NSF Certifies More Than 340 Automotive Parts for Australian Market

MELBOURNE, Australia – NSF, a global organization with more than 70 years of independent product testing, auditing and certification expertise, including products in the automotive supply chain, has certified more than 340 automotive aftermarket parts for the Australian market.

NSF‘s certification of automotive parts for the Australian market ensures that the parts are equivalent in form, fit and function to the original equipment (OE) service parts in Australia and that they meet NSF’s other rigorous certification requirements including compliance with Australian Design Rules. It also addresses:

• Parts material evaluations
• Performance and function requirements
• Vehicle test fits performed in Australia on Australian vehicles
• Dimensional and strength requirements
• Thickness and adhesion requirements for coatings
• Corrosion and flammability requirements (as appropriate)
• In-plant quality control requirements, which includes passing an in-plant audit, and
• Packaging requirements.

NSF certified parts purchased from the Australian distribution system are randomly tested on an ongoing basis to ensure compliance. The facilities in which the parts are manufactured also must meet numerous quality requirements including in-plant quality control testing, traceability and ISO 9001 certification. These facilities are audited on a quarterly basis to verify compliance with ISO and the other stringent quality requirements.

“Suncorp, a leading Australian insurer, has been involved with NSF for a number of years and has been impressed with the NSF certified parts program,” said Rob Bartlett, Executive Manager, National Partners and Industry, Motor Claims at Suncorp Insurance. “We took a group of crash repairers to visit NSF’s testing facilities in Ann Arbor, Michigan and everyone was highly impressed. Feedback from repairers has been overwhelmingly positive about the quality of the NSF certified parts, which have improved the general standard of the automotive aftermarket in Australia. We are extremely supportive of a quality product that has been independently certified and that delivers direct benefit to consumers and our policyholders.”

Automotive collision parts that meet all NSF requirements use a state-of-the-art part tracking system with anti-counterfeit features, are authorized to bear an NSF “Certified Part Australia” two-piece tamper-proof certification label and are included in NSF’s certified product listings page. The NSF mark ensures the part has been certified by NSF and is fully traceable from the point of inspection back to the raw materials from which the part was made.

The average age of a vehicle in Australia is approximately 10.1 years¹. It is expected that along with aging vehicles on Australian roads, there will be a demand for high quality certified aftermarket parts. Consumers can find a high quality alternative part, guaranteed to meet all form, fit and function requirements by looking for the NSF “Certified Part Australia” label.

“NSF certified parts allow repair shops and consumers throughout Australia to identify high-quality aftermarket auto parts,” said Bob Frayer, NSF’s Global Managing Director of Automotive Certification Programs. “Consumers benefit from a competitive marketplace with high- quality options for collision repair parts and repair shops save time when replacing parts that have been fit-tested for seamless installations.”

NSF experts will be at the 2017 Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) Collision Repair Expo at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre on April 6-8 to explain the testing process, and provide a live demonstration of the 3D scanning technology used to evaluate lighting components and display some of the certified parts. Expo attendees will have an opportunity to learn about the testing process from Frayer, as well as meet with engineers who perform the material testing on all parts, the vehicle test-fit staff, and lighting manufacturer representatives from TYC Brother Industrial Co., Ltd. For more information, please stop by stand # AA38 during the 2017 AAAA Collision Repair Expo.

In addition to automotive parts certification, NSF also offers additional automotive supply chain certification services to ensure the highest quality parts and services including automotive recycler certification, which confirms recyclers’ ability to meet extensive grading, labeling and traceability requirements as well as Australian recycler regulations.

Additional information about certification can be found at nsfautomotive.com or by emailing autocert@nsf.org.

Editor’s Note: Media interested in more information can contact media@nsf.org or +1 734 214 6242.

About NSF: Founded in 1944, NSF is an independent global organization that writes standards, and tests and certifies products for the food, water, health sciences and consumer goods industries to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment (nsf.org). In addition to NSF’s automotive aftermarket parts certification program, the company is one of the world’s largest automotive registrars to ISO/TS and IATF 16949 via NSF International Strategic Registrations (NSF-ISR).

¹ http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/9309.0