Approval Specialists Forum and Blog

Following expansion of our services in Australia and New Zealand, positions are available in both our Sydney and Auckland laboratories. 

Both Austest Laboratories Sydney and Harvest Laboratories Auckland have positions available for safety engineers or testing officers.  Experience in Australian and IEC safety standards preferred, Immediate Start.  

Austest Sydney is employing an additional engineer experienced in Medical Safety to AS/NZS / IEC 60601-1.     

Enquiries to info@approvalspecialists.com

Following a recent successful CB Scheme audit of our Sydney lab, Austest Laboratories has expanded the scope of safety standards to include IEC 60335-2-82 for Amusement Machines.  This allows Austest to issue a globally accepted CB report and associated TUV Rheinland Japan CB Certificate for various gaming machines, currency dispensers, weighing machines and poker / slot machines. 

The IECEE CB Scheme is the world’s first truly international system for mutual acceptance of test reports and certificates dealing with the safety of electrical and electronic components, equipment
and products. It is a multilateral agreement among participating countries and certification organizations. 

This adds to our existing scope of CB Sheme Accredited testing which now covers the following standards:

• IEC 60065 Audio and Video Equipment
• IEC 60598-1   Luminaires, General Requirements
• 60598-2-4 Portable Luminaires
• 60598-2-6 Luminaires with built-in transformers for filament lamps
• 60598-2-20 Lighting Chains
• IEC   60335-1 Household and similar electrical appliances, General Requirements
• 60335-2-3 Electric Irons
• 60335-2-6 Cooking Ranges, Hobs, Ovens
• 60335-2-9 Portable Cooking Appliances including Grills and Toasters
• 60335-2-15 Appliances for Heating Liquids inc Coffee Machines, Kettles, Slow Cookers, Rice Cookers etc
• 60335-2-23 Appliances for Skin or Hair Care inc Hair Straighteners and Dryers 
• 60335-2-24 Refrigerating Appliances including Ice Cream Appliances and Ice Makers
• 60335-2-29 Battery Chargers
• 60335-2-30 Room Heaters
• 60335-2-80 Electric Fans
• 60335-2-82 Amusement Machines
• IEC60950-1 (Edition 1 & 2) Information Technology Equipment inc Telecommunications
• IEC60950 (Edition 3) Information Technology Equipment inc Telecommunications
• IEC 61558-1 Transformers and Power Supplies (General)
• 61558-2-6  Safety Isolating Transformers

The above mentioned CB tests we provide are just a subset of our overall safety test capabilities, for a full listing refer to our website and our A2LA listing for safety accreditations and reports issued under ILAC endorsement for global acceptance.

Approval Specialists Pty. Limited have had their ACMA Certification Body status renewed for 2010, allowing the issue of Certification Body statements for a range of devices including GSM  voice and data devices including devices that employ GPRS over GSM. 

http://www.acma.gov.au/webwr/stds_compliance/certification/ab2010.pdf

The Communications Alliance (new name for ACIF), has produced new versions of AS/ACIF S003 relating to FXS and extension ports under the ACMA’s requirements for A-Tick.  The 3 new standards are:

• AS/CA S003.1:2010 Customer Access Equipment for connection to a Telecommunications Network
  Part 1: General

This standard is a general standard for voice gateway equipment including  all devices that have analogue or digital extension ports.

• AS/CA S003.2:2010 Customer Access Equipment for connection to a Telecommunications Network
  Part 2: Analogue and TDM based technologies

 This standard covers products such as  analogue and traditional TDM PABXs, and ISDN-analogue adaptors.

•  AS/CA S003.3:2010 Customer Access Equipment for connection to a Telecommunications Network
  Part 3: Packet and cell based technologies

  This standard covers products such as  VoIP-analogue adaptors, VoIP based PABXs, media gateways and routers/ADSL modems with voice ports.

Copies of the above standards can be downloaded free from here.  These standards are not yet listed in the ACMA labelling notice so are currently not valid for use.  AS/ACIF S008: 2006 is still valid until the end of 2010.  AS/ACIF S003:2008 can be skipped and the above standards are the way forward.  Note our Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland labs are accredited for testing to AS/ACIF S003.

In accordance with Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) requirements, all devices must comply with the requirements of all of the applicable ACMA mandated Labelling Notices.

The supplier of a “host” device (lap top PC, Data Tracking device as examples) incorporating an already C-Ticklabelled (compliant) module(s) (Bluetooth^tm or wireless LAN) must ensure the resulting final product still meets all of the applicable ACMA mandated compliance and labelling requirements.

The ACMA considers that an already compliant, and C-Ticked, wireless module, where its original compliance is not impacted by its method of integration into the host device, would require no further radiocommunications compliance testing after integrated into a host device.  Some assessment may need to be done by the supplier, the module manufacture, or the test laboratory and the ACMA cannot make or assume that all situations will be identical.

