[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 39, Volume 1]
[Revised as of July 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 39CFR501.16]

[Page 180-181]
 
                        TITLE 39--POSTAL SERVICE
 
                 CHAPTER I--UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
 
PART 501--AUTHORIZATION TO MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTE POSTAGE METERS--Table 
of Contents
 
Sec. 501.16  Breakdown and endurance testing.

    Each meter model proposed for manufacturing must pass without error 
or breakdown the following described printing cycle endurance test, 
which includes operation of the printing mechanism with proper 
registration of the selected postage value in both the ascending and 
descending registers. At reasonably frequent intervals, the manufacturer 
must take meters at random from production and subject them to breakdown 
tests to make certain that quality and performance standards are 
maintained.
    (a) For meters that operate at 100 or more printing cycles per 
minute--4 million cycles. For meters that operate at less than 100 
printing cycles per minute (and cannot be used interchangeably on power-
base machines that operate at 100 or more printing cycles per minute)--2 
million cycles.
    (b) For multidenomination and omnidenomination meters, postage value 
selection elements must be tested for one-half million operations. A 
complete operation includes selection of a value and return to zero.
    (c) Balance register lockout operation must be done at the start of, 
at

[[Page 181]]

intervals during, and after the printing cycle test.