Owing to the impact of various components we use on the environment, it is only logical that the authorities have come up with a set of standards that govern the production of various devices.

One of the most common standards that product designers view as a challenge today is making sure that electromagnetic interference is controlled. This is done through extensive Electromagnetic compatibility testing and design.

EMC testing is done by looking at both the emission and susceptibility issues by buffering the sources of interferences and protecting the potential aspects that can be affected by these waves.

Products need to be in compliance with these EMC standards.

Why Perform Pre Compliance EMC Testing?

The cost of performing these tests is high and can lead to longer project cycles and increased budgets. The burdens increase further if you perform tests in the later stages of product development.

Around 50% of all products fail EMC testing in the initial round, and it is better if a product fails at this stage as opposed to failing during the final round.

All items that can potentially radiate emissions or conduct emissions across the board should be tested. The testing process is split into two stages which are the emissions and immunity testing.

How to Avoid EMC Failure?

One of the proven ways to avoid cases of your products failing EMC tests is by conducting pre-compliance tests. You can do this through a couple of methods integrated into your product development cycles.

Doing this makes sure that your product is compliant before you even seek official approval.

You can borrow some of the metrics used for EMC testing and conduct the tests yourself, albeit with a slightly higher margin, to ensure that your products are safe.

What Happens if You Fail?

Several aspects come into the fray during product development as engineers focus on performance, reliability, form, and aesthetics among others.

Compliance is often overlooked and this is crucial as this is what determines whether the product will make it to the market or not.

While compliance can be seen to be an aspect that does not have any direct financial implication on the product compared to the others, failing the tests can lead to far more severe consequences.

If you overlook compliance, the time will come when you want to launch your device, and compliance was not factored into the manufacturing process.

You will then need to get the equipment to a certified and reliable testing lab to make sure that it meets the required limits. If you do leave compliance to the later stages of development, you will run into a couple of complications.

At this stage, you can easily fail the test, and this will lead to additional test time and costs incurred plus delayed product schedules.

If you cannot fix the product to make it compliant, you will be forced to go back to the drawing board and come up with a better design. This is bad for business as it means that all the efforts you have put in went to waste.

No matter how hard you try, it is impossible to foresee all expected situations. This is why you need to ensure that you go through all the pre-compliance steps and avoid the costly consequences.

If you fail, your non-compliant products will be barred from getting into certain markets. This will hurt your business reputation as people will no longer want your products.

Your business will also be slapped with sanctions and fines by the professional bodies since you have not adhered to the standards.

Due to this reason, it is vital to make sure that all your devices are EMC compliant, as the authorities are relentless on this.

If you would like these questions answered, or 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.