6000DB1201 10/2012 Data Bulletin UL Listing and UL Field Labeling Services for Medium Voltage Equipment UL Listing Schneider Electric designs and manufactures products that meet or exceed industry standards. All products manufactured by Schneider Electric are tested to all appropriate standards. However, not all Schneider Electric products are Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Listed. The usual rationale for not UL Listing a product during its development phase is either: • • A standard does not exist, or The production volume is expected to be low, so obtaining a UL Listing is not cost-justifiable. Examples of non-UL Listed, medium voltage, Schneider Electric products are: Visi/Vac™ Circuit Interruptors, 38 kV HVL Metal-Enclosed Load Interruptor Switchgear, and GHA Gas Insulated Switchgear. The UL listing provides a customer with the added assurance that a third party has witnessed the manufacturer designing and testing the product to the appropriate standard. With medium voltage products, the standards are usually issued by IEEE, ANSI, or NEMA. Third party certification is often required by a local code or facility inspector to verify that the equipment meets the applicable standards and can be installed in accordance with required installation codes, such as the National Electrical Code (NEC). In the course of UL Listing a product to an IEEE standard such as C37.20.3 (Metal-Enclosed Switchgear): Figure 1: Sample Certificate of Compliance • UL must review all design test plans (BIL, endurance, short circuit, temperature rise, etc.), • UL must witness all design tests in Schneider Electric and UL-approved, third party labs, • UL must review that all subcomponents are UL recognized, UL Listed, or are suitable for the application, and • UL must review all final documentation that is submitted to obtain the UL Listing. Once all these steps have been met, UL issues the UL Listing. UL Listing information is available to customers at UL.com. UL also issues Certificates of Compliance to Schneider Electric that can be provided to customers. These certificates prove that products have gone through the UL Listing process successfully. An example is shown in Figure 1. © 2012 Schneider Electric All Rights Reserved ™ UL Listing and UL Field Labeling Services for Medium Voltage Equipment Data Bulletin 6000DB1201 10/2012 UL Field Services In addition to UL Listing, UL provides two Field services. Field Inspections A UL Field Inspection is normally conducted when: • • • Schneider Electric makes a field change to a UL-labeled device, Schneider Electric has neglected to apply the UL label to the product, or the UL label is damaged. A UL Field Inspection determines if the product still complies with the requirements of its UL file. If the product still complies, the inspector views the application of a standard UL label to the product (if the product does not already have a label), and writes a letter attesting to the fact that the equipment was found to be in compliance with its listing requirements. UL Field Inspections can only be performed on equipment that has been energized less than a year. They are rarely performed on Schneider Electric’s medium voltage products. The cost is around $1,000–1,500. Field Evaluations The Field Evaluation is the more common Field Service used by UL. It is a more complicated inspection process and is used for non-UL Listed equipment or for UL Listed equipment that has been energized for a year or longer. The typical cost is between $7,500–12,000. At Schneider Electric’s Smyrna, Tennessee manufacturing facility, we usually have Field Evaluations performed for HVL orders above 15 kV and for all Visi/Vac orders requiring a third party label. UL reviews the product and any design test records we can provide to determine if the product meets the requirements of its applicable standards. If UL determines the product meets the requirements, they will apply a UL Field Evaluated Product (FEP) label to the equipment. Figure 2 shows a sample label. Figure 2: Sample FEP Label NOTE: The UL FEP process works best when started prior to the equipment being shipped to the job site. This gives UL a chance to review design test reports and also allows time for them to inspect the equipment and witness factory testing. UL may still require a site visit once the product is installed. There is no guarantee that a Field Evaluation will result in a UL FEP label. Schneider Electric USA, Inc. 1010 Airpark Center Drive Nashville, TN 37217 USA 1-888-778-2733 www.schneider-electric.us 2 Electrical equipment should be installed, operated, serviced, and maintained only by qualified personnel. No responsibility is assumed by Schneider Electric for any consequences arising out of the use of this material. Schneider Electric™ and Visi/Vac™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Schneider Electric. Other trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners. © 2012 Schneider Electric All Rights Reserved