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What does EMC stand for? How would you sum it up in a nutshell? Why is it important? For anyone involved in product design and manufacturing, the answers to these questions are vital to understand.

Rather than getting weighed down with all of the intricate details surrounding EMC standards (and trust us, there are plenty of fine details) allow us to provide you with a clear and concise overview of EMC standards by answering each of these questions in turn:

• What Does EMC Stand For?
• How Would EMC Be Summed Up In A Nutshell?
• Why Are EMC Standards Important?

What Does EMC Stand For?

The term EMC stands for Electromagnetic Compatability. EMC describes how well a device can function within an electromagnetic field. This includes how it interacts with other devices.

When a product is EMC tested the interaction between the electrical or electronic equipment is stimulated. Hence an observation can take place to see whether any adverse interactions take place.

So, why Are EMC standards important?

We Live In A Device-Filled World

Take a moment to take a look around the room you are currently in. How many electronic devices can you spot? No doubt, there are too many to count quickly.

Indeed, our lives are constantly surrounded by electronic devices and yet each of them are able to work well within the same environment. This is because they have met all of the necessary EMC standards.

All Electronic And Electric Devices Have The Potential To Cause Issues

Any electronic device which emits an electromagnetic field has the potential to interact with other devices, in effect causing an issue with how effectively they can function.

In addition, an electronic device is vulnerable to electromagnetic fields and hence can be affected by other devices which may limit whether it can function as intended by the designer.

An Investment For Manufacturers

In many ways, EMC testing is like an investment for manufacturers. It gives evidence that the product they are marketing is compliant with established EMC regulations.

In fact, regulatory authorities have stated that electrical products have to meet the relevant EMC standards for compatibility. Devices are not able to be recognised as completed if they have not met all aspects related to EMC testing.

A Matter That Affects All Fields

Of course, our minds may initially think of household appliances and office equipment when it comes to EMC testing, however, it isn’t just commonly used products that are sensitive to EMC influences.

Other large hi-tech things such as aircraft, ships and vehicles are also affected by EMC standards and regulations.

The Bottom Line On EMC Standards

Regardless of size and nature, all electronic and electric devices have the potential to emit and be vulnerable to electromagnetic fields.

EMC standards are in place so that products that reach the market can function as intended within a world that is already full of electronic and electric devices.

When a company ensures that their new products meet EMC regulations they provide themselves and their potential consumers with clear evidence, an investment, that their product will function and not cause issues to the consumer.

This can also save companies the risk of smearing their reputation in the event that a product had to be recalled if it had not been fully tested in relation to EMC standards.

By understanding what EMC stands for, what it includes and why it is important to all designers and manufacturers, the world of EMC standards and testing becomes a much easier one to address and comply with.

If you would like to know more about the EMC standards and product testing or need EMC testing done, then look no further than Compliance Engineering.

We are the definitive source for all of your Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) requirements. Please call us today on + 61 3 9763 3079 or contact us here.

Electromagnetic Compatibility Testing (EMC) was developed to ensure that electric or electronic devices do not emit excessive electromagnetic interference (radiated and conducted emissions) and that devices function as intended when exposed to several other electromagnetic phenomena.

How do you know whether your electric or electronic equipment fulfills the relevant EMC regulations in Australia?

International EMC Standards and Directives exist to regulate the electromagnetic emissions from devices and equipment and to ensure the immunity of such equipment from electronic interference.

EMC Testing ensures that your equipment adheres to the requirements of current EMC standards.

What is EMC Testing?

In almost every market across the world, electronic and electrical products are regulated for EMC compatibility.

All electronic devices or installations have an influence on each other when interconnected or placed in close proximity to each other.

For example, interference can occur between a radio or TV signal and nearby equipment such as a washing machine or even an overhead power line.

Similarly, elements in vehicles that are managed electronically can malfunction due to interference. For this reason, it is important that these products are evaluated for functional safety and quality with the help of EMC Testing.

EMC Standards and Regulations

If you manufacture or import electronic or electric products or equipment, it is essential to know that those products are compatible with other equipment.

