CertifiGroup a Cary NC company, announces the opening of a new Ingress Protection testing laboratory. This IP Code testing laboratory is the biggest privately owned facility in the Western Hemisphere.
Ingress Protection is the designation of a product’s ability to withstand the entry of objects, dust or liquid. The IP Code is arranged in a 2 digit format. The first digit, “Protection against foreign objects” is from 0 (Not protected) to 6 (Dust tight). The second digit “Protection against moisture” is from 0 (Not protected) to 8 (Protected from submersion). For example, a product that could withstand the most severe dust storm and be water tight would carry the designation IP68. Some electric motors and electrical enclosures bear the IP55 designation: Dust protected and protected against water jets. The US equivalent to IP56 (for UL Certification) is NEMA 4 and 4X. For the complete IP table and reference material, visit CertifiGroup.com and go to the “IP Code Testing” page.
The CertifiGroup Ingress Protection laboratory includes a variety of equipment for testing products that require proof of these protection characteristics. Some products require testing in the “Dust chamber”, others are subject to tests performed by an “Oscillating spray tester”, “Drip box” or “Jet nozzle” test apparatus. Joshua Hunt, an NC State graduate in mechanical engineering and head of the IP lab talks about the challenges for manufacturers. “A company might design lights for the top of a building, but they’re really not sure if the enclosures are water or dust tight until we test them. If they’re going to market these products for harsh environments they need to be sure, or failures later on can be disastrous”. This testing has to be done with the right equipment. “Recently we had a customer come to us because their previous testing lab, a nationally known product safety lab, used a shower in their bathroom for testing a lighting product”, Hunt said. “They were not confident this testing was done correctly”.
Some recent CertifiGroup clients include: Toshiba, Parker Hannifin, Altman Lighting, Standard Motor Products. The products tested range from small USB drives to enclosures to large 3 phase industrial motors. Some other clients with well-known names have projects where there were testing failures, and they are in the process of re-design or modifications. Because of these situations, it is a good business decision to get products to the testing lab early, before a test failure can delay projects or shipments.
CertifiGroup also tests many categories of electrical products for UL & CSA Certification, SEMI S-2, CE Marking for Europe. CertifiGroup also has special programs for manufacturers and designers of “Green Energy” equipment, including solar, wind turbine, geothermal and more.
For more information or to arrange a tour of our new Ingress Protection lab, visit the CertifiGroup website (CertifiGroup.com) or call 800-422-1651.
Showing posts with label Ingress Protection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ingress Protection. Show all posts
Monday, August 31, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
UL Safety for Wind Turbines – CertifiGroup Launches No-Cost Program for Designers and Manufacturers
CertifiGroup, a Cary NC company, is providing a free service to manufacturers and designers of wind turbine technologies for commercial and residential installation.
Do you know which UL, CSA and international Standards are correct for this category of equipment? How does product safety regulatory affect design and production timelines? Can a designer or manufacturer of this equipment gain an advantage in the marketplace by understanding these questions and acting on the information? There are many brilliant minds, entrepreneurs, mechanical and electrical specialists working on these technologies, but most of them are missing this critical information. CertifiGroup is providing free consultation to give these innovators a head start, and avoid costly delays at critical milestones.
Since the breaking of the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) monopoly, other testing laboratories can provide genuinely helpful customer service to small businesses and first-time designers. The new CertifiGroup alternative energy program will help insure these manufacturers and designers have every advantage in the marketplace.
Brad Collison, Engineering Manager at CertifiGroup, reports that the initial meetings with designers of wind turbines are very enlightening for everyone involved in the project. “In most cases, there was little consideration given to the product safety process. In all of these project working sessions, the designers had little or no knowledge of the UL and other Standards they needed to comply with”. The same holds true with investors and venture capital interests. “The timelines being laid out are incorrect. These manufacturers are going to face some uncomfortable questions from investors when milestones are missed because of design mistakes or testing laboratory delays. In one venture capital presentation I saw, the entire subject was missing,” said Collison. “This is a recipe for disaster, since competitors who have the knowledge will have the edge”.
Many designers have to go back to the drawing board because the product safety regulations were not considered early on, or the product was submitted to the lab and had electrical construction or test failures. The difficulty is that companies like UL don’t offer any design assistance – they simply tell you if the product fails evaluation or testing, then you have to try and figure out how to go back and get it right. This can take several attempts without help. The solution to all testing laboratory difficulties is genuine assistance in the design or prototype phase of product development. This is where CertifiGroup comes in. This free service will assist our designers and manufacturers of energy-saving products, and help our communities and our world become more environmentally friendly.
