Introduction to UL Certification in USA
UL is mainly engaged in product safety certification and business safety certification business, its purpose is to obtain a fairly safe level of goods for the market, for personal health and property safety to be guaranteed to contribute. As an effective means of eliminating technical barriers to international trade, UL also plays an active role in promoting the development of international trade. UL was founded in 1894. In the initial stage, UL mainly relied on the fire insurance department to provide funds to maintain its operations. It was not until 1916 that UL was fully self-reliant. After nearly a hundred years of development, UL has become a world-renowned certification body, with its own rigorous organizational management system, standard development and product certification procedures. UL is managed by a board of security experts, government officials, consumers, educators, representatives of public utilities, insurance and standards departments. Its daily work is handled by the president and vice president. UL has five laboratories in the United States, headquartered in the town of Northbrook in northern Chicago, with corresponding laboratories in Taiwan and Hong Kong. In the United States, UL is a symbol of safety signs for consumers. Globally, UL is one of the trusted qualified evaluation providers for manufacturers. UL logo is usually marked on product and/or product packaging to indicate that the product has passed UL certification and meets safety standards.
UL Authentication Identification
Benefits of UL certification
1. The whole U.S. market pays great attention to product safety; consumers and purchasers will choose products with UL certification marks when choosing products.
2. UL has a history of more than 100 years. The image of safety is deeply rooted in consumers and governments. If you do not sell products directly to consumers, intermediaries will also require UL certification marks to make products sell well.
3. American consumers and purchasers are more confident in their products.
4. The federal, state, county and municipal governments of the United States have more than 40,000 districts, all of which recognize UL certification marks.
UL Certification Product Services
1. Listing (LISTED): [1] UL certification generally applies only to complete products and various devices and devices that qualified personnel replace or install on site. It belongs to various products of UL listed services, including household appliances, medical equipment, computers, commercial equipment and various types of electricity used in buildings. Apparatus products. Such as distribution systems, fuses, wires, switches and other electrical components. Usually, products listed by UL can be labeled with UL's label and used side by side.
2. Recognized: Recognized service is an item in UL service. The products identified can only be used as components and raw materials in UL listing, grading or other approved products. The approved product is not complete in structure or has certain limitations in use to ensure the expected safety performance. In most cases, the tracking services for approved products fall into category R. The approved products of Class L include AVLV2, ZKLU2, ZPFW2, DVVR2 and DXUZ2. Accredited products require accreditation marks.
3. Classification: Classification services only evaluate specific hazards of products, or evaluate products that implement standards other than UL standards (including internationally recognized standards, such as IEC and ISO standards). Generally speaking, most graded products are not products used by consumers, but products used in industry or commerce.
The grading marks in UL marks indicate that there are certain restrictions and prescribed ranges for the products to be identified by UL. For example, for industrial chemicals such as solvents, only the range of fires that may occur when they reach the ignition point temperature is evaluated. Classification services and listing services for some products are the same, but generally only one or several aspects of the products are evaluated. For example, in the United States, medical X-ray diagnostic equipment should abide by U.S. laws and regulations on radiation emission and beam accuracy, but UL only classifies X-rays as classified products, so only X-rays are used. Evaluate its mechanical, electrical and other non-radiative properties.
4. Multiple Listing, Multiple Recognition or Multiple Classification Services: When an UL applicant obtains the above-mentioned Listing, Recognition or Classification Services, his products are produced in the name of another company to meet the needs of sales, he can apply for multiple Listing, Multiple Recognition or Multiple Classification Services. In this case, he can be listed. An approved or graded manufacturer is allowed to use the name of another company in the product catalogue, but the product must be identical to the original listed, approved or graded product except for the company code, product code or other features that UL considers acceptable.
5. "AL" listing, accreditation or grading service: If UL applicant does not want to obtain listing, accreditation or grading service in the name of his company, he can apply for listing, accreditation or grading service in the name of another business (usually retailer or wholesaler), that is, "AL" listing, accreditation or grading service. It differs from multiple listing, multiple accreditation or multiple classification services in that its applicant is not a listed person.
6. System Certification Service: As a member of the International Accreditation Committee, UL extensively participates in ISO9000 Quality System Certification, ISO14000 Environmental Protection Certification, QS9000 Automobile Industry Quality System Certification and AS9000 Aircraft Industry Quality System Certification Service. A total of 116 factories in China have obtained UL system certification; 21 of them are ISO 9002 certification, 85 are ISO 9002 certification, 1 is ISO 14001 certification, and 9 are QS9000 certification.
