×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Contact US

*
*
*
*

Thanks. We have received your request and will respond promptly.

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here
Home > Forums > Engineering Codes, Standards & Certifications > Engineering Codes, Standards & Certifications > Codes and standards general discussion > FAQs

Codes and standards general discussion FAQ

NRTLs

Which NRTL to use for safety approvals? by productapprovals
faq14-1591
Posted: 24 Nov 09 (Edited 24 Nov 09)

When developing and launching a new electrical/electronic product for the North American market, the question will arise - which NRTL (Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory) should we use to get our product safety certified?

Probably the most likely answer is to use Underwriters Laboratories and get the UR mark (UL recognized) for a component and the listing mark for end-products. The UL mark is still the most widely known mark and will automatically be accepted by prospective customers.
But it's always worth considering the competitors - including CSA, TUV, Intertek (ETL mark) and MET Labs. These NRTL labs are growing and providing increasing competition to UL.
It's worth considering an alternative to UL but if you have existing key customers or are targetting key prospective customers, be sure to check out whether they will accept the proposed safety marking on your product.
Remember to consider if you want to sell in Canada as well as the US. If covering both markets, you should ask UL for cULus listing mark for end products and cURus mark for components. This means your product will be evaluated to the relevant Canadian and American national standards. Other NRTLs do the same thing e.g. Intertek would apply the cETLus lsiting mark as their version of UL's cULus listing mark.
It's worth getting two or three quotes to compare before giving your order to your chosen NRTL. Prices and timescales can vary widely. Sometimes the NRTLS may advise different standards apply for your product category if your product is in a more unusual area and the category is not obvious.
www.productapprovals.co.uk
 

Back to Codes and standards general discussion FAQ Index
Back to Codes and standards general discussion Forum

My Archive


Resources

Low-Volume Rapid Injection Molding With 3D Printed Molds
Learn methods and guidelines for using stereolithography (SLA) 3D printed molds in the injection molding process to lower costs and lead time. Discover how this hybrid manufacturing process enables on-demand mold fabrication to quickly produce small batches of thermoplastic parts. Download Now
Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM)
Examine how the principles of DfAM upend many of the long-standing rules around manufacturability - allowing engineers and designers to place a part’s function at the center of their design considerations. Download Now
Taking Control of Engineering Documents
This ebook covers tips for creating and managing workflows, security best practices and protection of intellectual property, Cloud vs. on-premise software solutions, CAD file management, compliance, and more. Download Now
Close Box

Join Eng-Tips® Today!

Join your peers on the Internet's largest technical engineering professional community.
It's easy to join and it's free.

Here's Why Members Love Eng-Tips Forums:

Register now while it's still free!

Already a member? Close this window and log in.

Join Us             Close