The Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) has added sand louvers to the AMCA Certified Ratings Program. This announcement was made at the AMCA Middle East Region Annual Meeting at the H Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, January 13-14, 2016.

Sand louvers protect air systems from intrusive wind-driven sand, which can clog air filters ahead of their normal service life. Sand louvers thereby are a cost-effective way for improving air-system performance and reducing lifecycle costs. AMCA officials said that certifying sand louvers enables the comparison of manufacturers' ratings for sand rejection based on test data in accordance with ANSI/AMCA Standard 510-L (Rev. 2015) Laboratory Methods of Testing Louvers for Rating.

 Ratings tests for sand rejection are being conducted exclusively by Thomas Bell-Wright International Consultants in Dubai, which was accredited by AMCA International as an independent laboratory at a signing ceremony held January 13, 2016.

Certification of test data must be performed in compliance with AMCA Publication 511-10 (Rev. 2015), Product Rating Manual for Air Control Devices.

"AMCA commends the international committee of sand louver experts who amended AMCA 500-L and AMCA 511 to facilitate this new certification," said Mark Stevens, executive director of AMCA International.

According to AMCA, this is the first time a regional AMCA entity outside the United States developed a specialized product certification as part of an international standard.

AMCA Standard 500-L is now available for purchase, and AMCA 511 is available for free download at the AMCA Store at www.amca.org/store.