NRTL certificate without a factory - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: blueskull
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 14, 2017, 04:55:55 am
content: Hi all. This is the continuation of this thread:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/should-i-market-this-thing-and-how/Is there a way I can get an NRTL certificate (UL/CSA60950-1 is the standard for certification I am looking for) without owning an accredited factory?I don't have a preference on which NRTL I need. I just need a ticket of entrance to US/CA market. I know I can sell legally to US without an NRTL certificate since according to US laws, importer (in case of individual purchase, the buyer) takes all responsibility, but I want to give my potential customer more confidence, and it also makes local distribution easier.From my understanding (of UL/CSA/ETL), in order to get the certificate, my design must pass certification inspection and testing, and my manufacturing facility must pass periodic factory inspection.I don't have a factory, so I want to know if I can just hire a certified factory to build my design for me. If so, do you have any of these to recommend to me?Also, do all steps of manufacturing must be done in certified factories? I use bare power semiconductor dice, and the wire bonding must be done in a university lab, which is not certified.Thanks in advance.

author: calexanian
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2017, 06:41:05 am
content: I don't know how practical it would be without a physical facility set up where you manufacture and test the products. Also i have no U.L. or CSA experience in china. In the U.S. there are three routes you can go. First, and in all cases you submit the design and all of its component and sub assembly documentation and a physical sample (Requirements vary based on the UL standard you are wanting a listing for.) You will be assigned a area UL consultant who will review your case. They will confirm you are looking for the correct standard and make you buy it. They are quite expensive. We have paid over $1000 for some in hard copy. I would think digital copies would be more cost effective. At this point they will also start figuring out how much money they will need. Here in the US its lots. I have never heard of anything getting listed for less than 15K. I have heard that in China its a very different story and costs are much less but I have never seen any real numbers from there. They will perform the required tests on your product. If you fail to adhere to the standard you have to go fix the design and do it over again. Once you pass their evaluation you have a few ways to go. One way is you build it in house. They inspect your production facility to ensure you are using the same components with the same UL listings (Electronic components typically have an Ru symbol which corresponds to a UL file. parts from different manufacturers but with equivalent listings can be substituted, but parts of different design or spec require a change to your design and you have to re submit for a change. It costs less than the initial evaluation but still is a pain.) They will also inspect your testing apparatus. The standard will tell you what types of tests will be required. Common ones are insulation breakdown and hipot testing you you are mains powered. You must maintain test records and they will periodically (Typically quarterly) come inspect to make sure you are sticking to the rules. Those visits cost you as well. The second method is to do batch testing. You produce a run of product and take them to one of their recognized labs and perform the tests there. They will then allow you to afix the proper certification labels to those products. They will track them by serial number. All of the previous things still apply, but the testing is performed at their place in batches. And last is contract manufacturing where they handle the testing and maintenance. Many large outfits have in house testing. You just pay for the up front evaluations and they take it from there. They deliver a finished in the box product.Hope this helped. Oh. UL is no longer the only recognized group. ETL is also acceptable and sometimes more affordable. Any NRTL lab with an appropriate standard is acceptable contrary to what UL would have you think!

author: MagicSmoker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2017, 10:17:49 am
content: Excellent summary, calexanian. I would just add that EMC compliance certification (aka the infamous "FCC part 15" in the US) is also necessary and, unfortunately, a separate testing process.

author: theatrus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2017, 03:11:18 pm
content: Avoiding UL and using one of the other competitors (ETL/CSA/TUV, depending on the standard) is my suggestion from having done UL in the past. They're all expensive, but even dealing with UL is harder for more money outlay. Unless your customer simply won't accept any other safety certificate, I'd suggest avoiding UL.EMC compliance is course required, and needs to be done NRTL as well, but has no filing other other requirements if its not an intentional emitter.

author: saturation
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2017, 05:11:22 pm
content: I hear Intertek is most popular in Asia. Another option is getting a safety consultant to guide you through the processes before the NRTL agency and potentially recommend a more economical path.For example:http://www.productsafetyinc.com/