Imagine that you’ve created a new electronic product.
Your product is fantastic, and you would love to show it to the world. But what happens when you turn it on? The battery instantly catches on fire, leading to unhappy customers and recalls, worsening your reputation, and inviting potential lawsuits.
Many products are tested for reliability before coming to market, and the best way to certify electric goods is through UL certification.
Over the last three decades, Strouse has worked to ensure accuracy in the parts we build. UL certification requires that your product meet industry safety standards, such as the UL 9540 energy storage standards.
If you have a product that could require electronic safety testing, reading this article will prepare you for that project phase.
UL Listed and UL Recognized are two types of safety qualifications intended for different products.
UL Listed means that the stand-alone product was tested as a whole rather than just its components. The requirements for UL listed tend to be stricter because it’s intended as a seal of endorsement for purchasers.
UL-listed products have undergone many requirements, most of which are based on UL’s published Standards for safety. Yet, products are evaluated with additional needs in cases such as:
In addition, environmental and safety codes differ from state to state, so you should check with UL to remain compliant.
The last consideration is UL’s marketing. When displaying the certification, an appropriate version of the UL listed mark is typically enough as long as your product shows the complete UL mark.
UL Recognition is more production-focused, centering around your product's machinery and different working parts. With Recognition, UL has ensured that your equipment is properly housed but might need additional installation precautions.
Once again: UL Listed checks the whole product while UL Recognition checks product components for industry standards.
Whether you seek UL Recognized or Listed ultimately depends on your needs. For instance, you’d likely want a UL Recognized certification if the various components of your product had specific industry regulations in place.
Now, we’re going to discuss specific UL listed classifications, such as UL 9540 or 9450a, to help you understand how their labels prove verification for different safety requirements.
The difference between UL 9540 and UL 9540a is that the former is a set of standards for energy storage systems to follow, while the latter is a specific test intended to gauge thermal runaway.
UL 9540 is a safety standard for an energy storage system (ESS) and equipment intended for connection to a local utility grid or standalone application. It designates vital issues associated with ESS, including:
Before getting a UL certification, you must ensure your product meets the requirements! For UL 9540, your device shouldn’t exceed the maximum energy capacity:
You should also check that the product’s polymeric materials comply with the requirements outlined in UL 746C. The only exceptions are electronic systems intended for outdoor installation and electrochemical ESSes, which need to employ an enclosure of non-combustible materials.
Lastly, before you get a product certified, ensure you’ve got some cash in hand. Getting your product approved usually costs between $5,000 and $15,000.
UL 9540A is a test method for evaluating thermal runaway propagation for battery energy storage systems. This is very useful for engineers and developers to verify the effectiveness of the product’s protection against key issues like fire.
The UL 9540A test does not directly award the certificate. Instead, it provides data for manufacturers to determine whether their products meet the regulations.
UL 9540a tests determine how the electronic components might act in a worst-case scenario. There are four stages in the UL9540A test method:
So, you’re wondering how to get your product UL-certified. Fortunately, the process is relatively simple.
This whole process usually takes around six months but could also take multiple years. It all depends on how complex your product is and if the prototype is technically compliant with all applicable UL standards.
Congratulations! Your product got accepted for UL certification. Yet, you should know a few more things going forward.
After getting your UL certification, you’ll be required to let them inspect your product regularly. This is to ensure that your product maintains UL’s standards. When UL spots that your product is non-compliant, you will be given a variation notice, and you’ll have to resolve any issues as fast as possible.
Now, it’s harder to do redesigns. When modifying a certified product, you’ll have to pick from two options: Either choose a material approved by UL or send your revised product for another patch of tests.
Getting a UL certification will not only confirm that your product is safe and reliable but also raise your clients’ trust because of the UL logo. However, if your product isn’t finalized before submission, it can take far longer than anticipated.
An unoptimized project will delay your product launch and increase your costs. In the worst-case scenario, you might even abandon the whole project, wasting your effort and money.
Don’t risk delaying your project because of confusion over certifications or an overly complicated design. Instead, test out your product to ensure that the design and materials are fully functional before you seek certification.
Get a sample today, or read about more product resources in our Learning Center.
Originally published: May 25, 2021