Terminal Blocks for Factory or Field Wiring. How to know what you’re getting –
Terminal Blocks come in many different forms. They’re rated for difference wire sizes, voltages and ampacities, temperatures, short circuit ratings, and more.
Many don’t know, however, UL also rates them for Factory or Field wiring. Terminal Blocks rated for Factory wiring only, cannot be used for wires to be installed in the field. So, if you’re at UL with your product that has a Terminal Block intended to be wired in the field, you better make sure you pick the right one.
Picking the right one –
UL designates Terminal Blocks for Factory or Field Wiring. See below from UL’s Guide Card on Terminal Blocks -
XCFR2.GuideInfo - Terminal Blocks - Component
Factory and/or Field Wiring (FW) — These terminal blocks are rated for: Code 1, factory wiring only, or Code 2, both factory and field wiring. The suitability of the connections (including spacings between factory connectors) shall be determined in the end-use application.
Unless noted with a "CA 4" in the last column, a terminal connector suitable for field wiring has been investigated to ANSI/UL 486A-486B, "Wire Connectors."
When Code 1 and Code 2 terminals are intermixed on the same terminal block, both codes will be used with suitable indication for which terminal each code applies, i.e., 1/2.
When looking for the right Terminal Block, look in the FW column on the companies UL Recognition card.
|
|
||||||||
|
Series |
Wire |
Wire |
|
TQ |
|
|
|
|
|
+FP |
14 |
Cu |
1 |
— |
300 |
20 |
C |
2(130),# |
|
+FS |
14 |
Cu |
1 |
— |
300 |
20 |
C |
2(130),# |
|
@FP-XX-25A |
12 |
Cu |
1 |
— |
300 |
25 |
C |
2(130),# |
|
@FS-XX-25A |
12 |
Cu |
1 |
— |
300 |
25 |
C |
2(130),# |
|
+D exept for D-11 |
4-18 SOL/STR |
Cu |
2 |
20 |
250/300 |
85 |
B/C |
2(130),# |
|
(2) 12-16 STR |
Cu |
2 |
20 |
250/300 |
35 |
B/C |
2(130),# |
|
|
(2) 18 SOL/STR |
Cu |
2 |
20 |
250/300 |
UL 8139 E-Cig and Vape Battery and Electrical Certification
With the rapid introduction of e-cig and vaping devices, numerous serious injuries have been reported due to poor designs or unanticipated factors. UL 8139 is the standard for the safety of the electrical, heating, battery, and charging systems of electronic cigarettes and vaping devices. The goal of the standard is to help manufacturers address potential hazards in the product mechanical design, battery management system, operator abuse, and environmental exposures. The standard is recognized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and Standards Council of Canada (SCC).
The standard does not cover consumables or its physiological and psychological effects on the operator.
Product Safety Consulting has the expertise to help you navigate your product through UL certification as well as the laboratory capacity to analyze and stress test your product.
Product Safety Consulting has provided expert advice since 1988 and we have proficient working knowledge of global safety certification.
Contact us Today!
(630) 238-0188
Even if you fully understand the procedure, there are plenty of areas in the safety approval process where the lighting manufacturer can get hung up. The best way to deal with these is to incorporate them into the design phase, before you’ve spent time and money in building prototypes, or worse — tooling up your production line. Careful attention paid to some key areas in the beginning can save countless dollars down the line.
The key to easily passing is to avoid non-compliances. While there are a wide range of products and a number of standards that affect lighting manufacturers, here one of the most common areas on which to focus:
