What Applies to the Certification of Electrical Products?

The production of low-voltage cables up to 1kV with thermoplastic PVC insulation, depending on their type, must comply with European manufacturing standards (EN) or harmonized manufacturing standards (HD), as well as the national standards of ELOT, if they exist, to ensure their quality.

Manufacturing units have the possibility to be certified with the European Quality Mark "HAR" from CENELEC, provided they meet the European specifications of the manufacturing standards, conduct type and series testing as required, have laboratories with calibrated equipment, and implement quality procedures according to ISO 9001:2008, which is a quality management standard.

The scope of the CENELEC HAR agreement is to provide a compliance mark according to CENELEC HDs and ENs concerning cables, which is unconditionally recognized by all participating approved countries as equivalent to national marking. Cables with "HAR" certification are used in a wide range of applications, including automation and process control, structural constructions, railway and transportation projects, as well as use in household appliances. Therefore, the certification of these products is deemed essential for their unobstructed movement in the European market.

Manufacturing & Testing Standards

The manufacturing and testing standards for cables include the following:

  
Of course, there is a multitude of standards, depending on the type and testing methods of the cables, which are necessary for their manufacture and are detailed on the CENELEC website, http://www.cenelec.eu/  &  http://www.iec.ch/

Certification of flexible cables is mandatory when they are used in plug and socket applications, specifically for the supply of electrical appliances and extension cords.

New Approach Directives

Electrical materials are included in the products that fall under the New Approach Directives, specifically in the Low Voltage Directive (LVD), for EU countries.

These directives serve the needs of the unified European market for the free and unobstructed movement of products manufactured within European borders. In other words, these directives are technical regulations that indicate how products should be manufactured and relate to safety and consumer and environmental protection.

Declaration of Conformity

For electrical devices that fall under the Low Voltage Directive (LVD), the manufacturer, after submitting them to an accredited laboratory and passing the type tests, declares with the Declaration of Conformity, CE (Certification of Conformity), that it will manufacture exactly the same products as those that passed the type tests, complies with the manufacturing standard, submits a technical file, and is committed to this while bearing the sole responsibility for their production. This is the CE declaration, and the manufacturer, ensuring type tests and making the CE declaration, can affix the CE mark and have the product circulate within European borders. The CE marking is not a quality mark or a certification of the production process. It is a community marking that indicates that the product meets the basic safety requirements during the manufacturer's commitment.

Sockets

According to Greek national legislation, for the category of electrical material of plugs and sockets, certification and registration at the Ministry of Development is required according to the Joint Ministerial Decision No. 529/28/01/2000, which was established with the aim of protecting the consumer. Such products include plugs and sockets (europlug, male and female socket plugs) as well as appliance supply plugs and extension cords. For these products, in addition to type testing, a quality management system certified by a certification body must be implemented during production, and products must be 100% inspected.

Certification of products is a prerequisite for their registration at the Ministry of Development. Products that are not registered cannot be made available to consumers, and the registration number must accompany the product at the point of sale, as checks are conducted by the market supervision of the competent Ministry of Development.

Standards for Sockets

The manufacturing and testing standards for plugs and sockets are as follows:

• IECEE CEE 7 ed.2.0 (1963-05): Specification for Plugs and Sockets for household and similar uses.
• IEC 60884-1:2013: Plugs and Sockets for household and similar uses. Part 1: General Requirements.

Any manufacturer can certify their products independently of the mandatory policy that applies to specific products (plugs and sockets). Certified products and the certified production processes that accompany them, as well as monitoring of production processes by certification bodies, create a dynamic presentation of the product and a clear competitive advantage. The certification of a production system with ISO 9001:2008 focuses on quality processes, but the certified product ensures its reliable manufacture according to the appropriate production method resulting from global standardization.

The holder of quality certificates can, by submitting type tests and the certificate they hold from a certification organization that is notified in the European Union, also obtain certification from other organizations from other states, as there is a framework for mutual recognition of the bodies. Thus, a product that has the Greek Quality Certification Mark can also receive quality marks from other organizations in other European countries, provided it complies with the manufacturing standards in those countries and a series of supplementary tests are conducted if necessary, for the country from which they wish to obtain certification.

Reliable Laboratories

In our country, there are currently reliable testing and certification laboratories, accredited in the fields, meaning entities that have certified testing capabilities based on certificates from ESYD (National Accreditation Council) and possess the infrastructure and range of equipment to conduct tests on products that are fully compliant with the relevant standards.

Products imported from European or third countries, usually from China, can, if certified, easily obtain a registration number. A significant problem in the market is caused by imported Chinese products that, despite bearing certification marks, are completely unsuitable, as the cables included in their supplies are made from inappropriate materials, and the product does not comply with the standardized sheets. An effective measure to ensure the quality of imports, apart from thorough checks of test results, is the collection of samples and their examination by Greek certification laboratories before they are registered at the Ministry of Development and made available in the market.

Electrical materials and cables constitute an important sector of Greek manufacturing. The production of cables must necessarily be carried out according to the standardized standards to ensure their proper distribution to the electrical installation consumer. The production of electrical materials must also follow standardization, as the distribution of electrical products to consumers must prioritize safety and ease of use.

source: ΗΛΕΚΤΡΟΛΟΓΟΣ