TÜV SÜD establishes global structures for battery testing

TÜV SÜD is massively expanding its testing and certification activities for batteries of electrically powered vehicles. As announced at its press conference at eCarTec today, Tuesday 19 October, TÜV SÜD and its partner Lion Smart are investing several million euros in the construction of a new battery laboratory in Garching near Munich. The existing testing laboratories in Auburn Hills/USA and Singapore will be simultaneously expanded to the same standard as the laboratory designed for Munich. Under the roof of the recently established TÜV SÜD Battery Testing GmbH, the experts will then offer battery testing based on global safety standards.

"The new construction of the laboratory in Munich and the facilities in Auburn Hills and Singapore make TÜV SÜD the first provider of third-party testing services to operate an international network of testing laboratories for the batteries of electric vehicles", underlined Horst Schneider, TÜV SÜD AG Member of the Board responsible for MOBILITY. As Schneider emphasized, a priority for TÜV SÜD is to equip the testing laboratories and design the testing procedures in such a way that testing and certification can be performed to uniform standards and results are reproducible throughout the world: "We are thus responding to demands by industry, and can also play a critical role in ensuring high global standards in battery safety."

TÜV SÜD is investing several million euros in constructing the new laboratory on the premises of TÜV SÜD Automotive in Garching and in extending testing facilities in Auburn Hills and Singapore. Full operation of the Garching–based laboratory is scheduled for as early as mid-2011. The laboratory will test the chemical and electrical safety of new batteries for electrically powered vehicles and subject the high-voltage units to crash tests and 'abuse tests', i.e. tests which examine the risks faced when the batteries are operated or used incorrectly.

To implement its international campaign, TÜV SÜD and its partner Lion Smart GmbH have established TÜV SÜD Battery Testing GmbH to bundle their global battery testing activities. Lion Smart GmbH, based in Frieding and Herrsching, has been established in battery testing for years and is excellently integrated in both industry and science networks.

The Board of Management of TÜV SÜD Battery Testing GmbH comprises Daniel Quinger, now member of management at Lion Smart, and Stefan Rentsch, previously head of TÜV SÜD's "e-mobility innovation project". The company aims to establish a close partnership with TU München (technical university of Munich) and the Fraunhofer Institut in the field of battery design and development. "For TÜV SÜD, the present investment marks an important step towards establishing ourselves as the number one service provider in all safety issues of electromobility", explains Horst Schneider.

Electromobility is one of TÜV SÜD's core themes. The Munich-based provider of testing and certification services already covers the entire range of safety issues related to electric cars. At eCarTec, which continues until 21 October, TÜV SÜD can be found in Hall B5, Stand 330, where its experts provide information about a variety of themes including a new battery safety certificate for pedelecs, the development of roadworthiness testing for electric vehicles and charging systems, homologation and type approval of electric vehicles, and the training of staff in high-voltage technology and safe handling of the vehicles. The TÜV SÜD experts are also presenting a new standard for determining the range of electric vehicles.

Visit the TÜV SÜD website: http://www.tuvps.co.uk/home_psuk/industries/energy/electric_vehicle

The Halloween mask that’s not so “Great for parties”...

One of the latest products to be stopped from reaching our shelves is a Halloween mask for children.  The EU Toys Directive sets out the standards which all toys must meet as a minimum safety requirement. 

The mask, which was picked up by the Romanian Authorities, fails to meet the Directive as it has a lack of ventilation causing a risk of suffocation. 

The product packaging says “Great for parties”...we are not convinced!

Trick or Treat!

Retailers and consumers must be aware that unsafe products still find their way into our homes, however the majority of products are safe and do comply with safety standards. RAPEX, the EU rapid alert system for dangerous products issues a weekly report highlighting unsafe products picked up by market surveillance authorities such as Trading Standards, see http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/dyna/rapex/rapex_archives_en.cfm. 

To help combat these unsafe products TÜV SÜD works closely with manufacturers, importers, retailers and the market surveillance authorities.

“Not only do our safety compliance experts ensure that products meet international requirements, we routinely conduct product assessments and factory inspections to ensure ongoing safety and quality.”  Richard Poate, Compliance Services Manager, TÜV SÜD.