7. Other UL services: certification services, inspection services, factual judgment services, research services, etc.
Information required for UL certification
1. The applicant submits a written application for company and product information: You should request UL to test your company's products in writing.
Company Information: Provide detailed and accurate name, address, contact person, postal code, telephone and fax of the following units in Chinese and English.
(a) Applicant Company: A company that submits an application for product testing and is responsible for the full cost of engineering services
Listing companies: companies listed in the catalogues of products published by UL
(c) Production plants: manufacturers and producers of products.
2. Product information: Product information should be provided in English.
(a). Name of the product: Full name of the product provided.
(b) Product type: specify all product types, varieties or classification numbers that need to be tested.
(c) The intended use of the product: for example, family, office, factory, coal mine, ship, etc.
(d) Part list: Detailed list of components and models (classification number), rated value and manufacturer's name. For insulating materials, please provide the name of raw materials, such as GE Polycarbonate, Lexan Type 104. When parts have been certified or approved by UL, please prove the specific model of the parts and indicate their UL file number.
(e). Electrical performance: for electronic and electrical products. Provide electrical schematic diagram (circuit diagram), electrical performance table.
(f). Structural charts: For most products, it is necessary to provide product structure charts or explosion charts, batching tables, etc.
(g) Photographs, instructions for use, safety, etc. or installation instructions of the product.
3. When the product information provided is complete, UL engineers make the following decisions based on the data: UL standard, engineering cost, testing time, sample quantity, etc. which are the basis of the experiment, and notify you in writing, and send the formal application form and tracking service agreement to your company. 。 The fee limit is indicated in the application form, which is estimated by UL according to the testing items. Without your written authorization, the fee limit can not be exceeded.
4. Applicants for company remittance, return application form and sample UL certification sign the application form and tracking service agreement, and send the form back to UL company. At the same time, samples are sent by bank remittance, post office or express mail. Please give appropriate description of the samples (such as name and model). Please send the application form and samples separately. For each application item, UL will specify the project number (Project No.) to indicate the project number and the name of the applicant company when sending the remittance, sample and application form, so as to facilitate UL's collection.
5. UL will inform you of the completion time of the experiment plan after the product inspection receives the application form, remittance and test sample signed by your company. Product testing is usually carried out in UL laboratories in the United States. UL can also accept audited third-party test data. The test samples will be returned or destroyed according to your requirements. If the product test results meet the requirements of UL standard, UL company will issue the following Up Service Procedure test report which will elaborate on the test situation, the indicators reached by the sample, the product structure and the safety signs suitable for the use of the product. Descriptions of products and instructions for UL regional inspectors are included in the tracking service rules. A copy of the test report is sent to the applicant company and a copy of the tracking service rules is sent to each manufacturing plant.
6. The applicant is authorized to use UL logo in UL area of China to contact the production plant for the first factory inspection (Initial Production Inspection. IPI). The inspector inspects the production line and warehouse storage of your products and their parts to confirm that the product structure and parts are in accordance with the tracking service rules. If required by the Rules, the Regional Inspector will also conduct eyewitness experiments. When the results of the inspection meet the requirements, the applicant will be authorized to use the UL logo. Following IPI, inspectors will visit factories from time to time to inspect product structure and conduct eyewitness experiments. The frequency of inspections is determined by product type and production. Most types of products are inspected at least four times a year. Inspectors inspect products to ensure that they continue to conform to UL requirements. When you plan to change product structure or Before components, please inform UL that for minor changes, UL can quickly modify the tracking service rules so that the inspectors can accept such changes without repeating any experiments. When UL considers that the product changes affect its safety performance, it is necessary to apply for the company to re-submit the samples for necessary testing.
7. If the product test results fail to meet UL standard requirements, UL will notify the applicant of the existing problems. After the applicant improves the product design, he can re-submit the product. You should tell UL engineer what improvements have been made so that he can decide the above steps to apply for UL certification.
UL Certified Product Range
Any electronic, electrical, mechanical or electromechanical product with UL marks indicates that the product has met the generally recognized requirements of product safety standards in the United States and Canada. It is tested to meet the relevant product safety standards. It also represents that the production plant agrees to receive strict periodic inspection to ensure product quality. Consistency can be sold to the markets of the United States and Canada.
UL authentication cycle
Routine 3-4 weeks, can be urgent, urgent need to pay additional fees
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