UL Approval vs. Others?

[Clive Tobin]

We are just starting to make a new product that might wind up being
bought or installed in government facilities.

I hear that they usually insist on UL (Underwriters Laboratories)
inspection and approval for electrical safety.

I also hear that this is extremely expensive to get, so other companies
sometimes use other agencies instead. Such as: City of Los Angeles, CSA
(Canadian Standards Association), ETL (Electrical Testing Laboratories)
and have I forgotten any?

Anyone know which is the cheapest place to use, that issues safety
stickers that are universally recognized and accepted? Since we might
wind up collecting on a street corner with a tin cup to raise the
funds. Thanks.

 

Clive Tobin <clive@webband.com> wrote:

Anyone know which is the cheapest place to use, that issues safety
stickers that are universally recognized and accepted?

You might also ask in sci.engr.electrical.compliance , which is more
focused on these kinds of questions.

Matt Roberds

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 17:10:26 GMT, the renowned PaulCsouls
<paulcsouls@worldnet.att.net> wrote:

We usually went and got UL approved, but during the design phase, I
would design to CSA. The UL documents were like $50 to 100, while CSA
documents were $25. Not really much compared to the thousands for
approval, but when your starting out on shoe-string budget and got a
couple of years of design ahead of you, every little bit counts. You
don't need approval until your ready for manufacturing. Hopefully by
then you've got some market interest to justify the expense.

Did you ever run into a case where the requirements for UL were more
stringent than for CSA?


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

 

[Joerg]

Hello Clive,

We are just starting to make a new product that might wind up being
bought or installed in government facilities.

I hear that they usually insist on UL (Underwriters Laboratories)
inspection and approval for electrical safety.

I'd ask. If they specifically mandate that it be tested by UL then you
have to use UL.

I also hear that this is extremely expensive to get, so other companies
sometimes use other agencies instead. Such as: City of Los Angeles, CSA
(Canadian Standards Association), ETL (Electrical Testing Laboratories)
and have I forgotten any?

Another one that competes in the North American marketplace is TUEV.
There are several TUEV entities and locations all over the country.

Anyone know which is the cheapest place to use, that issues safety
stickers that are universally recognized and accepted? Since we might
wind up collecting on a street corner with a tin cup to raise the
funds. Thanks.

That completely depends on the product. If it was me I'd first see
whether a specific agency's blessing, for example UL, is mandated. Then
I'd get bids from several labs along with good enough evidence about
accreditation, whether that pertains to your product etc. After all, you
don't want to hear at the end that a certain body wasn't authorized for
this particular case or the buyer insist on this or that lab.

Also, I'd pick a lab close by. Chances are that your engineers need to
be there at times and then you don't want to rack up thousands more in
travel expenses.

Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

 

[John Woodgate]

I read in sci.electronics.design that PaulCsouls
<paulcsouls@worldnet.att.net> wrote (in <jrstv0po2ah4jn42ql4gtnmaaq3pi93
i61@4ax.com&gt about 'UL Approval vs. Others?', on Tue, 1 Feb 2005:

Alot of people design
without worrying about the specs and just fix everything during testing.

..... which is the most costly and time-consuming way.

DESIGN IN! This applies to safety, EMC and anything else that's
regulated.
--
Regards, John Woodgate, OOO - Own Opinions Only.
The good news is that nothing is compulsory.
The bad news is that everything is prohibited.
http://www.jmwa.demon.co.uk Also see http://www.isce.org.uk