Competent Registrar for Major Electrical Components for Wind Turbine Manufacturer

[RLewing]

Well,

I have at least put my stakes to wind power now. Changed recently from a politically windy "subsidiary" position in medical devices to HQ of a new fast-growing company engaged in producing major electrical components to wind turbine manufacturers.

Planning to be ISO 9001 certified soon, which brings up a question to my fellow Covers: have you any knowledge/recommendations about any internationally operating registrar being especially competent in this field?

Best Regards
Raimo

[Marc]

Post split off of Harnessing the Power of the Gulf Stream

[Marc]

What type of components? Transformers? Inverters?

[Sidney Vianna]

In Reply to Parent Post by RLewing

Planning to be ISO 9001 certified soon, which brings up a question to my fellow Covers: have you any knowledge/recommendations about any internationally operating registrar being especially competent in this field?

DNV has a strong position in the Wind Energy sector.

DNV to set the standard for damage tolerant blades

http://www.dnv.com/resources/publica...leadership.asp

Disclaimer: I work for DNV.

[RLewing]

Marc, thanks for the branch.

In Reply to Parent Post by Marc

What type of components? Transformers? Inverters?

Generators and inverters.

In Reply to Parent Post by Sidney Vianna

Disclaimer: I work for DNV.

I worked for DNV - 10 yrs ago. In fact we have met once, Sydney, I was over there for an audit. So your buddies will get a chance. I'm just scouting for alternatives, trying to be impartial.

[Hershal]

One additional thing to keep in mind, if it is not already taken care of.....

You mention it is a new fast growing company.....if the products manufactured have not yet been "listed", then you will ultimately have to get the products tested and listed by an ISO Guide 65 accredited organization (e.g., UL).....there likely is a FINAS accredited Guide 65 body near you.....

[Sidney Vianna]

In Reply to Parent Post by Hershal

if the products manufactured have not yet been "listed", then you will ultimately have to get the products tested and listed by an ISO Guide 65 accredited organization (e.g., UL)....

That implies that there is a regulatory requirement to have the product "listed". What is the legal requirement?

[RLewing]

In Reply to Parent Post by Hershal

One additional thing to keep in mind, if it is not already taken care of.....

You mention it is a new fast growing company.....if the products manufactured have not yet been "listed", then you will ultimately have to get the products tested and listed by an ISO Guide 65 accredited organization (e.g., UL).....there likely is a FINAS accredited Guide 65 body near you.....

In Reply to Parent Post by Sidney Vianna

That implies that there is a regulatory requirement to have the product "listed". What is the legal requirement?

For the European market we are declaring conformity to Low Voltage Directive and Machine Directive. According to my understanding neither explicitly requires involving a notified or competent body. We are naturally observing the relevant harmonized (mainly IEC) standards and have the technical documentation available as required.

We are not quite yet entering the US market so we have not investigated what legal requiremens exist there; will be thankful for and will consider any detailed information about that, too.

The testing is done mainly by us at our own facilities; a full load test to a multi-MW generator or inverter can not be done everywhere. Customer is often attending.

However a certification body will naturally get credit if they can also provide 3rd party testing, if our customers would require that. One stop shopping.

What I'm really after would be if anybody in the wind turbines or wind power production market has any first hand experience. I will naturally ask for references, but first I'd naturally would like to know which names have a positive sound at our customers and their customers.