The important caveat here being “where its original compliance is not impacted by its method of integration into the host device” – the logical question then is “how do you determine this?”  Clearly the only way would be to conduct a test of the “new” device.

For a “host” unit that incorporates an already compliant GSM modules ACMA will probably accept that the telecommunications compliance for the GSM module would still be valid (AS/ACIF S042.1 and AS/ACIF S042.3) however additional safety testing to AS/NZS 60950.1may also be required.  

In order to demonstrate compliance to the applicable standards in the Labelling Notices, recognition of the compliance of an already “compliant” module can be used only if the supplier has assessed that the process of integration of the compliant module into the final product has not compromised the module’s original compliance, otherwise additional testing will be required. 

The method and results of the assessment along with any additional testing needs to be included in the compliance records of the final product.  It is recommended that any assessment is performed with the assistance of the module manufacturer or a test laboratory.

Once any assessment and all necessary testing is complete, the supplier will have the confidence to sign a DoC stating that the final product is compliant with all the relevant ACMA mandatory standards.

We’re often asked about the approval requirements for grid connect inverters, which seem to be the hot product for 2010 (along with LED lighting), as people move towards a carbon neutral footprint for their homes.  Austest is approved by the Clean Energy Council for testing to AS/NZS3100 and is the main safety test requirement for inverters.  AS/NZS60950.1:2003 may also apply (see below).

Aside from the standard EMC requirements to satisfy the ACMA’s C-Tick regime (applicable to most electrical items), Grid Connect Inverters require safety certification to be provided to many electricity retailers prior to connection.  Safety certification is based on several electrical safety standards.  The following is a brief summary of the approval requirements for Grid Inverters.

• AS/NZS 3100, may also include AS/NZS 60950
• AS 4777
• AS/NZS 60529
• AS/NZS 61000.6.3
• Electrical safety Approval/Certification
• ACMA C-Tick Compliance Folder and sDoC
• Listing with Clean Energy Council

AS/NZS 3100, may also include AS/NZS 60950

AS/NZS3100 is a joint Australia and New Zealand safety standard covering isolation from hazardous voltages, temperature rise, flammability and other safety aspects relating to a mains voltage device. 

AS/NZS60950 covers information technology and telecommunications equipment, clauses of which are applicable if the grid inverter has communications ports such as USB/RS232/RS485, ethernet or modem connections.

AS4777 testing is performed by Reslab and covers;

AS 4777.2-2005, which specifies the requirements for inverters, with ratings up to 10kVA for single-phase units or up to 30kVA for three-phase units, for the injection of electric power through an electrical installation to the electricity distribution network.

AS 4777.3-2005, which specifies the requirements for grid protection devices intended to be used in inverter energy systems, with ratings up to 10kVA for single-phase units, or up to 30kVA for three-phase units, and for the injection of electric power through an electrical installation to the electricity distribution network.

Contact:Dr H Sharma h.sharma@murdoch.edu.au Phone: +61 (0)8 9360 6620
http://www.rise.org.au/reslab/test.html 

AS/NZS60529 (IP Testing)

Ingress Protection is required for inverters that are located outside, which is the case in the majority of installations.  IP65 requires enclosures to be dust proof and protected from low pressure jets of water (all directions) – limited ingress OK provided no hazard.

AS/NZS 61000.6.3 addresses EMC emission requirements for the ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) C-Tick requirements.  EMC emissions testing for inverters covers the following 4 tests:

1. Conducted EMI on AC output (as it feeds into the grid).
2. Conducted EMI on DC input (if cable length can be greater than 30m).  If cable length is less than 30m, and assuming that DC input is only connected to solar panels (and not to a DC supply network), then this test may be omitted.
3. Discontinuous interference.
4. Radiated EMI.

All of the above standards can be purchased from Standards New Zealand  http://www.standards.co.nz

Electrical Safety Approval

Austest can provide an electrical safety certificate of suitability in 4-5 days (subject to compliance and required documentation). This 1 week turn-around for certificates comes at NO ADDITIONAL COST to our standard safety cert costs.

ACMA C-Tick Approval

Electrical and electronic products sold in Australia are required to be marked with the C-Tick mark and either the ACMA supplier code or other marking options only available to Australian entities.  As only Australian entities may lodge a request for permission to use the C-Tick (or A-Tick)  http://www.acma.gov.au/webwr/_assets/main/lib310117/c01-application_for_permission_to_use_regulatory_marks.pdf, we offer our services as an Australian agent and allow the use of our ACMA supplier code for international customers.

Listing with Clean Energy Council.  Following the above testing, product Approval reports and certs should be sent to the Clean Energy Council, mailto:accreditation@cleanenergycouncil.org.au