In the past I have had my problems with UL and lasers. The FDA does not measure laser energy. The CDRH (part of the FDA) collects reports of laser products from manufacturers. These reports are 25 pages long and filled with technical information about the product. There are usually a significant number of attachments to each report. The CDRH reviews these reports. If there are questions about completeness or accuracy, the CDRH will ask for further information. If they have no questions about the submitted data, the report is simply filed for future use. Each report is assigned an ACCESSION number. Also, CDRH does not evaluate laser systems or laser product with an eye toward "product safety" of the EN 60950 type, they only look at laser light issues.
My question is, has UL added standards or other expertise that they can use to evaluate lasers, laser safety and accuracy of the CDRH reports? That was my question a decade ago and I see it comes to light once again. BTW, obtaining CDRH reports for any given laser product or laser system is best done by contacting the manufacturer. They are interested in selling their products and if that is a condition of the sale, they will usually comply. However, don't expect to get these reports on laser diodes as a component, only on laser systems or laser products. > Scott s_doug...@ecrm.com gmcintu...@packetengines.com writes: >Have the vendor send the letter of ascension or whatever the FDA calls it >directly to UL. If the vendor doesn't have it yet, be prepared for a >lengthy >delay. The FDA isn't too quick about these things for resource reasons, I >suppose. UL has to have that information because they do not have the >equipment to measure the light intensity. They just accept the FDA >measurements. > Having danced around this issue myself, and understanding the number >of vendors that typically can provide the laser and do have the necessary >agency stuff out of the way I routinely reject those lasers that haven't >completed the process. The ones that I have accepted I had better need >pretty badly. > You didn't ask but the IEC-825 requirements and the UL requirements >are not fully aligned. I don't know what the difference is but I know >that I >have trouble getting TUV to buy off on a laser than is just recognized and >not yet certified. > Gary > > -----Original Message----- > From: pe...@itl.co.il [SMTP:pe...@itl.co.il] > Sent: Monday, March 22, 1999 12:15 PM > To: EMC-PST > Subject: FDA Reports for Laser Transceivers > > Dear All, > > Many of my ITE customers have usually up to six alternate Class I > laser transceivers which they can use in any one product. Some of > these are UL Recognized, others are not. In the latter case, our > client strives to get the FDA Reports prior to submitting their > products for a formal Listing investigation. UL then reviews these > FDA reports for completeness and accuracy and issues their > Listing. > > 1. It seems to take a very long time until my client does finally > succeed in getting the FDA Reports for the laser transceivers. > Does anyone know of any shortcut? > > 2. Does UL archive the unrecognized FDA laser reports for use > when products are submitted for Listing? > > Any help on the above will be much appreciated. > 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: pe...@itl.co.il > 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 majord...@ieee.org with the single line: "unsubscribe emc-pstc" (without the quotes). For help, send mail to ed.pr...@cubic.com, j...@gwmail.monarch.com, ri...@sdd.hp.com, or roger.volgst...@compaq.com (the list administrators).
