Compliance Investigation
The compliance Investigation typically begins with a constructional review of your product against the applicable product safety standards. The constructional review is generally non-destructive. Typical issues covered include, but are not limited to: warnings/markings, electrical ratings, openings in the enclosure, isolation to hazardous parts (mechanical & electrical), suitability of components and materials and flammability ratings of polymeric materials. Following a complete review of the standard, the product is moved into the testing phase. Typical testing includes, but is not limited to: current/power measurement, temperature testing, abnormal operations (component faults, reduced ventilation and the like), Dielectric Strength (Hi-Pot) testing, and mechanical strength and stability testing. If the constructional review and testing are found to be fully compliant, a letter of authorization to apply the MET Certification mark to the product (for North American Certifications) is provided. For international markets, a letter stating that the evaluated product was found to be compliant is provided. Certification reports follow shortly thereafter. If there are unresolved non-compliances, a findings report is issued.
Findings Report
The Findings Report summarizes all evaluation and testing that has been conducted on your product. Any questions, requests for information or non-compliances are provided to you in a clear and concise format with a summary of the clause requirement, the conditions noted, and the required response to resolve the issue.
Final Report
The final certification reports are continually being worked on throughout the certification process. Depending on the markets that you are pursuing, you will receive one or more certification reports at the conclusion of the project. For US and Canadian certifications the final reports are used by MET’s Factory Inspectors to verify continuing compliance of your product during their ongoing factory inspections. For International markets, you can use the reports to support your Self Declaration of compliance (European Union), or for submittal to a National Certification Body for approval under the CB Scheme.
For more information on the Safety Certification Process, read this Article, written by MET Laboratories, published in Compliance Engineering Magazine
How long will the process take?
Duration is dependent on the product category, and the overall readiness of the submittal. In many cases the process can be expedited if a shorter completion time is desired. Please note that non-compliance findings, test failures, or other unexpected delays beyond our control may jeopardize the completion date. To minimize delays, be sure to submit all information of the Product Submittal Checklist. Contact your Account Manager for more details on completion times, and expedited scheduling.
What holds MET to a timeline?
Our clients do. At various stages throughout the project, you are contacted, informing you of the status of the project, and what issues, if any, exist. Additionally, all MET clients are given access to our proprietary, online project tracking software, METrak. With this software, you will be able to log on to a secure internet site, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to see in real-time, the status of your project, and as well various communications that occur internal of MET relative to your project. Communication is the key to keeping a project moving smoothly, and METrak is a great way for us to keep our clients informed. As long as you communicate with your account manager and your assigned engineer, responding to questions or requests for additional information as quickly as possible, the project will keep moving forward.