Standard_Drives

Standard Drives Buyers Guide

117

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Q: How are the EMC standards being created?

The organization of EMC work within the IEC is presently

organized as follows:

Technical Committee No. 77 (TC77) is responsible for

basic standards having general application and for

generic standards

CISPR (the International Special Committee on Radio

Interference) is responsible for the protection of radio and

television broadcasting, but has extended its field of activity

to include information technology equipment (ITE)

Numerous product committees have the task of developing

standards specific to their products

To ensure coordination between these special committees

and the outside world, the Advisory Committee on

Electromagnetic Compatibility (ACEC) was set up to

coordinate the work and provide advice to the product

committees

The organization of EMC work within CENELEC is somewhat

simpler than that of the IEC:

Technical Committee 110 (TC110) is responsible for basic

standards, generic standards, and a certain degree of

supervision of the product standards

Various product committees in parallel with some, but not all,

IEC committees

Q: What is the difference between basic standards, generic

standards, and product specific standards for EMC?

Basic EMC standards specify the general conditions or

rules necessary for achieving electromagnetic compatibility

applicable to all products and to which the product committees

may refer. The IEC 1000 series of standards are basic EMC stan-

dards. Generic EMC standards relate to a given environment and

are applicable to all equipment installed in the environment

where there is no product-specific EMC standard for that equip-

ment. Product-specific EMC standards specify the requirements

and tests specific to the products considered.

Q: Is it absolutely essential that all core drives with a final des-

tination in the EU comply with the EMC directive, even if they

are only used as components on machines built in the U.S. and

exported to Europe?

Literally speaking, the EMC directive applies to “all electrical

and electronic appliances together with equipment and installa-

tions containing electrical and/or electronic components liable to

cause electromagnetic disturbance or the performance of which

is liable to be affected by such disturbance.” For the purposes of

the EMC directive, a “component” is defined as any item which is

used in the composition of an apparatus and which is not itself

an apparatus with an intrinsic function intended for the final con-

sumer. Therefore, from a legal point of view, compliance with the

EMC directive and affixation of the CE marking is only required

on the complete apparatus as opposed to each individual

component which make up the apparatus.

However, subsequent interpretations by EU officials have

declared that components that can be sold directly to final users

and are somewhat complex in nature (examples given are

motors, electronic circuit cards, and thermostats so obviously

drives would be included) are subject to the obligations laid down

in the EMC directive. Simple components (integrated circuits, low

voltage fuses, miniature resistors, etc.) and more complex compo-

nents which are intended for use by professional assemblers are

not subject to the provisions of the EMC directive. It is the respon-

sibility of the assembler to ensure that the end product housing

these components or subassemblies complies with the directive

requirements. Therefore, even though the CE marking indicating

compliance with the EMC directive is not legally required for

drives sold as components, it may very well be a market require-

ment for machinery OEMs who want to sell to the EU to avoid

possible issues with replacement parts, as well as to ensure them

the necessary documentation to help meet the EMC requirements

for their machines.

Keep in mind that starting in 1997, all low voltage equipment,

whether component or complete apparatus, must comply with

the low voltage directive and thus bear the CE marking. This is no

different than the U.S. situation where most components bear the

UL mark as well as the final product. There is no way to tell just

from the marking on the product itself which directives the

product meets (this is accomplished by the manufacturer’s

declaration of conformity).

Q: Is there anything positive for U.S. manufacturers in all

of this?

Looked at one way, the CE marking and all of the directives

could be thought of as a major trade barrier which EU members

have erected to make it difficult for those outside to get their

products in. And although there are elements of some of the

directives which appear that way, overall this is certainly not the

case. In fact, the EU member nations have had to knock down a

number of their own trade barriers to create this vast mega-mar-

ket whose size exceeds that of the U.S. One example is the myri-

ad of national marks that used to be legally required to enter

some of the countries. In the game of international trade,

the U.S. has suffered from the disadvantage that our foreign

competitors could develop one product with one mark and sell it

into the largest homogeneous market in the world. Now the rest

of the world has the same advantage with the EU. There may still

be market requirements in some countries for national marks

such as VDE or BSI, but legally the product cannot be restricted.

U.S. manufacturers should view the new system as a great

opportunity for global growth.

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Europe and the CE Marking: Questions and Answers