EMC Standards and Directives help in this regard as they set out the rules for all systems that use electricity – from high voltage installations to battery-operated products have been introduced by governments all over the world.

Directive 2004/108/EC has been devised to ensure limited amounts of RF interference is created by electric and electronic equipment so that other, nearby equipment will not be unduly affected.

EMC Testing and certification demonstrates to customers that your products fulfil these requirements.

All battery-powered devices fall under the scope of EMC standards and must comply with EMC regulations. All 3-phase equipment must also comply with EMC standards.

There is no requirement to send a Declaration of Conformity to the ACMA but it should be kept with all other supporting documents that claim your products comply with the relevant EMC standards.

RF Shielded Enclosures

Compliance Engineering manufactures the only modular RF Shielded Enclosures available in Australia and our services include:

• Shielding effectiveness and testing
• New installations
• Relocation of existing RF enclosures

We also provide a comprehensive range of shielding components. In addition, we also install EMF shielding for electrical sub-stations in order to reduce EMFF exposure levels to occupants in buildings nearby.

Some of the products and services provided by Compliance Engineering include:

• EMC compliance testing
• EMC certification
• RCM and CE testing
• Impact (IK) testing
• Ingress (IP) testing
• EMF shielding
• RF shielded enclosures
• Interference investigations
• Automotive EMC testing
• Radio Testing

Compliance with Australian EMC regulations is mandatory and applies to most electronic products supplied to the Australian market.

The RCM/C-Tick mark applied to products signifies to clients that the products comply with the appropriate Australian EMC standards.

The compliance mark indicates compliance with all applicable ACMA regulatory requirements such as radio and telecommunications, EMC and EME; and with the applicable electrical equipment safety regulations relevant to each territory and state in Australia.

EMC testing provides peace of mind that your electric or electronic products are safe and compliant.

As a leading service provider for Electromagnetic compatibility all over Australia, Compliance Engineering offers a wide range of cost-effective and efficient EMC Testing services for all your testing and certification needs.

In our advanced test laboratory, our knowledgeable operators will ensure that your products adhere to the current requirements of EMC standards.

Our modern facilities provide a broad range of testing and certification requirements including vibration, environmental, temperature, shock, impact (IK), and ingress (IP).

If you would like to know more about the EMC standards and product testing or need EMC testing done, then look no further than Compliance Engineering.

We are the definitive source for all of your Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) requirements. Please call us today on + 61 3 9763 3079 or contact us here.

Have you heard of EMC testing but feel unsure as to what it actually involves? Are you wondering whether EMC testing is necessary for your latest electronic invention?

Don’t worry, just because you are an amazing designer or an innovative inventor sure does not mean that you need to know all the ins and outs of EMC testing.

However, it will be favourable to have a brief overview of what EMC testing involves and why it is vital for your product to have the potential to succeed.

Allow us to provide you with a clear, concise and easy to follow guide by answering the following questions:

• What Do We mean By EMC?
• What Devices Emit Electromagnetic Fields?
• What Is EMC Testing?
• How Is EMC Testing Carried Out?
• Why Is EMC Testing Necessary?

What Do We Mean By EMC?

To understand what EMC testing is and how it relates to new products we first need to understand what is represented by the term EMC.

Electromagnetic Compatibility (usually referred to as the shortened term, EMC) is the interaction between electrical and electronic equipment with the electromagnetic environment, as well as with other equipment.

What Devices Emit Electromagnetic Fields?

Each and every electronic device has the potential to emit electromagnetic fields. Think about how many electronic devices surround you in your everyday life?

In fact, take a moment to look around the room you are in right now; how many electronic devices can you see?

Perhaps a laptop, a TV, a phone, a microwave, and the list goes on and on! It is easy to see how there is a massive potential for devices to interfere with each other.

What Is EMC Testing?

EMC testing is carried out to ensure that the electronic device in question does not emit a large amount of electromagnetic interference.

It also tests to see whether the product will function as intended when it is in the presence of other electromagnetic phenomena.

How Is EMC Testing Carried Out?

We can usually break EMC testing down into two key areas.

