The Who, What and Why of "UL"
May 14, 2020
As you evaluate products, solutions and technologies, it's important that before you make a decision to purchase, you understand why one product or solutions option may help you better achieve your goals over another.
In the case of Chatsworth Products (CPI) and ensuring we enable you to do just that, we're going to explain the who, what and why of "UL" so that when you are comparing the details and preparing to make a decision, you clearly understand why CPI takes the extra step in being able to put that tiny, but mighty, mark on our products.
1. Who is "UL" and what does the UL Mark mean?
UL stands for Underwriters Laboratories. UL is a global leader in testing, inspection, certification, auditing and validation. The UL Mark is the single most accepted Certification Mark in the United States, appearing on 22 billion products annually.
Along with UL’s comprehensive knowledge of the regulatory requirements impacting consumer product performance, construction and composition, their engineering and subject matter experts help develop global testing programs for a wide range of regulations.
2. Where are UL laboratories and offices?
UL has its own accredited laboratories and offices throughout North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia, so you can work with UL experts locally or globally to help you obtain the required certifications and approvals.
UL leverages local know-how in every destination market. They provide the holistic compliance solution, with services and support that spans multiple regulations across the entire compliance process.
3. How does UL partner with CPI and why does it matter?
UL provides CPI with the increased visibility and business intelligence needed to proactively mitigate risks for compliance, understand how regulatory demands and industry standards apply to products, and support smart, confident decision-making.
Additionally, UL partners with and evaluates CPI products for compliance and conformance—such as CPI’s eConnect® Power Distribution Units (PDUs)—to applicable regulations, standards and specifications. And UL's global footprint and local expertise further extends CPI's presence in the places where business transactions happen, worldwide.
Working with UL also allows CPI to take advantage of streamlined service paths through UL’s participation in global certification schemes, such as the CB Scheme. This often means CPI can gain the certifications or approvals required by different countries without the need for retesting or working with multiple organizations.
4. Which regulatory compliance offerings have CPI partnered with UL on?
- Identifying applicable requirements for your specific product or technology feature to comply with current regulations in safety and EMC
- Providing pre-compliance testing during the design and development phase to determine compliance
- Assistance in completion of applications and other required forms
- Testing in UL-accredited labs or CPI-qualified facilities to issue CB Test Report and Certificate with applicable national differences and other test reports for other requirements such as EMC
- Handling the entire submittal process, including working with local testing and certification organizations
- Arranging for initial factory inspections required before certification issuance
- Facilitating and expediting project progress with support of UL’s local team and/or partners
Looking ahead, CPI continues to work with partners like UL that can enable you to meet regulatory compliance and demands regardless of where your business is located. It's one more way that you can have confidence in your selection and have peace of mind in your overall operation.
Learn more about UL by visiting UL.com. You can also click here to review some of the other industry-leading organizations CPI engages with on an on-going basis.
Posted by Brittany Mangan, Digital Content Specialist at 5/14/2020 10:55:32 AM