Today, we are going to discuss the "What are UL Standards, a brief summary of UL StandardsA note on "The
Image borrowed from UL's website
- UL Standard
- UL standard means the standard of the certification body "UL".
- What is the Purpose of UL Standards?
- About the National Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL), to which the third-party organization "UL" belongs
- Why do we need to be UL Listed?
- Two UL Standard certification classifications
- To find out about UL standards in Japan
- To obtain UL Standard certification
- When components are contained within end-user equipment
UL Standard
UL standard means the standard of the certification body "UL".
UL standards are product safety standards established by Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL), a U.S. certification organization.
<Reference:Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
What is the Purpose of UL Standards?
Purpose of UL Standardsin brief,Standardization on "function and safety" of products from materials, equipment (parts) and toolsto do so.
Quote: From UL's official website (partial quote)
UL is a private, global, third-party safety science organization with more than a century of experience in testing and evaluating thousands of products to UL safety standards and other standards. UL has tested and evaluated thousands of products to UL safety standards and other standards.
About the National Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL), to which the third-party organization "UL" belongs
What is NRTL?
NRTL stands for "National Recognized Testing Laboratories," a private agency accredited by OSHA (a government agency) and authorized to conduct safety testing and certification of various products in accordance with federal standards.
18 NRTLs (private agencies accredited by OSHA)
- Applied Research Laboratories, Inc (ARL)
- Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
- Communication Certification Laboratories, Inc.
- Curtis-Straus LLC (CSL)
- Electrotest Corporation (ETI)
- FM Global Technology LLC (FM)
- Intertek Test Services NA, Inc. (formerly ETL) (ITSNA)
- Entera, Inc. (ENT)
- Metra Laboratories, Inc.
- NSF International (NSF)
- National Technical Systems, Inc (NTS)
- SGS US Testing Company, Inc.
- Southwest Research Institute (SWRI )
- TUV America, Inc. (TUVAM )
- TUV Product Service Gmbh (TUVPSG)
- TUV Rheinland North America, Inc (TUV)
- Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.
- Weil Laboratories (WL)
Why do we need to be UL Listed?
basically
UL standards (testing and safety certification) are optional for manufacturers
The person being sold is
Municipalities require UL listed (safety certified) products
- Products are virtually impossible to sell
- In most cases, UL certification is required when exporting to or selling in the U.S.
So, the manufacturer is not the only one who manufactures
It is the company's policy and responsibility to undergo rigorous safety testing and obtain UL certification to minimize the possibility of product rejection in the field and to minimize hazards to the user when using the product.
Two UL Standard certification classifications
There are two types of UL Standard Marks
- Listing Certification:Certification for the final product
- Recognition certification: certification for components incorporated into products
To find out about UL standards in Japan
1. How to find out on the Web
- Comprehensive information site for UL standards (English):http://ulstandards.ul.com/
- Site provided by UL Standards:http://www.ulstandards.com/
2. Simplest method
By consulting with UL Japan, they will research UL standards applicable to the function, structure, and intended use of the product.
- contact information (for inquiries) (e.g. corporate phone number)E-Mail:customerservice.jp@ul.com
*In my case, I was able to receive an answer in about half a day. (Thanks)
To obtain UL Standard certification
Since some products can be tested in Japan, UL Japan can provide a one-stop service to obtain product certification marks from around the world without having to send product samples to the United States. (Some products cannot be tested in Japan.)
therefore
The fastest way is to consult with UL Japan.
When components are contained within end-user equipment
When an end-user's product tries to obtain a UL Standard, the component provider (this side) may basically provide information for obtaining the UL Standard or change the material to comply with the UL Standard according to the end-user's instructions.
That's it.