RCM Testing Certification Australian Certification

Australian RCM certification profile
RCM certification is a mark introduced in Australia and New Zealand to achieve the unified identification of electrical products. This mark is a trademark owned by the regulatory authorities in Australia and New Zealand, which indicates that the product meets both safety and EMC requirements and is not mandatory.

RCM certified electrical products are mainly divided into non-regulated and regulated products, because not all products marked with RCM need to be registered. Non-regulated products do not need to be registered. At present, only Level 3 electrical products are required to be registered. There are 56 major categories including power adapters and vacuum cleaners with a high risk factor.

Under normal circumstances, the RCM logo should be marked on the product label. The original required agent number. The new RCM does not need to indicate the agent number.
After this requirement was issued on March 1, 2013, there is a three-year transition period, and enforcement has begun on March 1, 2016, so manufacturers need to strictly perform the relevant tests of this standard. Because the new RCM requirements are different from the previous ones, except that the importer will bear the high risk of substandard product quality, and the importer needs to pay the registration fee and the annual fee for registration, there will be very few companies that can provide this service.

RCM certification basic information

Nature of certification: voluntary certification
Do you need factory inspection: No
Do you need a local representative: Yes
Certificate validity: 2 years, 3 years, 5 years
Application cycle: one week after obtaining the safety certification and C-Tick / EMC report

RCM certification content
RCM = Safety + EMC + Importer Declaration

1. Safety (Product Safety Certification)
Product safety certification includes two parts: electrical products are divided into regulated electrical products (Prescribed Product) and non-regulated products (Non-prescribed product).

1). Regulated electrical products are classified according to AS / NZS4417.2 and include electric heating equipment, refrigeration equipment, power tools, parts, etc. Three of them, the Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, are the most active in the certification process. Regulatory appliances are required to obtain a Certificate of Approval issued by the monitoring department, and the identification is required (the certificate number must be marked) . The first letter of the certificate number shows which state or region the certificate was issued from. Such as:

(1) Q04051 (Queensland) --- Q Number
(2) W2015 (Western Australia) --- W Number
(3) V03101 (Victoria) --- ESV Certificate V Number
(4) NSW18099 (New South Wales) --- DOFT Certificate NSW Number

2). Non-regulated electrical appliances can be sold directly without certification, but manufacturers must ensure that the product's electrical safety complies with the Australian standard AS / NZS3820: 1998 (Essential Safety Requirements for Low Voltage Electrical Equipment); the monitoring department will issue compliance for products that meet the standard Certificate of Suitability. The electrical products that have obtained the certificate of conformity can be marked with a certificate number. The last letter of the certificate shows which state or region issued the certificate, such as:

(1) CS / 431 / Q (Queensland)
(2) CS / 108 / NSW (New South Wales)

2. EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility)
Australia's electromagnetic compatibility compliance program is based on the Radio Communications ACT 1992 and covers a wide range of products, including motor-driven and heat-generating electrical products, power tools and similar products, electric lights and similar equipment, TV receivers and audio equipment, information technology products, industrial science and medical equipment, ignition engines and arc welding equipment. The plan divides products into three categories based on the danger level of electromagnetic interference caused by the products. The second and third products must be marked with C-Tick. However, regardless of the product category, it must meet the relevant EMC standards.

One type of product: Products that have only a slight impact on devices using wireless spectrum, such as manual switches, simple relays, brushless squirrel cage induction motors, AC power / power transformers, resistors, etc. Such products can be voluntarily applied for the use of the C-Tick mark when they are produced and sold.
Category 2: Products that have a greater impact on devices using wireless spectrum, such as microprocessors or digital devices with clocks, rectifiers or slip-ring motors, arc welding equipment, switching power supplies, photometric regulators, and motors Speed controller, telecommunications terminal equipment of information technology (CISPR 22) category (from the third category to the second category since November 7, 2003).

Three types of products: Products that have a serious impact on devices using the wireless spectrum, such as industrial, scientific and medical instruments and equipment group 2 (CISPR11).
Application process
1. The third party's laboratory evaluates the product and determines the test standards to be implemented;
2. In case of non-compliance during the test, the laboratory will rectify the product to meet and meet Australian standards
3. Pass the test and issue a test report;
4. Submit the test report to the Australian certification authority for document review;
5. Australia approved and issued RCM certificate;
6. Customers can complete the registration of the Australian website by themselves or by the laboratory;
Relationship between SAA certification, C-Tick, A-Tick and RCM
SAA certification is for the control of safety regulations, C-Tick certification is for EMC and radio products, and A-Tick certification is for telecommunications products. The RCM mark is a certification mark introduced in 2013. After the product has obtained safety certification and electromagnetic compatibility registration, it can obtain the RCM mark through the safety certification regulatory agency. From March 1, 2016, all electrical and electronic products sold must start using the RCM logo; the A-tick and C-tick logos will be replaced. RCM can be understood as a registration system, including SAA and C-TICK.