Gary, Rich, I have worked with hi-tech companies in Israel since 1987. Most do not have CB Test Reports. Most get their UL/CUL, CE (Safety and EMC). Quiet a few get TUV Rheinland Approvals. Many also obtain telecom approvals in various countries and so far, the CE Reports have been good enough for all companies.
It is important that your CE Reports are issued by an accredited lab. Our lab for example, is accredited by many organizations in the world (A2LA, TUV Rheinland, UL Certificated Agent, GOSST, etc, etc.). We had worked with a few clients to get their CB Reports through UL. But this requirement only came because of large OEMs. Their specs also require CB (ie if you don't get it, you lose a large order). Some of our largest clients sell their products in over 80 countries and are traded in the NY Stock Exchange. Of these, none have CB Test Reports. For Eastern Bloc countries and China, it seems that a good CE Report is all that is needed. Very rarely, a member of the standards institute of the country in question may wish to take a trip abroad and audit the lab which issues the CE test reports at he expense of the client. Still, this comes out miles cheaper than issuing CB Test Reports for each product manufactured. Regards, Peter Merguerian > Rich, Peter. > We haven't used CB reports yet because I haven't been convinced they > buy me anything - yet. If somebody still wants to have samples etc. to look > at even with a CB report I get to clock in some weeks while it churns > through their in basket and sample expense. I might as well have them check > construction and test at the same time. So for most of the market UL and TUV > have made the most sense. Nobody has asked me for samples in the current > market I play in and no additional time was lost while they decided whether > or not they really like the construction. > My mindset may be changing as I talk with more and more of us about how > useful it has been in real practice. The biggest point in favor that I am > hearing is that some folks are having success with non "CB" countries. > Although I am not sure that this is much different that Brazil asking me > recently if I had UL 1950 and EN60950 compliance and then accepting the > equipment once I affirmed that I did. > Having said that, the process of submitting the end product before > the CB report on the power supply is complete is directly analogous to > having my end equipment to get recognized or certified in parallel with the > power supply manufacturer getting their power supply approvals. Some of my > approvals have been held slightly while the power supply investigation is > being completed by the manufacturer. The risks are the same with the > conditions of acceptability. I try to stay ahead of that by talking with the > power supply and making certain that they are bench testing without > additional airflow across their power supply to meet temperature > specifications etc. So the CB report is no worse nor any better from this > standpoint. > I am assuming that the approvals process must be somewhat longer > with the CB report, even if it is written before submittal, as it still must > require auditing by the certification authority - if nothing else. Given > sufficient gain in the form of ease of submittal to new non-CB countries I > can justify the extra time "pain". > The additional costs should be pretty much offset by not having to submit to > a European recognized lab such as TUV, or for those that get a rash from > working with UL, submitting my product to any of the other test houses that > can issue a CB report in lieu of UL. > Still watching an assimilating the responses from our members before I > decide. The input is very helpful. > Gary McInturff > -----Original Message----- > From: Rich Nute [SMTP:[email protected]] > Sent: Monday, November 23, 1998 10:24 AM > To: [email protected] > Cc: [email protected] > Subject: Re: Why are CB reports truly useful? > > > > Hi Peter: > > > > Unless the power supply has a CB Test Report of its own (and > > most do not!) > > As a matter of course, if we are going for a CB on the > end-product, then we request a power supply CB as a part > of doing business with the power supply vendor/manufacturer. > > Power supply safety certifications, including the CB, are > included in our purchase spec. Of course, we must pay for > the CB, but we don't need to do the work, and we don't need > to interface between the power supply manufacturer and the > certification house. > > The biggest issue is timing. In my experience, power supply > manufacturers are reluctant to submit until very late in the > design cycle. Usually, we start our end-product submittal > BEFORE we have the CB in hand. Our cert houses won't issue > the end-product CB without the power supply CB. And, we run > a slight risk that the power supply "conditions of > acceptability" might require us to do more testing. But, for > the most part, we anticipate those tests and perform them > whether they are needed or not. In this way, we get our CB > on time. > > > Now imagine a manufacturer > had > > more than one or altenate power supplies in his product. > > Yes. Been there, done that. No big deal. It makes your > end-product CB Test Report VERY LARGE! Each CB Test Report > is about 60-70 pages, so you get the end-product report > PLUS two alternate power supplies and about 200 pages! > > Biggest problem is reproducing the report for each additional > country submittal and certification! > > > Best regards, > Rich > > > > > --------- > This message is coming from the emc-pstc discussion list. > To cancel your subscription, send mail to [email protected] > with the single line: "unsubscribe emc-pstc" (without the > quotes). For help, send mail to [email protected], > [email protected], [email protected], or > [email protected] (the list administrators). PETER S. MERGUERIAN MANAGING DIRECTOR PRODUCT TESTING DIVISION I.T.L. (PRODUCT TESTING) LTD. HACHAROSHET 26, P.O.B. 211 OR YEHUDA 60251, ISRAEL TEL: 972-3-5339022 FAX: 972-3-5339019 E-MAIL: [email protected] Visit our Website: http://www.itl.co.il --------- This message is coming from the emc-pstc discussion list. To cancel your subscription, send mail to [email protected] with the single line: "unsubscribe emc-pstc" (without the quotes). For help, send mail to [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected] (the list administrators).
