Insulating Glass (IG) Certification

The AAMA product certification program offers IG certification through its Gold Label administrator, Associated Labs, Inc. (ALI). There are immediate cost and scheduling savings for companies who currently participate in the AAMA air-water-structural certification program by performing simultaneous inspections for both the air-water-structural and IG programs.

Need guidance? View the ALI/AAMA IG Certification program checklist.

More Information

Contact Brad Schultz at ALI via email or phone (214) 565-0593.

IGMAC, the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Association of Canada, was formed in 1968 to establish high standards of professional conduct in the design, manufacture, application, installation and maintenance of hermetically sealed insulating glass units. The IGMAC Certification Program recognizes the need for regular and impartial product testing, maintenance of quality control in the manufacturing process and identification of products that conform to these criteria. The minimum standard of performance required for participation in the certification program is the highest level of the National Standard of Canada CAN/CGSB 12.8, latest issue.

The IGMAC Certification Program is sponsored and administered by FGIA, who contracts with an independent agency to perform audit services.

More Information

To learn more, visit the IGMAC Certification Program page.

All inquiries into the IGMAC program should be sent to [email protected].

This is an active program for the Harmonized Insulating Glass Standard (ASTM E2190) and subject to continuous, ongoing review in order to improve service to the manufacturer. We welcome any feedback with respect to any aspect of the program whether it is the administration, the auditing process or the testing phase of certification.

More Information

For a copy of the IGCC/IGMA Certification Program Manual, please contact [email protected]. For more information, visit the IGCC/IGMA Certification Program page.

After a manufacturer signs a License Agreement with ALI, an ALI inspector witnesses the assembly of 12 test samples of each of the IG units selected by the Licensee for initial conformance testing and performs other required inspections. Each test specimen is permanently identified by the inspector, who also records the insulating glass unit’s components used along with a description of the manufacturer’s fabrication process and seals each unit with a tamperproof ALI seal. Within 30 days of fabrication of the test samples, the manufacturer selects an ALI-approved independent testing laboratory and forwards the sealed samples and supporting data to that laboratory. Testing costs are the responsibility of the licensee.

Qualification tests and performance criteria for IG Certification are set forth in:

• ASTM E2188, Standard Test Method for Insulating Glass Unit Performance
• ASTM E2189, Standard Test Method for Testing Resistance to Fogging in Insulating Glass Units
• ASTM E2190, Standard Specification for Insulating Glass Unit Performance and Evaluation
• ASTM E2649, Standard Test Method for Determining Argon Concentration in Sealed Insulating Glass Units Using Spark Emission Spectroscopy
• ASTM E576, Standard Test Method for Frost/Dew Point of Sealed Insulating Glass Units in the Vertical Position 
• NFRC 706, Requirements for Participating Insulating Glass Certification Programs

Each different assembly must be tested initially for certification and then once every other year to maintain certification.

The laboratory prepares a test report which details the test results and includes descriptive information of the assembly components. The test report and submitted data are reviewed by ALI to validate test methodology and confirm product compliance.

If validated test findings indicate compliance with the requisite specifications and program requirements, ALI issues a Notice of Certification Authorization (NCA). Upon receipt of the NCA, the Licensee may begin applying the ALI IG Certification Mark to each unit of that product family.

Then, ALI authorizes the listing of approved products in the IG Certified Products Directory. Test reports are considered valid for 24 months from the date that the NCA is issued and then must be retested and validated in the same manner as for initial certification.

Without prior notice, an ALI inspector visits the licensee’s manufacturing plant(s) at least twice annually to determine Certification Program compliance. These inspections verify the continued use of materials and methods used to produce the originally approved samples. In addition, the inspector verifies the ongoing effectiveness of the manufacturer’s QMS (including quality control records), the implementation of corrective actions, responses to program changes and the handling of complaints.

For further details on program requirements and procedures, including the handling of any design or component changes made during recertification testing intervals, contact ALI to request a copy of the ALI IG Certification Program Procedural Guide.