Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to some common questions

Getting
Started

What are the services you provide?

We provide Photometric, Electrical, Thermal and Environmental testing services that cover most of the requirements for lighting industries.

We services are NVLAP accredited and recognized by Design Lights Consortium (DLC), Energy Star, Lighting Facts and California Energy Commission.   We also provide consulting services for DLC certification.  See the DLC section for additional information.

How do I get started?
Please follow the links in the service section to place a testing service order.  If you are not sure about which form to use, please user the one that you think is closest to your requirement.  One of our engineers will get in touch with you.  If your order is clear and they could determine the tests needed, they will send you a quote.   If additional information is needed, they will contact you by email or phone to obtain the missing information.
What do I need to submit for testing?

Please send us the exact sample to be tested.  Our reports will contain the model and the serial number of the tested sample.  We will not be able to change this later.   Note that your DLC and/or Energy Star qualification will be dependent on testing an identical sample to which you seek qualification.

It helps to have copies of your product brochure and/or product specification sheet.  This will help our engineers to determine the condition (voltage, current, etc), for testing.  Providing us this information before or along with the sample will greatly minimize the time to get our reports.

What is 'Engineering Services Time' in your quote?

If you have multiple variants in a family, that uses an identical core component (e.g. LED light engine) and use several other components (e.g. power supplies, optical diffuser, etc), we prefer you sending us complete sets of these luminaires that we can just test.  However,  you may prefer to send one complete sample with additional components with instructions to our engineers and we will be glad to oblige reconfiguring them.

Also, occasionally, there may be a component failure, underperformance during testing and you may chose to send a replacement part, our engineers are knowledgeable to lend a helping hand in changing these.

However, if it takes more than 15 minutes, we will charge for our engineer’s time.   We will make an estimate during quoting for work if we foresee this.  However, most often than not, these arise during the work.  Our staff will seek your approval before embarking on these type of works.

Please note that this cannot be construed as engineering design assistance.

Can I get my reports faster?

Lumentra prides its quality and agility.  Our engineers will be able to provide an estimate of time to provide a report.  The time estimate depends on our current workload.  However, if you need a RUSH service, we will be able to provide you for an extra charge.

We never prioritize one customer’s work over agreed deadline for another order.  When we provide RUSH service, we usually undertake them beyond our normal working hours.

Can I wait while testing is performed and get results immediately?
We are very scrupulous about client confidentiality.  As a testing lab, we always have several luminaires, most often, engineering samples of our customers kept open.  This necessitates forbidding visitors inside our laboratories.  Also the ISO 17025 quality system we adhere to, forbids us performing tests while customers are present in the labs,  to avoid undue influence.  So, we are sorry we may not be able to let you wait while tests are performed.

Shipping

Where should I ship my sample?

Our goniophotometer work is normally performed at the Waterloo laboratory.  Integrating Sphere, ISTMT and electrical testing are done at the Toronto lab. We advise that you get instructions from our engineers every time before shipping samples for testing.  Depending on the workload it may be advantageous to send to either location to expedite the service.

If goniophotometer is the only work, please send your sample to Waterloo and if sphere (spectral/colour characterization) is the only work, direct your sample to the Toronto laboratory.  For multiple tests, please speak to one of our engineers.

For shipping addresses for both the location, please see at the footer of this page.

What do you do to the sample after testing?

We do not store your samples.  Please provide us a return shipping method and your account number for shipping it back as soon as testing is done.

Return shipping is done either using our account or in special circumstances, we will ship and add the charges to our invoice.  If you do not provide proper instruction, we will destroy the sample.

Under no circumstance will we be able to store your sample for more than 3 months.  If we do not hear from you, we will destroy the sample.

Can I come drop my samples?
By all means.  But please talk to the engineers before coming and fix up a time.  The loading docks that we share with others are always busy and we may not be able to halt a test and attend you to receive the sample.  Also, there are height restrictions for the underground ramp in our Toronto location.  So, please specify the type of vehicle that you (or your shipping agent) will be coming by.
Can you pick up the sample from our factory?
We are sorry, we cannot.  We do not have any dedicated staff that handle shipping and receiving.

DLC

Which tests do I need for DLC single product applications?

DLC requires the following three tests to evaluate the performance of a single LED lighting product.

  • Complete LM-79 (Sections 9, 10 and 12)
  • In-situ Temperature Measurement Test (ISTMT)
  • LM-80 test

Lumentra is a DLC-approved testing laboratory. To request complete LM-79 and ISTMT luminaire testing for single products, please fill out Lumentra’s DLC & Lighting Facts Test Request Form. A qualified LM-80 test report is usually available from your LED package, array, or module manufacturer.

How many tests do I need for DLC family grouping applications?

DLC will evaluate the products in the worst case scenarios in a family grouping application. Very often, partial LM-79 tests are sufficient. Please contact us for DLC family grouping strategy or refer to our DLC consulting page for more information.

What are LM-79 Sections 9, 10 and 12? Why would I want a partial LM-79 test?

