples to determine fit, fitment, accessory attachment (including ADAS and HUD requirements) and cosmetic accuracy. No “measure once, use forever” is acceptable.

Substantive changes to the programs include:

• Six month audit of manufacturers.
• Alternating AMECA personnel and outside entities for audits. ECE R10 certification for automotive lighting.
• Greater flexibility in labeling for automotive safety glass.

The biggest change was to add in specific Electromagnetic Compatibility requirements for automotive lighting. Manufacturers are now required to have certification to ECE R10. As with all AMECA certification programs AMECA uses existing test standards.

“Every single part on a modern car has some standard associated with it. Why reinvent the wheel? It just makes it more expensive for the test labs and manufacturers,” says Kevin Wolford, director of the company.

“Our industry research indicates that 80 percent of consumers value third-party product certifications for their automotive equipment,” says Wolford, a mechanical engineer with a Master of Science in Marketing from Johns Hopkins University. Our certification program is only intended for the best manufacturers. Not every manufacturer who applies will be granted certification. AMECA certification is available for manufacturers of:

• Aftermarket Crash Parts Replacement And OEM Automotive Lighting
• Aftermarket Crash Parts Replacement And OEM Automotive Safety Glass
• Aftermarket Automotive Suspension And Wheels
• Aftermarket Crash Parts Replacement And OEM Automotive Brake Hoses