Emissions – These are electromagnetic disturbances which a device gives off and have the potential to interfere with other electronic devices that share the environment.

Immunity – The ability of the electronic device to function as intended whilst in the presence of an electromagnetic environment.

Why Is EMC Testing Necessary?

A product that has been EMC tested has proven that it has the ability to exist in an electromagnetic environment without causing interference to other electronic devices and without being interfered with by the same devices.

It is easy to see why EMC testing is vital for a new product. Without such testing, a product could easily end up being an embarrassment to the company that is marketing it.

It is surprisingly common for products to be released into the market without such testing and then have to be recalled.

It is easy to imagine what this costs the company; ultimately setting them back much in the way of finance, as well as damage to their reputation.

The Bottom Line On EMC Testing And Why It Is Necessary

We live in a world that surrounds us with numerous electronic devices. Indeed, each and every day we come into contact with countless devices all of which need to function correctly despite sharing the same environment.

Introducing a new electronic product into an already competitive market is a challenge for any company despite how great their product may be.

However, without EMC testing to back it up, there is no doubt that a company could be setting themselves up for failure rather than success.

If you would like to know more about the EMC standards and product testing or need EMC testing done, then look no further than Compliance Engineering.

We are the definitive source for all of your Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) requirements. Please call us today on + 61 3 9763 3079 or contact us here.

What makes an amazing designer? What makes a new product fly off the shelves? There are many factors that all have to come together to make the ideal package, however, one of the key components is that of testing and safety.

Without this type of testing, a product is quite simply not set up to succeed.

New products need to be EMC tested, however, unless a person has a keen interest or previous history within the field of EMC testing, it can all seem rather complicated, to say the least.

There are many elements to EMC testing that, when researched in advance, can make the testing period run more smoothly.

For instance, do electric fields go through solid objects? Allow us to provide both a simple and a more detailed answer.

Do Electric Fields Go Through Solid Objects – The Short Answer

Yes! In one word that is your very clear and simple answer. Electric fields do something called coupling, they couple to materials. For this to happen there needs to be an electric response of some sort in the material.

To be able to go through a solid object easily the coupling needs to be reduced. This means that where materials are weakly coupled the electric field will pass through the object at an easier rate.

However, much of this is dependant on the frequency and the material properties at a particular frequency. To understand more we need to move on to our more detailed answer.

Do Electric Fields Go Through Solid Objects – The Detailed Answer

To fully understand how electric fields go through solid objects we need to have a clearer understanding of electric fields. Here are several key points.

1. Electric fields (also known as E fields) occur for all frequencies from audio in wires to your trusty old microwave, the list is, quite literally, endless.

All of these will have a different wavelength and so the material properties will change as the wavelength changes.

2. An electric field is created when there is a potential difference in a gap, in contrast, H fields are created by currents (another topic which we are not going to discuss here).

How About In A Perfect Conductor – Is There An Electric Field?

No, there is not an E field in this case. Although things don’t stop right there. The perfect conductor can provide the path so that Voltage is able to create an electric field between another conductor where there is a potential difference.

Classical And Quantum Models

Electromagnetic fields can fall into one of two categories; electric material properties (where there is a response to an E field) and magnetic properties (where there is a response to an H field).

The two major mechanisms at play here are Classical models and Quantum electrodynamic models. We don’t have time to discuss each in detail here but the topic is well worth considering.

So, Do Electric Fields Go Through Solid Objects?

Indeed, they do. However, how easily the electric field permeates the object depends on a variety of factors. Of course, for product designers and creators, understanding the in and outs of electric fields may not be at the top of the agenda.

Thankfully, that is why experts within the world of EMC testing exist.

Not only can they provide a detailed guide as to how electric fields work (including how they function with solid objects) but they can also take care of all of the relevant testing.

In that way, designers are able to put their time and effort into what they do best; creating safe products that are going to fly off the shelves.

If you would like to know more about the EMC standards and product testing or need EMC testing done, then look no further than Compliance Engineering.

We are the definitive source for all of your Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) requirements. Please call us today on + 61 3 9763 3079 or contact us here.