Many quality hardware products display markings such as CE, RoHS, REACH, FCC, UL, EU Ecolabel, TCO or ENERGY STAR, among others. These marks are stamps of approval from independent agencies certifying that products accomplish rigorous standards for electrical safety, health, environmental, electromagnetic compatibility, and energy conservation.
Short time ago, most of the components that went into the hardware products came from well-known trusted companies because of their reliable designs even in most demanding situations, with rigorous manufacturing and validation processes, as a result we have high quality products.
Is this approach still valid?
The evolution of technology has experimented a significant increase in the use electronics.
The “maker” movement is not only an educational option, but it extended toward diverse industries and sectors in a very short time and the numbers continue increasing around the world. This has allowed in somehow the access to the use of some technologies based on open-source development ecosystems, even do you do not have a lot of knowledge in electronics, a person can work out solutions in an autodidact way.
Although this movement has contributed positively to the boom of the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) culture, the truth is that it is built on an ecosystem of brandless and low-cost components from opaque markets. Those components do not always fulfill the standard quality, the existing norms and certifications of the EU.
Is It worth certificating the products?
In a word, yes. Leaving aside the obligations to apply the certifications that are settled in the markets, the most important thing is that the standards go beyond the test procedures. They also analyze the quality of the product design, the manufacturing process, and its interaction with the environment.
When you use low quality products without certifications, this can increase the risk of problems.
The last research of trends show that consumers are very concerned about where or how these products were manufactured, they now prefer safe and trusted solutions [1]. Therefore, a certificated product provides added value, and it has got more possibilities to satisfy the expectations of the right consumers, this leads to significant sales.
Global regulatory landscape
There are a wide variety of applicable certifications for hardware products.
Before globalization, most of the industrialized countries had their own national organizations of standards to regulate manufacturing and commercialization of their own products. Although it is obvious that it has been some progress towards unification, the truth is that product manufacturers still need to get different certifications for each market.
So, the certification requirements for each hardware product are different. It depends on the country, the target market and the specifications of the product itself.
Here we have the most popular hardware product certifications:
CE
The European Conformity (CE) marking on a product is the passport that allows it to be sold throughout the EU. With the CE marking, the manufacturer of the product declares that it complies with all the legal requirements imposed by the European directives and that it has carried out all the applicable conformity assessment procedures. It includes electromagnetic compatibility (RED), safety, health, and environmental tests.
FCC
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent government agency charged with implementing and enforcing laws and regulations in the field of communications in the USA. The FCC regulates both the testing and certification of radio equipment. FCC certification is required for any device that intentionally generates radio waves for normal operation. The FCC certification process requires the involvement of a TCB (Telecommunications Certification Body).
RoHS y REACH
The European Directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) regulates aspects related to heavy metals in the manufacture of electrical and electronic devices, both for human contact and for environmental disposal. In January 2013 the RoHS 2 directive 2011/65/EU came into force and currently any product sold with a valid CE mark must comply with the RoHS 2 directive.
The European regulation for the registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemical substances (REACH) regulates the production and use of chemical components, and their potential impacts, both on human health and on the ecosystem.
UL
Underwriter’s Laboratories (UL) is a global certification organization. They perform safety tests and issue certificates covering a wide range of UL standards. The “UL Recognized Component” mark is a quality mark issued by UL that is placed on components that are intended to be part of a UL Listed product.
Looking towards a sustainable world
The profound rooted empathic character and social awareness to look after our environment has increased in a very exponential way. Taking into account this awareness a new spectrum of certifications for the environment, manufacturing and fair trading have been stablished.
Let’s see some of the most relevant certificates:
ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR certification identifies products that are energy-efficient, durable, and environmentally friendly by design, without sacrificing the features, style, or comfort offered by traditional products.
EU Ecolabel
The EU Ecolabel official EU label for environmental excellence. EU Eco-labelled products meet high environmental standards throughout their entire life cycle: from the extraction of raw materials, through production and distribution to their withdrawal and disposal. The label also encourages companies to develop innovative products that are durable, easy to repair, and recyclable.
TCO
The TCO certification covers social and environmental aspects of sustainability related to IT products. The criteria are divided into eight chapters, and are design to drive change where it matters most: product information and sustainability, socially responsible manufacturing, environmentally responsible manufacturing, user health and safety, product performance, shelf life extension of the product, reduction of hazardous substances, and the reuse and recovery materials.
It is no longer enough for a product to simply do its job.
Although these certifications are voluntary, it is undeniable that they provide a high added value to the products that comply with them, generating a positive impact on society and the environment, and giving consumers another justification for their purchase.
Conclusions
You cannot make batches of your product and sell them without the right certifications. Of course, a well-designed product should pass most certifications, however it requires a tough process.
Identifying applicable certifications and tests to a product can be complex and confusing, as well as the steps to follow with the obligations to homologate and mark it.
In this post we have seen some of the many existing certifications, and lots of products are within the scope of one or more. It is true that there are differences between certifications, but also a lot of similarities.
Identify the applicable certificates, the authorities that can certify your product for you and design the product based on the associated norms. You can do it on your own or have an experienced partner.
[1] NSF Consumer Product Concerns Survey, 2019