The new Wind Turbine technology is exciting. There are names like “Helix Wind”, “Quiet Revolution”, “Super Turbine”, “Sky Serpent”, loop wing and eggbeater designs, air generators, kites, spiral turbines. The opportunities are great, and the imagination of these designers is unlimited. But also, there are investors ready to ride the tide, stimulus monies to be had, local and state programs and laws encouraging this innovative and important Green technology work.
In the normal course of business, CertifiGroup handles a wide variety of equipment and product certifications, everything from lighting products to medical equipment to explosive atmosphere industrial systems. These projects require experience in the array of Standards available, such as UL, CSA, ANSI, ASTM and NFPA Standards. If the designer knows the Standard and how to build equipment to comply and pass testing, this process can go smoothly, sometimes going from submittal to certification in just a few weeks. These free sessions can potentially save thousands of dollars and help avoid delays the make the differences between success and failure of a product, or even a company.
CertifiGroup (certifigroup.com) also provides UL certifications, and has assisted many manufacturers in selling products in the Western Hemisphere, Europe and worldwide.
Contact Certifigroup at 800-422-1651, or at www.certifigroup.com to make an appointment for the free Green Design Assistance service. This program also includes Solar and other Green and Energy-Saving products.
Do you know which UL, CSA and international Standards are correct for this category of equipment? How does product safety regulatory affect design and production timelines? Can a designer or manufacturer of this equipment gain an advantage in the marketplace by understanding these questions and acting on the information? There are many brilliant minds, entrepreneurs, mechanical and electrical specialists working on these technologies, but most of them are missing this critical information. CertifiGroup is providing free consultation to give these innovators a head start, and avoid costly delays at critical milestones.
Since the breaking of the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) monopoly, other testing laboratories can provide genuinely helpful customer service to small businesses and first-time designers. The new CertifiGroup alternative energy program will help insure these manufacturers and designers have every advantage in the marketplace.
Brad Collison, Engineering Manager at CertifiGroup, reports that the initial meetings with designers of wind turbines are very enlightening for everyone involved in the project. “In most cases, there was little consideration given to the product safety process. In all of these project working sessions, the designers had little or no knowledge of the UL and other Standards they needed to comply with”. The same holds true with investors and venture capital interests. “The timelines being laid out are incorrect. These manufacturers are going to face some uncomfortable questions from investors when milestones are missed because of design mistakes or testing laboratory delays. In one venture capital presentation I saw, the entire subject was missing,” said Collison. “This is a recipe for disaster, since competitors who have the knowledge will have the edge”.
Many designers have to go back to the drawing board because the product safety regulations were not considered early on, or the product was submitted to the lab and had electrical construction or test failures. The difficulty is that companies like UL don’t offer any design assistance – they simply tell you if the product fails evaluation or testing, then you have to try and figure out how to go back and get it right. This can take several attempts without help. The solution to all testing laboratory difficulties is genuine assistance in the design or prototype phase of product development. This is where CertifiGroup comes in. This free service will assist our designers and manufacturers of energy-saving products, and help our communities and our world become more environmentally friendly.
The new Wind Turbine technology is exciting. There are names like “Helix Wind”, “Quiet Revolution”, “Super Turbine”, “Sky Serpent”, loop wing and eggbeater designs, air generators, kites, spiral turbines. The opportunities are great, and the imagination of these designers is unlimited. But also, there are investors ready to ride the tide, stimulus monies to be had, local and state programs and laws encouraging this innovative and important Green technology work.
In the normal course of business, CertifiGroup handles a wide variety of equipment and product certifications, everything from lighting products to medical equipment to explosive atmosphere industrial systems. These projects require experience in the array of Standards available, such as UL, CSA, ANSI, ASTM and NFPA Standards. If the designer knows the Standard and how to build equipment to comply and pass testing, this process can go smoothly, sometimes going from submittal to certification in just a few weeks. These free sessions can potentially save thousands of dollars and help avoid delays the make the differences between success and failure of a product, or even a company.
CertifiGroup (certifigroup.com) also provides UL certifications, and has assisted many manufacturers in selling products in the Western Hemisphere, Europe and worldwide.
Contact Certifigroup at 800-422-1651, or at www.certifigroup.com to make an appointment for the free Green Design Assistance service. This program also includes Solar and other Green and Energy-Saving products.
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