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Luminaires Manufacturers Get New ENERGY STAR Certification Resources

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has posted new materials that aid in the testing and certification of lighting products for ENERGY STAR: Certifying Luminaires – Utilizing the Certified Subcomponent Database (CSD) This document helps luminaire manufacturers select components for ENERGY STAR fixtures. Items listed on the CSD have already been tested for photometric, life... Read More

Five Tips for Avoiding Counterfeit Electrical Products

Counterfeit electrical products are a huge and growing problem.  Counterfeit products worth billions of dollars enter the U.S. each year.  According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 13% of all counterfeit products seized are electrical products, ranking them second among all category totals. The manufacture of counterfeit electrical products is popular because the profits... Read More

Hazardous Location Product Safety Certification Requirements for EU, China, Russia, Korea & India

This post is the second of two posts on hazardous location product safety testing and certification.  The first post explored testing for UL/CSA, ATEX & IECEx. This post looks at certification requirements for particular markets/countries. North America In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) governs the Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTL) program,... Read More

FCC Outlines Testing of Consumer Wireless Charging Devices at TCB Council Workshop

At the recent Telecommunication Certification Body Council Workshop  in Baltimore, Kwok Chan and Mark Neumann of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Office of Engineering and Technology outlined testing and certification requirements for Consumer Wireless Charging Devices.  Wireless charging devices are generally used to charge batteries in portable electronic devices via magnetic induction.  Chargers can deliver... Read More

Hazardous Location Product Safety Testing Explained for UL/CSA, ATEX & IECEx

Safety testing and certifying products for hazardous locations is complicated, especially when a manufacturer is exporting to multiple markets. Following is a basic primer.  For more detailed information or questions, contact MET Labs.  Standards In countries with formal certification and a 3-zone system, the IEC60079 series of standards is commonly used, adopted as National Standards... Read More

FAA and EASA Accept RTCA/DO-160 Test Reports from Accredited and Non-Accredited Labs

Despite some reports to the contrary, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will accept RTCA/DO-160 commercial aircraft equipment test reports from accredited and non-accredited labs. Accreditation is a 3rd party assessment of a laboratory’s quality systems, processes, and documentation.  Accreditation assures a minimum level of competence, but it does... Read More