Our AdvantageOur Superiority in Control Panels for North America and Other Overseas Markets
When IDEC Factory Solutions designs and manufactures control panels,
we can complete the process all the way to attaching the "UL508A Listed" label in-house.
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● Role of certified manufacturers in conforming to overseas standards
Compliance with standards is an issue for machinery manufacturers when expanding globally. In order to comply with a standard, it is necessary to get past various technical issues, but the most important thing is the electrical requirements. Mechanical equipment, especially for the US market, is required to have an electrical design that can withstand large short-circuit current values in order to prevent short-circuit fires. Many mechanical equipment manufacturers are struggling to deal with this because conventional design theory in Japan cannot handle it.
In this situation, we at IDEC Factory Solutions are one of the few companies registered as a UL 508A certified manufacturer due to our accumulated abundant electrical design know-how.
A control panel with a certification label displays proof of its safety on its front, greatly reducing the risk of electrical requirements being pointed out when distributing the device in the US market.
For example, in the United States, inspection before equipment operation by a regulatory enforcement officer (AHJ*¹) is mandatory, but many inspection points on the control panel will be exempt if there is a certification label. If something is pointed out, the control panel will be modified in the United States, and the financial and time risks at that time will be eliminated, resulting in cost reduction.
In addition, in order to meet standards, which are the biggest barrier when entering the North American market, we are also able to provide technical support from the stage where the mechanical equipment manufacturer designs and develops the equipment. This lowers the hurdles for the mechanical equipment manufacturer to enter the North American market and helps them seize business opportunities in a timely manner.*1: Abbreviation for Authority Having Jurisdiction.An organization, office, or individual, such as a government, a body, a company, etc., which is responsible for confirming the requirements of regulations or standards, installing equipment and materials, and approving procedures.
● Features of "UL 508A Listed" control panels
- -Unlike general certified products, UL Listed labels can be affixed to products that are properly designed for a one-of-a-kind control panels.
- -In the United States, products with certification labels are exempt from inspection by a regulatory enforcement officer (AHJ) before the equipment goes into operation. (According to NEC [NFPA70] §90.7 * 2)
- ・ Electrical design that corresponds to high SCCR values*3 is possible.
* 2: NEC (National Electric Code) refers to the National Electric Code, which defines general electrical work requirements including names of factory buildings, and AHJ use this as a standard for received equipment, materials, etc. to check if they meet US standards.
* 3: Acronym for Short-Circuit Current Rating, the maximum current value that can withstand the short-circuit current of any power circuit device.
Going from design to consulting as the IDEC Group’s System Integrator
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We can provide global support:
Not only in the United States, but also in Europe, China, etc.
・ Because we have design know-how based on UL 508A's electrical design rationale, we can meet global requirements such as the CSA in Canada, CE marking in Europe, and GB in China, in addition to those in the United States.
-We support the creation of technical documents required by ANSI/NFPA 508 and the European Machinery Directive, as well as UL 79A, which is the electrical standard for control panels.
・ We provide consulting on equipment, such as pointing out load targets on the equipment side, and optimal technical support required by customers. (Arrangements for and replies to certification bodies when adding field labels for the US market or CE marking for the European market for overall equipment, guidance on specific countermeasures for machines, consulting on safe circuit construction support, etc.)
We can leverage our collaborative relationships with global component manufacturers
We can do standardization surveys on and create lists of parts from a selection of overseas products from brands such as Siemens, Weidmüller, and RITTAL. In the future, we will actively collaborate with more manufacturers.
We can even help with control programs
In general, most control panel manufacturers handle the design and manufacture of control panels.
We can also create control programs for sequencers and PLCs (programmable controllers). There are a wide variety of sequencer and PLC manufacturers that we can help with.
Our strength is our technological capabilities backed by our abundant achievements utilizing IDEC, Mitsubishi Electric, OMRON, KEYENCE, TOYOPUC, Siemens, etc.
Abundant achievements in SCCR measures
Article 409.110 Marking in NEC/NFPA70 (2005 edition) has made it mandatory to display the short circuit current rating (SCCR) on industrial control panels.
As one example of SCCR criteria, it is necessary to use the short circuit current provisions in Supplement SB508 of the UL4.1A standard.
When installing in North America, it is necessary to provide equipment with an SCCR value that matches the installation location.
We have a track record of supporting SCCR measures for semiconductors, food products, iron and steel, machine tools, and automobile equipment by making optimal proposals based on our wealth of information, knowledge, and know-how.
Useful documents
UL Certification Guidebook for Industrial Machines for North America
[Explanation of points not to fail in exporting control panels]When exporting industrial machinery to North America, not knowing the North American standards can lead to big losses.What standards do you need to meet and what are the steps? We've put together the information, including what we can help you with!
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Contact UsWe, IDEC Factory Solutions
help customers with their concerns about electrical design.
Please feel free to contact us for more information.