Fast-track certification to ease battery pack components shortage after the Japan earthquake
In response to the recent Great East Japan Earthquake and the subsequent shortage in safety-relevant components, UL has devised a fast-track certification program for battery pack manufacturers with a view to mitigating the potential negative impacts of the components shortage.
The fast-track certification program will enable manufacturers maintain the speed to market while achieving continuous compliance to standards without compromising the safety requirements.
This program, designed to tackle the components shortage due to the Japan earthquake, specifically brings in an alternative construction process for the battery pack products that are already certified. The program offers a simple and streamlined process for testing product samples using alternative or substitute components, which allows the manufacturers to maintain their certification without sacrificing product safety or reducing speed to market.
Customers who apply for the program will need to provide information on the safety function of the affected components and impacts of alternative components to all their UL certified products, as well as determine representative models for further evaluation under the fast-track program before August 31, 2011.
UL will then investigate and devise a test program for samples equipped with the alternative components based on the information provided by the customers. Once the evaluation indicates continuous compliance, certification will be granted to all products fitted with these alternative components, and relevant Reports/Procedures will be updated accordingly.
For models not verified through the fast-track certification program, UL will send a service request to customers asking to verify the compliance of all models in production. For non-compliant models or models that have not completed the verification tests before the deadline, the Reports/Procedures of the concerned models will be withdrawn or the new components added will have to be removed. The scheduled completion date of this program is June 30, 2012.
For questions, please contact Alex Liang or Asli Solmaz-Kaiser.
