R
robertsawk
I have researched this for a long time and I cannot seem to find the answer. I am knowledgeable about CE Marking and the LVD, but I know little about the CB Scheme and CB Reports. I cannot seem to find the meat that tells you how they use standard versions and dates within the CB Scheme and how that relates to the harmonized standards for the CE Marking LVD.
The issue is my supplier has an form IECEN60950_1C CB report calling out Test Specification --> Standard:
IEC 60950-1:2005 (2nd Ed.) and/or EN 60950-1:2006 (with no amendments called out).
Of course using EN 60950-1:2006 as the standard for proving compliance to the LVD expired on December 1, 2010. They are claiming that since they have a CB Report, they are in compliance with the LVD as of now, March 2012. I am arguing that they are currently not compliant with the LVD, and would need to use at a minimum EN 60950-1:2006 + A11:2009 (which expires March 1, 2013) or preferably one of the newer amendments. Or, if they are submitting the CB Report to TUV et al and getting a separate approval per each country's national 60950-1 standard, that may work, but they are not doing that.
They seem to believe that just because the CENELEC countries are part of the CB Scheme, and IEC 60950-1:2005, without A1:2009, is still supposedly valid (which I can neither confirm nor deny), that this automatically gives them compliance with the LVD also. I can't believe this could be true though because the harmonized list of standards for the LVD makes it quite clear that EN 60950-1:2006 without amendments has expired, and every manufacturer would be using the CB Scheme instead of self declaration if it allowed them to get by using old expired EN standards.
I've been trying to research the national and group differences as I'm assuming that is where the IEC and EN standards diverge and all this maybe gets clear, however, I have not figured out how to access the detailed info yet.
So first, who is correct regarding the above situation?
Also, can someone explain the basic mechanics of the CB Scheme, including:
1) The CB Scheme seems to have multiple standards that are active at one time. Where does it state which ones are in force, which ones have expired etc. I'm used to seeing clear lists of what is active and what is not from the LVD Harmonized list as well as UL/CSA NRTLs. I can't make heads or tails of what the CB Scheme website is really telling me. It seems everything is listed in there.
2) If IEC issues a new amendment to IEC 60950-1, does it take awhile for the CB Scheme to approve, pull it in and make notification, or is it automatic or ?
3) If there are multiple active IEC 60950-1 standards, every time CENELEC make an amendment to EN 60950-1 for the LVD, for example A12:2011, that is NOT driven by a previous matching IEC amendment, does CENELEC issue group differences then for each active IEC standard under the CB Scheme to bring each one of those up to the same language as the latest EN standard? However, there are multiple EN standards/amendment combinations that usually can be used at any time, so I'm clearly confused as to how they issue the group/national differences and which IEC standard versions they would choose to apply those to.
4) Maybe I have this all wrong and the group/national differences are not really meant as a mechanism to hard align the IEC standards in use under the CB Scheme with the current EN standards required for the LVD?
Thanks in advance for your professional advice,
Rob
The issue is my supplier has an form IECEN60950_1C CB report calling out Test Specification --> Standard:
IEC 60950-1:2005 (2nd Ed.) and/or EN 60950-1:2006 (with no amendments called out).
Of course using EN 60950-1:2006 as the standard for proving compliance to the LVD expired on December 1, 2010. They are claiming that since they have a CB Report, they are in compliance with the LVD as of now, March 2012. I am arguing that they are currently not compliant with the LVD, and would need to use at a minimum EN 60950-1:2006 + A11:2009 (which expires March 1, 2013) or preferably one of the newer amendments. Or, if they are submitting the CB Report to TUV et al and getting a separate approval per each country's national 60950-1 standard, that may work, but they are not doing that.
They seem to believe that just because the CENELEC countries are part of the CB Scheme, and IEC 60950-1:2005, without A1:2009, is still supposedly valid (which I can neither confirm nor deny), that this automatically gives them compliance with the LVD also. I can't believe this could be true though because the harmonized list of standards for the LVD makes it quite clear that EN 60950-1:2006 without amendments has expired, and every manufacturer would be using the CB Scheme instead of self declaration if it allowed them to get by using old expired EN standards.
I've been trying to research the national and group differences as I'm assuming that is where the IEC and EN standards diverge and all this maybe gets clear, however, I have not figured out how to access the detailed info yet.
So first, who is correct regarding the above situation?
Also, can someone explain the basic mechanics of the CB Scheme, including:
1) The CB Scheme seems to have multiple standards that are active at one time. Where does it state which ones are in force, which ones have expired etc. I'm used to seeing clear lists of what is active and what is not from the LVD Harmonized list as well as UL/CSA NRTLs. I can't make heads or tails of what the CB Scheme website is really telling me. It seems everything is listed in there.
2) If IEC issues a new amendment to IEC 60950-1, does it take awhile for the CB Scheme to approve, pull it in and make notification, or is it automatic or ?
3) If there are multiple active IEC 60950-1 standards, every time CENELEC make an amendment to EN 60950-1 for the LVD, for example A12:2011, that is NOT driven by a previous matching IEC amendment, does CENELEC issue group differences then for each active IEC standard under the CB Scheme to bring each one of those up to the same language as the latest EN standard? However, there are multiple EN standards/amendment combinations that usually can be used at any time, so I'm clearly confused as to how they issue the group/national differences and which IEC standard versions they would choose to apply those to.
4) Maybe I have this all wrong and the group/national differences are not really meant as a mechanism to hard align the IEC standards in use under the CB Scheme with the current EN standards required for the LVD?
Thanks in advance for your professional advice,
Rob
