International Down and Feather Testing Laboratory

Last updated
International Down and Feather Testing Laboratory
Established1978
Research typeUnclassified
Field of research
 Down and feathers
Staff 100
Location Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
84105
Website Official website

IDFL Laboratory and Institute, originally known as the International Down and Feather Testing Laboratory, is a facility based in Salt Lake City, Utah, specializing in testing down and feathers. It tests filled textiles for materials like down, feathers, synthetics, and other natural fibers, alongside auditing and inspecting the textile industry.

Contents

IDFL maintains testing laboratories and offices in the United States, Switzerland, Taiwan and China, and has over 150 employees, many serving as testing analysts. Of the organizations which certified its laboratories are the IDFB, EDFA, and DPSC. The testing standard being set by textile industry organizations such as AATCC, ADFC, ASTM, CFDIA, DAC, EDFA, IABFLO, IDFB, and TDFA.[ citation needed ]

History

IDFL was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1978 by Wilford Lieber Sr. and his wife Mary Jean. [1] [2] Lieber had previously worked for the state of Utah in product regulation and at the request of companies in the down and feather industry. [3] [4]

Salt Lake City Headquarters of International Down and Feather Testing Laboratory International Down and Feather Testing Laboratory.jpg
Salt Lake City Headquarters of International Down and Feather Testing Laboratory

Wilf Lieber Jr. is the current CEO [5] [6] of IDFL Laboratory and Institute and serves as an associate member of various organizations such as the IDFB, [7] ADFC, EDFA and CFDIA.[ citation needed ]

Over time IDFL gradually expanded into other areas. In the 1980s, it began to offer consulting services and fabric testing. In the 1990s, IDFL began factory inspection services as well as research services. In the 2000s, IDFL began synthetic filling testing, finished product inspection services, non-down filling testing, and audit services. In 2002, IDFL opened an office in Frauenfeld, Switzerland. [8] In 2003, IDFL opened an office in Hangzhou, China. [9]

Down and feather testing

After testing, companies in the down and feather industry may acquire sterilization permits. IDFL is among the establishments which perform these tests and inspect factories. [10] Testing involves checking feather composition, content analysis, and species type as well as numerous other quality factors. Material is also graded for cleanliness by examining the fat and oil percentages, pH levels, odor, turbidity, and other purity factors. All down and feather material is double tested. [11] [12]

IDFL tests materials according to the following standards: [13]

Testing StandardCountry
AS Australia
ASTMInternational
Canada Canada
CNS Taiwan
EN Europe
GB China
Gost Russia
IDFBInternational
JIS Japan
KS Korea
USA 2000 United States
VSB Switzerland

Audit services

IDFL consults with clients by conducting traceability audits of supply chains primarily for CSR topics like live plucking. IDFL consults or performs audits under different licenses such as the following:

Audit services generally involve tracing materials from finished goods back to their original sources through various means, such as invoices or an audit system that tracks the chain of custody. This process may also involve visiting supply chains and factories to verify that down and feather materials are not sourced from live plucking or Foie gras production, as well as inspecting other elements such as sterilization procedures.

Additionally, IDFL is exploring the use of isotope technology to enhance the accuracy of traceability audits. [21]

Other services

IDFL provides inspection services on behalf of clients in order to confirm products being imported have been manufactured according to specifications and labeling standards. IDFL also provides training, seminars and other consulting work.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metrology</span> Science of measurement and its application

Metrology is the scientific study of measurement. It establishes a common understanding of units, crucial in linking human activities. Modern metrology has its roots in the French Revolution's political motivation to standardise units in France when a length standard taken from a natural source was proposed. This led to the creation of the decimal-based metric system in 1795, establishing a set of standards for other types of measurements. Several other countries adopted the metric system between 1795 and 1875; to ensure conformity between the countries, the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) was established by the Metre Convention. This has evolved into the International System of Units (SI) as a result of a resolution at the 11th General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) in 1960.

Traceability is the capability to trace something. In some cases, it is interpreted as the ability to verify the history, location, or application of an item by means of documented recorded identification.

A financial audit is conducted to provide an opinion whether "financial statements" are stated in accordance with specified criteria. Normally, the criteria are international accounting standards, although auditors may conduct audits of financial statements prepared using the cash basis or some other basis of accounting appropriate for the organization. In providing an opinion whether financial statements are fairly stated in accordance with accounting standards, the auditor gathers evidence to determine whether the statements contain material errors or other misstatements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Down feather</span> Soft, fine feather, sometimes under larger feathers

The down of birds is a layer of fine feathers found under the tougher exterior feathers. Very young birds are clad only in down. Powder down is a specialized type of down found only in a few groups of birds. Down is a fine thermal insulator and padding, used in goods such as jackets, bedding, pillows and sleeping bags. The discovery of feathers trapped in ancient amber suggests that some species of non-avian dinosaur likely possessed down-like feathers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Body armor</span> Protective clothing; armor worn on the body

Body armor, personal armor, armored suit (armoured) or coat of armor, among others, is armor for a person's body: protective clothing or close-fitting hands-free shields designed to absorb or deflect physical attacks. Historically used to protect military personnel, today it is also used by various types of police, private security guards, or bodyguards, and occasionally ordinary citizens. Today there are two main types: regular non-plated body armor for moderate to substantial protection, and hard-plate reinforced body armor for maximum protection, such as used by combatants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Software Reference Library</span>

The National Software Reference Library (NSRL), is a project of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) which maintains a repository of known software, file profiles and file signatures for use by law enforcement and other organizations involved with computer forensic investigations. The project is supported by the United States Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Defense Computer Forensics Laboratory (DCFL), the U.S. Customs Service, software vendors, and state and local law enforcement. It also provides a research environment for computational analysis of large sets of files.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assurance services</span> Profession giving information to reduce risk

Assurance service is an independent professional service, typically provided by Chartered or Certified Public Accountants or Chartered Certified Accountants, with the goal of improving information or the context of information so that decision makers can make more informed, and presumably better, decisions. Assurance services provide independent and professional opinions that reduce information risk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oeko-Tex</span> Standards organisation in the textiles industry

Oeko-Tex is a registered trade mark of the International Association for Research and Testing in the Field of Textile and Leather Ecology. It is used to represent the product labels and company certificates issued by the Association.

