The history of UL
In 1890s, a major fire broke out in the United States. The main culprit was power consumption. The accident was caused by the use of more and more electrical and electrical products that were not detected. In order to prevent the tragedy continue, Mr. Merrill William H. was officially established in 1894 UL (Underwriters Laboratories), published the first copy of the test report it in March 24, 1894, it began to defend the safety of career. UL is a product safety testing and certification organization in the United States and the originator of product safety standards in the United states. For more than a century, UL has tested safety standards for hundreds of thousands of products and components.

UL in China
Over the past more than 30 years, UL has focused on the growth of Chinese manufacturing. UL entered into China in early 1980 and established good cooperative relationship with China Inspection and certification (Group) Co., Ltd. (CCIC). Cooperation between the two sides began providing tracking monitoring services for Chinese factories and helping Chinese products to enter the North American market. Over the past 10 years, UL has continuously increased its investment in China's local facilities and the construction of an engineering team, and is committed to providing convenient, fast and excellent localization services to Chinese manufacturers.
In mainland China, more than 20000 factories and manufacturers have obtained UL certification, and UL certification service hotline 0755-28714325.
The significance of UL certification mark to enterprise:
1, the entire United States market attaches great importance to product safety; consumers and the purchase of products to buy units will choose to have UL certification mark products.
2, UL history for more than 100 years, the image of security in the consumer and government are deep-rooted, if you do not directly sell products to consumers, middlemen will also require products have UL certification mark, so that products sell well.
3, American consumers and buyers are more confident of the products of the enterprises.
4, the United States, federal, state, county, municipal government, a total of more than forty thousand administrative regions, have recognized UL certification mark.
Authentication procedures
1., the applicant submitted the relevant company and product information
Written application: you should require UL company in writing to test your products.
Company information: in Chinese and English, we provide the following detailed and accurate names, addresses, contact persons, postal codes, telephone and fax.
(a) applicant company: a company that proposes product testing applications and is responsible for all project services
(b) name companies: companies listed in various product catalogs published by UL
(c) production plants: producers and producers of products.
Product information: the information of the products should be provided in english.
(a) the name of the product: the full name of the product.
(b) product model: detailed list of all products, models, varieties or classification numbers that need to be tested.
(c) the intended use of the product: for example: home, office, factory, coal mine, ship, etc..
(d) parts list: details of the components and models (classification numbers), ratings and manufacturer's names that comprise the product. For insulating materials, please provide raw material names such as GE, Polycarbonate, Lexan, Type 104. When the parts have been certified or approved by UL, please confirm the specific model of the part and indicate its UL file number (E). Electrical performance: for electronic and electrical products. Provides electrical schematics (wiring diagrams) and electrical performance tables.
(f) structural drawings: for most products, a product structure or explosion diagram, a burden list, etc. should be provided.
(g) photographs, instructions for use, safety, or installation instructions of the product.
2. make decisions on the basis of the product data provided
When the product is complete, UL engineers made the following decisions based on information: UL standards, testing of engineering cost, according to the experiment of testing time, the number of samples, written notice to you, and send the form and follow up service agreement formally sent to your company. The cost limit is stated in the application form. It is the maximum project cost estimated by UL according to the test items. Without your company's written authorization, the cost limit should not be exceeded.
3. applicant company remittance, return application form and samples
The applicant in the application form and signature tracking service agreement, and send back to UL, at the same time, by bank transfer, in the post office or by courier service to send samples, please make the appropriate explanation to submit samples (such as name, type). Please send separate application forms and samples. For each application, UL will specify the unique item number (Project, No.), indicating the item number and the applicant company name in the remittance, mailing sample and application form for UL to check.
4. product testing
Upon receipt of your application form, remittance and experimental samples, UL will inform you of the time of completion of the experiment. Product testing is normally conducted at UL laboratories in the United States, and UL is subject to audited participation in the third party test data (Shenzhen global pass Testing Service Co., Ltd.). The experimental samples will be sent or destroyed as per your request.
If the product test result meets the requirements of UL standard, UL company will issue the inspection report and tracking service rules (FollowUp Service Procedure) test report will detail test, sample indexes of the product structure, and is suitable for the use of the product safety signs. The tracking service details include descriptions of the product and instructions to the inspector in the UL area. A copy of the test report is sent to the applicant company, and a copy of the tracking service is sent to each production plant.
5. applicants are authorized to use the UL logo
In China UL production plant for the first time the regional inspectors contact factory inspection (Initial Production Inspection.IPI), the inspectors examine the products and their components in your production line and warehouse storage situation, to confirm whether the product structure and parts and tracking service rules, if the rules requirements, regional inspector will witness the experiment, when the the results are consistent with the requirements, the applicant is authorized to use the UL logo.
After IPI, the inspector will not regularly check to the factory inspection, product structure and witnessed the experiment, inspection frequency is determined by the type of product and production inspection, at least four times most types of products each year, inspectors of the inspection is to ensure that products continue to accord with the requirement of UL, when you plan to change the product structure or components before, please call UL, changes to the small change, do not need to repeat any experiment, UL can quickly modify the tracking service rules, the inspectors can accept the changes. When UL believes that changes in the product affect its security performance, applicant company need to re submit samples for necessary testing.
The cost of tracking service is not included in the cost of the test.
If the product test results can not meet the requirements of UL standards, UL will notify the applicant, indicating the existence of problems, improve product design and re submit the applicant after the product, you should tell the UL product engineer, what had been done to improve, so that its decision
UL inspection rules, certification review and tracking inspection, UL inspection rules
UL inspector's inspection basically belongs to the mechanical work. According to different products, the inspector's inspection according to the announcement (Bulletin), rules (Procedure), FUII (if any, included in the rules) and UL standards (if there is FUII request).
