UL Issues World’s First IEC 62368-1 Second Edition CB Certificates for Individual Technology Products
HONG KONG, April 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — UL (Underwriters Laboratories) has recently issued the World’s first IEC 62368-1 Second Edition CB certificates for individual products from leading technology companies such as Samsung Electronics, Lenovo, and Alpha Networks. Following the official release of IEC 62368-1 Second Edition, UL immediately filed to become the first testing laboratory to qualify for IEC 62368-1 Second Edition CB testing, and upon approval completed the CB testing and certification issuance procedures in March 2014.
The high-tech products to receive the first IEC 62368-1 Second Edition CB certificates for their product categories respectively include a curved UHD TV, a LCD Monitor, a BD Home Theater, and a Blu-ray Disc Player from Samsung Electronics, an All-in-one Computer and a Desktop Computer from Lenovo, and a networking product from Alpha Networks.
To better accommodate rapid changes in technology and escalating product innovation, the IEC 62368-1 standard for safety of audio/video, information, and communication technology equipment was created based on the safety science principles, Hazard-Based Safety Engineering (abbreviated “HBSE”), with an emphasis on designing safety into the product during the early stages of product development. As IEC 62368-1 will eventually replace the existing IEC 60065 and IEC 60950-1 standards for audio/video and information technology equipment, respectively, industry leaders have been working closely with UL since 2013 to prepare in advance to start using the new edition as their major new product lines are introduced. Partnering with UL over the past year, these same industry leaders are learning that IEC 62368-1 provides greater design flexibility than the legacy 60065 or 60950-1 standards, allowing them additional design alternatives to make their products more competitive. Certification of their products to the new edition of IEC 62368-1 not only indicates that these industry leaders are proactively planning for the adoption of the new standard and any associated impact, but also signifies that their products have successfully advanced beyond the limitations of the legacy safety standards and risen to the next level. Additionally, this is a great demonstration of the innovation, forward-looking vision and strength in the global electronics industry.
Compared with the inaugural edition, IEC 62368-1 Second Edition is a more mature and refined standard, with enhancements incorporated into it based on experience with the First Edition. As a result, it is expected to be more widely adopted globally, and as of March 2014 the standard is now active in the IECEE CB Scheme and has an accompanying test report form (TRF) for which UL is the Originator. National Certification Bodies (NCBs) such as UL can now apply to issue certifications to IEC 62368-1 Ed 2 under the CB Scheme — UL being the first to have this capability.
UL has long been involved in the development of IEC 62368-1, working closely with industry at both the national and international levels, including leadership roles on these committees and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Technical Committee 108 (TC 108). UL has also actively assisted many manufacturers become knowledgeable on the principles and requirements in the new standard, and proficient applying them – there is a learning curve involved identifying and understanding the additional alternatives that allow for greater design flexibility not present in the current legacy standards. UL will continue its deep partnership with the electronics industry, assisting them leverage the advantages of the new standard and its HBSE concepts, and collaborating to create more flexible and versatile safety design solutions that allow for new and innovative technology to be brought to the market sooner, all of which consumers can continue to rely on to operate safely.