Patagonia, Inc. is an American retailer of outdoor recreation clothing, equipment, and food. It was founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973 and is based in Ventura, California. Patagonia operates stores in more than 10 countries globally, as well as factories in 16 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BSI Group</span> British standards development organization

The British Standards Institution (BSI) is the national standards body of the United Kingdom. BSI produces technical standards on a wide range of products and services and also supplies certification and standards-related services to businesses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PrimaLoft</span>

PrimaLoft® is a brand of patented synthetic microfiber thermal insulation material that was developed for the United States Army in the 1980s. PrimaLoft is a registered trademark of PrimaLoft, Inc., the brand's parent company.

Electron-beam processing or electron irradiation (EBI) is a process that involves using electrons, usually of high energy, to treat an object for a variety of purposes. This may take place under elevated temperatures and nitrogen atmosphere. Possible uses for electron irradiation include sterilization, alteration of gemstone colors, and cross-linking of polymers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bureau of Indian Standards</span> Indian organization for developing standards

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the National Standards Body of India under Department of Consumer affairs,Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India. It is established by the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016 which came into effect on 12 October 2017.< The Minister in charge of the Ministry or Department having administrative control of the BIS is the ex-officio President of the BIS. BIS has 500 plus scientific officers working as Certification Officers, Member secretaries of technical committees and lab OIC's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Package testing</span>

Package testing or packaging testing involves the measurement of a characteristic or property involved with packaging. This includes packaging materials, packaging components, primary packages, shipping containers, and unit loads, as well as the associated processes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enterprise Architect (software)</span> Visual modeling and design tool

Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is a visual modeling and design tool based on the OMG UML. The platform supports: the design and construction of software systems; modeling business processes; and modeling industry based domains. It is used by businesses and organizations to not only model the architecture of their systems, but to process the implementation of these models across the full application development life-cycle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine Nuclear Research Institute</span> Agency of the Philippine government

The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) is a government agency under the Department of Science and Technology mandated to undertake research and development activities in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, institute regulations on the said uses, and carry out the enforcement of said regulations to protect the health and safety of radiation workers and the general public.

Testex, stylized as TESTEX, is a globally operating, independent Swiss testing and certification organisation that focuses on textile testing. The Testex corporate group is headquartered in Zürich and consists of the Testex AG, ÖTI GmbH (Austria), PT Testex (Indonesia), Swiss Textile-Testing Ltd. Hong Kong, and Testex Testing Co. Ltd. Beijing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mechanical filter (respirator)</span> Air-filtering face masks or mask attachments

Mechanical filters, a part of particulate respirators, are a class of filter for air-purifying respirators that mechanically stops particulates from reaching the wearer's nose and mouth. They come in multiple physical forms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NHS Test and Trace</span> Government COVID-19 agency in England

NHS Test and Trace was a government-funded service in England, established in 2020 to track and help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The programme is part of the UK Health Security Agency; the service and the agency are headed by Jenny Harries.

References

  1. ↑ "Mary Lieber Obituary (2012) - Salt Lake City, UT - Deseret News". Legacy.com .
  2. ↑ About IDFL- "About IDFL - IDFL". 31 May 2021.
  3. ↑ "IDFL News Issue No. 25" (PDF). www.idfl.com. May 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 July 2011.
  4. ↑ "Getting their fill: Salt Lake testing facility stays downright busy - Deseret News". Deseret News . Archived from the original on March 25, 2016.
  5. ↑ "IDFL Laboratory and Institute". Archived from the original on 2010-08-11.
  6. ↑ https://www.linkedin.com/in/wilf-lieber-72787914 [ self-published source ]
  7. ↑ "International Down and Feather Bureau: Testing Institutes with IDFB Certificate". Archived from the original on 2016-03-26.
  8. ↑ IDFL Europe- "IDFL Europe – Switzerland - IDFL". 29 May 2021.
  9. ↑ IDFL ASIA- "IDFL Laboratory and Institute". Archived from the original on 2010-07-27.
  10. ↑ "Sterilization Permits". Archived from the original on 2012-07-09. Retrieved 2011-05-10.
  11. ↑ Down and Feather Tests- http://www.feathers.com.my/images/IDFL%20Feather%20and%20Down%20Tests.pdf
  12. ↑ "The lowdown on down and feathers - Deseret News". Deseret News . Archived from the original on March 25, 2016.
  13. ↑ IDFL- "IDFL Laboratory and Institute". Archived from the original on 2010-08-11.
  14. ↑ "Traumpass - Home".
  15. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-28. Retrieved 2016-03-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. ↑ "IDFL Laboratory and Institute". Archived from the original on 2015-06-07.
  17. ↑ "Responsible Down Standard (RDS) - Textile Exchange".
  18. ↑ "Responsible Down Standard".
  19. ↑ http://www.patagonia.com/pdf/en_US/PATAGONIA_TRACEABLE_DOWN_STANDARD_121013.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  20. ↑ "Down smackdown: The North Face v Patagonia on ethical feather standards | Guardian sustainable business | The Guardian". TheGuardian.com . 27 August 2014.
  21. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-02-29. Retrieved 2016-03-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

40°44′16″N111°51′34″W / 40.73786°N 111.8594°W / 40.73786; -111.8594

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.