CB Reports Fact and Fiction

CBReports:FactandFictionMoeLamotheAsmanufacturersincreasinglyusetheCBtestreportasafinalreporttoshowcompliancetospecificinternationalstandards,itiscriticaltowatchformanynationaldeviationsforthemanycountriesthatnowparticipate.ThereisalotofconfusionsurroundingCBSchemereports,theirvalue,andtheiruse.Itisbecomingoneofthereportsmostrequestedbymanufacturers,butthereisnoapprovalmarkassociatedwithit.Thisarticlecoversthehistoryofthesereports,thecurrentrules,andwhereindustryappearstobeheadinginthefuture.HistoryInitially,theIECSystemforConformityTestingandCertificationofElectricalEquipment(IECEE),commonlyreferredtoastheCBScheme,wasoperatedbytheformerEuropeanInternationalCommissionforConformityTestingofElectricalEquipment(CEE).ItwasintegratedintotheInternationalElectrotechnicalCommission(IEC)in1985.TheoriginoftheCBSchemewasinEurope,wherethesenationsweremovingtowardadoptingacommonsetofIECstandards.Althoughtheoriginalintentwastoprovideacommontestformattobeusedbyallparticipatingcertifyingagencies,manufacturersareincreasinglyusingtheCBtestreportasafinalreporttoshowcompliancetoaspecificinternationalstandard.WhatIstheCBScheme?TheIECEECBSchemeisaninternationalsystemforacceptanceoftestreportsdealingwiththesafetyofelectricalandelectronicproducts.AmanufacturerusingaCBtestreportissuedbyoneoftheparticipatingorganizationscanobtaincertificationinallothermembercountriesoftheCBScheme.TheCBSchemeisbasedontheuseofinternational(IEC)standards,andeachcertifyingagencyissuesCBtestcertificatestoattestthatproductsampleshavesuccessfullypassedtheappropriatetests.ThemainobjectiveoftheCBSchemeistofacilitatetradebypromotingharmonizationofnationalstandardswithinternationalstandards.Italsopromotescooperationamongproductcertifiersworldwidetobringproductmanufacturersastepclosertotheidealconceptofoneproduct,onetest,onemark.Althoughthisconceptiscommendable,theone-markidealismanyyearsfrombeingareality.Also,universalacceptanceofCBreportsisnotwithoutproblems.Forinstance,CBreportsdonebycertainapprovalagenciesareoftenlessacceptabletootheragencies,eitherforpoliticalorfortechnicalreasons.Increasingly,manufacturersarerequestingaCBreporttoprovidetotheircustomers.Itisconsideredtohaveahighlevelofcredibilityassociatedwithit,anditcanbeusedaspartofthetechnicaldocumentationfileforCEmarking.Onebigweaknessisthat,unlikeagencycertifications,aCBreportdoesnothaveanyfactoryfollow-upinspections.HoweverifamanufacturerisoperatingunderISO9000,thereshouldbeareasonableassuranceofconsistentproduction.ThebottomlineisthatmanymanufacturersareaskingforaCBreportwithoutaproperunderstandingofitsvalue.Dependingontheaddedcost,inmanycases,manufacturerswouldgetmorebenefitfromaregularagencycertificationfromoneofthewell-knowncertificationagencies.WhoCanIssueaCBReport?ToissueaCBreport,thenationalstandardsofthemembercountrymustbereasonablyharmonizedwiththecorrespondingIECstandardsforwhichparticipationintheCBSchemeisdesired.Theissuanceandtheacceptanceoftestreportsbyanationalcertificationbody(NCB)withintheCBSchemearelimitedtothoseIECstandardstheNCBisofficiallyrecognizedtoconduct.(AnNCBisacertificationorganizationthatgrantsnationallyrecognizedconformitycertificatestoelectricalproducts.)Currently,thereare43membercountriesintheIECEE,54participatingNCBs,and129CBtestinglaboratories.Originally,onlyonecertificationbodyineachcountrywasallowedtobeamember.In1991,theCanadianStandardsAssociation,nowCSAInternational,becamethefirstNorthAmericanorganizationtojointheCBScheme.Today,CSAenjoysthebroadestscopeofCBSchemeparticipationinNorthAmerica,inpartduetoCSA'saggressiveadoptionofIECstandards.ThelimitationofonecertificationbodypercountrydelayedtheentryofULandotherU.S.-basedcertificationbodiesintotheCBSchemebecauseanumberofthemwantedtojoinatthesametime.ThisresultedintheformationofnationalcommitteesinallCBmembercountries.ThenationalcommitteeofeachmembercountrydesignatestheNCBs,whicharethenresponsibleforrecognizingandissuingCBtestreportsandcertificates.IntheUnitedStates,thisistheU.S.NationalCommitteeoftheIECEE,operatedbytheNationalElectricalManufacturersAssociation(NEMA).U.S.membercertifiersareEntela,FactoryMutualResearchCorporation,IntertekTestingServices,METLaboratories,TUVRheinlandofNorthAmerica,andUnderwritersLaboratories.InCanada,itistheCanadianNationalCommitteeoftheIEC,operatedbytheStandardsCouncilofCanada(SCC).CanadianmembercertifiersareCSAInternational,EntelaCanada,IntertekTestingServices,andUnderwritersLaboratoriesofCanada.ItshouldbenotedthatnotalloftheofficesofthesecertifiersareauthorizedtosubmitCBreports,andmanyofthemhaveparticipatingpartnersthatconducttestingandreportpreparation.Thisareaissomewhatmurky.Also,eachofthecertifiersislimitedtospecificIEC-basedstandards.See