If the inspector visits the factory and the factory is producing UL products or UL products in stock, the inspector will take samples in one of the following ways:
1. extract components from the production line, together with a complete product from the warehouse.
2. from the warehouse to extract parts, plus the entire product line.
3. extract the complete product from the warehouse for splitting.
The exact number of samples is determined by the detailed rules, FUII (tracking inspection instructions), SAP (standard attached pages) or direct orders from the UL laboratory. The inspector may not inspect all the products per inspection, but they will try to inspect all the product categories or models within a year or at least two years.
In general, the UL requirements of the production system is not too high, only once a year, the equipment requirement measurement, keep plant inspection records, and the unqualified products can have certain control means.
During inspection, on-site representatives (UL inspectors) will focus their attention on the product itself. They will check the product structure, components and assembly according to the above inspection. For related to product safety parts, general rules will specify requirements for UL certified products, and will indicate the manufacturer and model for shield shell, etc.; injection molding parts, general rules will be specified in the raw material and size requirements. The on-site representative will check the UL mark as specified in the above and the detailed rules.
Field test
In addition, if the detailed rules or FUII or standards require on-site testing of the product, the site representative will require the factory inspector to do the corresponding tests, while the on-site representative will witness it. If the detailed rules require that samples be sent to the UL for tracking test, the factory shall cooperate with the inspector to produce the corresponding samples. After the inspector has written the sample labels, the address will be supplied and sealed and sent by the factory to the corresponding UL laboratory.
If the factory produced products fully comply with UL relevant inspection standards, no other violations of tracking service agreement in place, the inspector will issue inspection report (Inspection Report); the factory representative confirmed the content is accurate after should sign the report; a test is completed. If the inspection process does not meet the inspection standards, the inspector will issue a notice of change (Variation Notice), and in accordance with specific circumstances to take appropriate measures.
Remove UL markers
For unauthorized products using UL markers, inspector will require removal of UL markers; for the product does not comply with the requirements of UL, the inspector will ask the factory to remove UL tags or rework to comply with the requirements; if the factory does not agree to the above advice, you can temporarily retain the UL mark, but must stop shipments, the inspector will inform the relevant the laboratory, by the UL reply to decide whether can keep UL marker; if only some small problems, do not affect the safety of the product, the inspector will make a provisional decision to accept, and report to the relevant laboratory; if there is some obvious standard errors, such as typing errors or mistakes are not units. Effect of qualified product, but as a document of UL, inspectors also issued a notice of change. Normally, unless it is the responsibility of the UL company, the inspector will ask the factory to explain the non conformity to the appropriate laboratory, and UL will respond accordingly to your explanation.
Final decision
Of course, the inspector's judgment is only temporary, and the final decision is certainly in UL labs. If the factory does not agree with the inspection method, it can be reflected to the corresponding laboratory, at this time, the inspector has the obligation to provide the corresponding contact and contact method. After confirming the contents of the notice of change, the representative of the factory shall sign the notice.
UL certification factory inspection
In China UL production plant for the first time the regional inspectors contact factory inspection (Initial Production Inspection, referred to as IPI), the inspectors examine the products and their components in your production line and warehouse storage situation, to confirm whether the product structure and parts and tracking service rules, if the rules requirements, regional inspectors will witness experiment. When the inspection results meet the requirements, the applicant is authorized to use the UL mark.
After the IPI, the inspector will go to the factory irregularly to check the product structure and conduct a witness test. The frequency of inspection is determined by product type and throughput, and most types of products are inspected at least four times a year (fees for tracking services are not included in the cost of the test).
Certification Review
Before the first shipment, the UL certification products will be sent to the factory by the UL provincial provincial import and Export Commodity Inspection Bureau (CCIC) authorized by the local authority. Track checks every year.
Tracking inspection profile
As an integral part of UL certification, UL has developed a "tracking test" system to ensure that UL column names and approved products continue to meet UL standards and requirements. "Tracking inspection" is sent by UL, distributed around the World Site Representatives to the local factory production site, UL products tracking test. Its purpose is through the production process, inspection process and product control, UL standard and track inspection rules for verification, to ensure the factory production process, inspection process and products always meet the requirements of UL.
Basis for tracking inspection
The on-site inspection shall be carried out after the representative has gone to the factory. The "tracking inspection rule" is prepared by the UL engineering department after testing the submitted samples. This document includes a comprehensive description of the product, including photos, instructions and so on. It also specifies the tests that are often performed during manufacturing, some of which require 100% of the product, such as pressure tests. Some tests can be carried out by sampling, and at the same time, the test items which must be checked by the on-site representative in the factory site inspection are also provided. The representative of the field shall determine the conformity of the inspection results in accordance with the detailed data and regulations of such tests.
Follow up the classification of inspection products
The review is divided into initial reviews and quarterly reviews, with the first review being a little higher, and UL's tracking tests are classified into R and L categories. Category L services are primarily for life safety related products such as fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, fire doors, and some very large output products, such as power equipment, wires, and circuit breakers. For products belonging to the L class, the manufacturing plant must order labels directly to the UL to be affixed to the product. Class R services are mainly used in electrical equipment such as fans, televisions, hair dryers, ovens, and other products that are commonly used in the production line.
Matters needing attention
1. the minimum height of the registered trademark shall be 3/64 inches.
2. when the labeled UL outer diameter less than 3/8 inches, the registered trademark symbol if the naked is not clear and readable can be ignored.
The 3. mark can be directly and fixed on the same product by stamping, mould making, ink printing, silk screen printing or the like.
Get 4. marks: the manufacturer can reproduce or obtained from UL authorized dealers.