LM-79 is the approved luminaire testing method to measure total lumen (Section 9), electrical power, light distribution (Section 10), and chromaticity (Section 12) of LED products. Depending on your need, a goniophotometer test (LM-79 Section 9 and 10), an integrating sphere (LM-79 Section 9 and 12), or both can be performed to evaluate an LED product. Traditionally, a photometric report with an IES file is generated by a goniophotometer test that is more expensive than an integrating sphere test. At early stages of product development if is often sufficient to perform a sphere test to establish the total luminous flux and efficacy (lm/W).

Also, while submitting a family of products for DLC approval, it is not necessary to perform all tests on all family member products. Typically worst case conditions have to be tested to ensure all family members perform above the DLC norms.  Our engineers can help determine these cases and reduce the number of tests required to qualify the entire family.

What is 'Worst Case' in DLC's family requirement? How is it established?

As a manufacturer, it is your responsibility to determine the “worst case” product of the group/sub-group.  Lumentra can help you establish this only if you use our consulting services for DLC.

The worst-performing product can be identified through engineering analysis and/or in-house testing of all family members. If engineering analysis is used to identify the worst case, the tested value associated with the worst-case product may be higher than scaled values indicating the performance of other family members. If this is the case, the manufacturer must provide an explanation that addresses the variance between scaled values and tested values, and the reviewer must understand the manufacturer’s scaling method before the application process may continue.

Payment

Do we need to pay before our products are tested?

Yes, in general, unless you have established a pre-approved credit with us.  Pre-approved credit is available for our long standing customers with good payment record.

Otherwise, you may choose one of the possible payment methods to expedite the work.  See below for options.

How do we pay by Direct Bank Transfer?

This is the fastest and most secure method of payment (and so the most preferred method for us to get paid.)  This is also highly secure and easily traceable from both the ends.  Please contact us for our bank details and we will provide them.

Bank Charges: Please note that bank charges for this method vary dependent on your banking plan.  But it is usually the cheapest (typically a dollar or two) – when you consider the cost of printing and mailing cheques.

Speed: This is the fastest method.

How do we pay by Interac® email transfer?

This is probably the easiest method of payment.  You do not need our bank details.  Just log in to your bank account and follow instructions for Interac® transfer. This will typically involve you providing our email (accounts@lumentra.com) and creating a one-time password that your will disclose us separately.   We will then be able to login to our account and get the money in place using the password you provide.

Bank Charges: Please note that your bank may have upper limit for the amount that can be transferred (typically $3,000 for a single transaction.)  There will also be a transfer fee (typically less than two dollars.)

For more information, please see http://www.interac.ca/en/faq#faq_215

Speed: This is faster. It just needs an additional email or phone call to convey us the one-time password.

Do you accept cheques?

If the paper cheque is your preferred method, we can accept cheques for the invoice amount. Please make cheques payable to Lumentra Inc. and write the invoice number or if you are pre-paying, our quote number at the bottom of the cheques.

Bank Charges:  Because this is the good-old conventional method, most customers tend to think this as the cheapest option, but it seldom is. The charges (typically the same as Direct Bank Transfer) are normally part of your monthly banking plan and are thus hidden. In addition, there is also the cost of expensive cheque printing and mailing charges.

Speed: This is slow process.  If you have not yet established a pre-approved credit and are required to pre-pay before the services are rendered, there will be delays involving postal/courier transit.

 

Do you accept credit cards?

If good-old plastic is your method of choice, we accept them via Square processing service. Please note that you need to pay 4% extra to cover credit card processing charges. We accept Visa and MasterCard (no American Express, please.)

You need to call one of our employees (usually the engineer with whom you work) and provide the following details:

Credit card number:

Expiry Month and Year:

Name as in the card:

Card Verification Code: (typically 3 digits, found in the reverse side of the card, below card holder signature)

Postal Code in your credit card bill:

Once your card is processed using Square service, you will receive a direct receipt.

We do not store your credit card details.  So, every time you make a credit card payment, you need to provide us the details above.

Speed:  This is usually fast.

Processing Charges: Please note that you need to pay 4% extra to cover credit card processing charges.

 

How about PayPal®?

If you prefer PayPal® for its flexibility, traceability, and security, you may send money using their online transfer.  Just follow

https://www.paypal.me/lumentra

and complete the interactive online transfer.

Processing Charges:  This is one of the expensive methods. Please note that you need to pay 4% extra to cover Pay Pal service charges.   So, we do not recommend this.

Speed:  While it is expensive, it is faster.

What is pre-approved credit and how do I establish one?

Effective January 1, 2017, we will be implementing a new Credit Balance method in our accounting.   Customers may apply for a pre-approved credit limit and will be approved by our management.   When you place an order with Lumentra you may use this credit, up to the pre-approved limit.  We will proceed to complete the work, send you the report, followed by the invoice for the work.  These invoices will be due on receipt as they follow a completed work. Once you pay the invoice your credit balance will increase, up to the pre-approved limit.

Please note that you will be eligible to apply for a preapproved credit if you:

  1. Have been doing business with Lumentra for more than 2 years, or
  2. Have done business in the past year for more than $3,000

If you do not qualify under either of the above conditions, you must wait until you meet one of the criteria.   Until you are pre-approved for credit, you must pre-pay for your work.

Still need help? Send us a note!

For any other questions, please write us at services@lumentra.com or call us on in one of the phone numbers given at the footer of this page.

022032051 041