Do you know what Electromagnetic Compatibility standards are? Are you a manufacturer of electronic products? Then you need to read the article below.

Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) standards have been in place since 2017. These standards were put in place to ensure that suppliers complied with certain requirements before putting labels on their products. 

Today, EMC testing and test reports are used to determine whether suppliers have met these requirements. 

The Electromagnetic Compatibility or Radiocommunication Labelling notice of 2017 (EMC LN) requires that suppliers meet all EMC testing requirements before labelling their products and sending them out into the market.

Electromagnetic Risk Levels

The Electromagnetic Compatibility or Radiocommunication Labelling notice of 2017 (EMC LN) identifies three types of risk levels in relation to a product: Low, Medium and High-risk products. 

Each risk level requires that certain evidence is presented to show that a product complies with the relevant EMC standards. The levels match the risk linked to a product that has not met the necessary EMC testing requirements. 

The high-risk level includes products that pose a great risk of interference and therefore stricter testing measures are required for compliance to be awarded. 

The evidence provided for compliance testing must be valid, accurate and verifiable.

EMC Testing

EMC testing varies depending on the risk level a product has been categorised in. For instance, testing of low and medium-risk products can be done in an in-house test lab or by a recognised EMC testing body. 

On the other hand, testing of high-risk products must be done by approved regulatory bodies.

If a supplier has previously met the relevant EMC testing requirements for their products, they can use the previously acquired test reports to seek compliance from regulatory bodies. 

This means that products that have already been tested and cleared do not have to be re-tested in order to get EMC compliance. 

Suppliers are responsible for ensuring that their products undergo the necessary testing and evaluation before putting them up for sale. 

Any interference or damage caused by their products due to lack of testing and compliance is deemed to be the supplier’s fault and the law is left to take its course.

Following are some examples of EMC testing requirements:

1). Emissions Testing

Your product should not emit a large amount of electromagnetic interference or emissions. Electromagnetic waves and signals can affect a wide range of devices that we use on a day-to-day basis. 

Products that emit too many electromagnetic emissions can easily interfere with the normal functioning of other devices.

2). Immunity Testing

Your product should continue functioning properly even when in the presence of various electromagnetic emissions and signals. 

This testing requirement gauges the immunity of a device to interference by electromagnetic signals and emissions that are practically everywhere nowadays.

3). Safety Testing

Your product should not pose a danger to the health or life of end-users. This EMC testing requirement focuses on the safety of end-users.

Testing Bodies

EMC testing bodies are labs that have the necessary technical capability, resources and equipment to perform tests on products to determine whether they meet relevant EMC requirements. 

A testing body can either be an in-house lab or an approved testing body. Following are some of the approved testing bodies:

1). NATA Approved Bodies

These are bodies that have been approved by NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities). These bodies use the EMC requirements and standards set in law to gauge whether a product has achieved compliance.

2). NATA MRA Partners

These are partner-bodies from other jurisdictions that NATA acknowledges through mutual recognition agreements or MRAs.

Conclusion

With the tremendous increase of electronic devices and products in the country and the world at large, there is a need for stricter EMC testing requirements if the electromagnetic spectrum is to remain stable. 

It’s crucial that manufacturers and suppliers of electronic products adhere to these requirements for the good of everyone.

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.