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Back to Press Release Index
19 March, 1999
C-Tick mark requirements for Australian and New Zealand manufacturers
All electrical and electronic goods sold in Australia and New Zealand will soon have to carry the C-Tick mark or risk being forcibly removed from the market. Underwriters Laboratories explain what that will mean to manufacturers and suppliers.
Carrying a C-Tick mark became a requirement in Australia on the first of January 1999 and a similar arrangement is being proposed in New Zealand. Originally scheduled for implementation in June/July, but now expected to be in place later this year, C-Tick marking will have a major impact on the way many companies bring products to the Australasian market.
The C-Tick mark is used to demonstrate that an electrical or electronic product complies with electromagnetic compliance (EMC) regulations. The EMC directive is controlled and enforced in New Zealand by the Ministry of Commerce - EMC and by Spectrum Management Agency in Australia. Both countries have adopted a common EMC compliance scheme, producing the "C-Tick" mark to provide a traceable link between the product and the supplier responsible for that product in the marketplace.
For suppliers to use the "C-Tick" mark they must first collate a "declaration of conformity". This is not equivalent to a test report, but is a formal statement that all products of that type, which are placed on the market, will conform to EMC requirements. The current framework only requires that the products meet the emission levels stated in the relevant standard. Susceptibility requirements are currently not necessary for products entering Australia and New Zealand.
In order for a product to be placed on the market, a laboratory registered to test to the appropriate standard must verify its conformity. Upon completion of the testing the laboratory will issue a report of compliance, which will be added into either a compliance folder or a technical construction file (TCF).
A compliance folder is a document containing (at the least) the declaration of conformity, the product's EMC test results, circuit diagrams, pictures and descriptions of the product and any other engineering assessment relevant to the declaration.
A TCF consists of a technical report from a conformity assessment body (CAB) containing:
- an adequate description of the device to be marketed.
- a technical rationale for the use of the TCF.
- steps taken to manage the emission characteristics of the device including reference to the standards applied in part.
- technical reports relevant to the product.
- reports issued by the competent body (CB).
- a declaration of conformity.
A TCF is not normally used unless testing is impractical, due to the physical size or location of the device, or the device that is marketed has a number of variants. A TCF may also be used when testing a device where standards have been applied in part only.
Once a product has been tested and verified as compliant, the manufacturer must apply to either Spectrum Management Agency in Australia or the Ministry of Commerce in New Zealand for approval to label the product with the C-Tick Mark. When approval has been received, a suppliers' code will also be issued. This is to be placed on the product, or the manufacturer may provide their identity and business address elsewhere on the product if it is clear.
A manufacturer or importer who places a product on the New Zealand market that fails to fulfil the compliance requirements by generating electromagnetic interference (EMI) may be prosecuted under the Trades Practice Act and/or the Radio-Communication Act. Conviction under the Radio-Communication Act can lead to a fine of up to $30,000, for individuals, and $200,000 for corporate bodies.
Products cannot be placed on the market if they are not compliant with the relevant product standards. Early development testing is the best way for manufacturers to ensure that the final product will be compliant. If a product fails to meet the requirements of the standards, a laboratory or testing facility can often help bring the product to a compliance stage.
Underwriters Laboratories are internationally accredited laboratories offering EMC, electrical and calibration testing and certification services. As an independent third party assessing body they have been recognised as a Conformity Assessment Body for testing under the European Union's EMC and Low Voltage Directives. For more information about C?Tick or EMC testing contact:
Manuel Shimasaki - General Manager,
Email: enquiries@parksidelabs.com
Phone: +64 3 339 1670
Fax: +64 3 339 1671
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