Appliance Design - November 2007 - (Page 38)

QUALITY & STANDARDS Stricter on Safety An appliance undergoes EMC tests at D.L.S. Electronic Systems. Tougher EMC requirements for appliances take effect. by mark haynes and steve grimes Mark Haynes is senior product safety engineer, D.L.S. Conformity Assessment; and Steve Grimes is senior EMC applications engineer, D.L.S. Electronic Systems, Wheeling, Ill. 38 applianceDESIGN November 2007 n recent years, there has been a trend to upgrade household and similar appliances with electronic controls. For these types of products, this represents a significant change because they have previously employed “low tech” controls, including components such as electromechanical thermostats, thermal overprotection devices, and mechanical switches. Electronic controls have a potential to be interfered with which may cause inadvertent operation and related safety hazards. Amendment 1:2004 to the EN 60335-1 safety standard, which covers household and similar appliances, added EMC requirements to address these concerns. The severity of these new EMC requirements is much higher than previous levels. In addition, while the previous requirements only included monitoring of appliance performance, the new requirements also include monitoring the appliance for hazardous operation. These I Amendment 1 requirements specifically apply to electrical appliances which incorporate protective electronic circuits, those which have a switch with an off position obtained by electronic disconnection, and those with a switch that can be placed in a stand-by mode electronically. These requirements became mandatory on Oct. 1, 2007. The new requirements significantly increase the IEC 61000-4-x severity levels mandated in the more typical EMC Standard EN 55014-2. The increased severity levels for applicable products are as follows: IEC 61000-4-2 Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) 4 +/- 15 kV (air). 4 +/- 8 kV (contact). IEC 61000-4-3 Radiated Susceptibility 4 10 V/m. www.applianceDESIGN.com http://www.appliancedesign.com

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Appliance Design - November 2007 Contents Editorial Shipments/Forecasts News Watch Today’s LEDs are Brighter and More Colorful than Previous Versions, Allowing Designers More Opportunities to Improve and Differentiate Their Products. When Converting from CCFL to LED Backlights in LCD Panels, New Driving Methods are Needed. Electrowetting Technology Allows Displays to be Designed in an Extensive Range of Colors. Noise Problems are Not Always Easy to Find or Fix, but Acoustic Labs Can Help Designers Ferret Out the “Good” Noise from the “Bad.” A New Sanitization Protocol for Clothes Washers Combines the Best of Three Well-Established Provisions to Ensure Efficiency, Quality and Safety. Stricter EMC Requirements Raise the Bar for Appliances with Electronic Controls and Require Testing to New Levels. Despite Added Cost and Complexity, Gas-Modulating Systems have Migrated from Large-Scale Boiler Applications to Smaller Residential and Commercial Furnaces and Appliances. A New Treatment Technology Hardens the Surface of Light Alloys such as Aluminum and Magnesium and Expands Their Potential Applications. DesignMart Advertiser’s Index Association Report: AHAM

Appliance Design - November 2007

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