Our CE marking facility near Stratford conducts risk assessments for due diligence; product testing; compilation and checking of technical documentation and advises steps to be taken to ensure toys are reliably manufactured to the designed to 'safe specifications'.  “These services provide manufacturers with the tools and support necessary to be able for them to sell safe toys; it is vital to ensure that all due diligence is taken, especially where child safety is involved” Alastair McLaughlin, Toy Safety Specialist, TÜV SÜD.

The product is listed on the RAPEX report as item 19, Week 41, 2010.  Find the link here:

http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/dyna/rapex/create_rapex.cfm?rx_id=319

FAA issues safety alert on lithium batteries after UPS crash

The US FAA has issued a safety alert recommending that airlines adopt new procedures to reduce the risk of onboard fire posed by lithium batteries.

Airlines should ask customers to identify bulk shipments on airway bills and store such items in Class C cargo compartments, the FAA says. The agency also asks airlines to re-examine their own practices for transporting lithium batteries, as well as pay "special attention" to existing regulations.

The recommendations apply only to lithium batteries transported as cargo. Passengers and crewmembers can continue to use the power source without notifying the airline.

The safety alert was issued as the agency considers issuing a final rule with new proposals to reduce the risks of transporting such batteries. The proposed ruling is now under review by the Office of Management and Budget, which the administrative arm of the White House.

Non-peer-reviewed results of a study by the FAA Tech Centre show that lithium batteries can enter a condition called thermal runaway and reach temperatures over 593ºC (1,100ºF).

The safety alert comes one month after UPS flight 006, a Boeing 747-400, crashed in Dubai.

"Investigation of the crash is still underway, and the cause of the crash has not been determined," the FAA says. "We are aware, however, that the plane's cargo did include large quantities of lithium batteries and believe it prudent to advise operators of that fact."

Lithium-ion batteries deserve respect!

Richard Poate, Battery Certification Manager at TÜV Product Service, commented “lithium-ion batteries are found in more and more applications and whilst this chemistry provides great advantages in terms of performance we must never forget that this chemistry is quite volatile and must be treated with respect.  A key element of battery safety requires environmental and electrical testing to check their compliance during transportation.  Here at TÜV we routinely conduct such tests including altitude simulation, shock, vibration, short circuit and over-charge.  This recent incident just goes to reinforce the importance of battery testing in ensuring everyone’s safety.”

TÜV Product Service is accredited by UKAS to perform lithium-ion battery testing in accordance to UN Manual of Tests 38.3 Regulation.  This regulation is part of a wider set of regulations set out to ensure safety of goods during transit across air, sea and land. 

The environmental testing facilities at the purpose built testing laboratory in Fareham, Hampshire, covers an area of 1200m² and has a unique combination of test facilities.

It is also important that batteries are tested and that packaging handlers are trained to identify lithium-ion batteries from information provided and packaging markings and use approved methods for safe handling.

For more information about TÜV Product Service visit http://www.tuvps.co.uk. Alternatively contact us on +44 (0)1489 558100 or email info@tuvps.co.uk

To view the original article by Flight Global on the 8/10/10 please find the following link: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/10/08/348306/faa-issues-safety-alert-on-lithium-batteries-after-ups.html

How do Military standards and testing differ to Commercial EMC test standards?

Both civil and military EMC standards are designed around the same principal, to prove that the equipment under test is fit for purpose and to operate in its intended environment.

However, military environment tend to be more hostile and therefore military EMC test levels are usually more severe. For example, the civil radiated immunity requirement for equipment intended for use in an industrial environment is a field strength of 10 V/m where as for military testing this can be 200 V/m and higher.

The driving force behind Commercial Test Standards and testing is EU legislation. A piece of commercial equipment will be tested to the correct product specific, product family or generic harmonised EU test standards. To ensure that a test in the UK to BS EN55011 will be just as relevant and acceptable as a test in Germany to DIN EN 55011 and in some cases to outside of the EU so that it’s also as relevant and acceptable as a test in Australia to AS/NZS CISPR 11.

The driving force behind Military testing are usually contractual requirements. A piece of military equipment will be tested to either the relevant countries own Military Test Standards (Def Stan for the UK, Mil Std for the US) or to the military standard that the country has chosen to adopt. In addition to this military equipment may then be subject to additional testing from product specific specifications.  For example, military aircraft may be subject to tests from the RTCA airborne test specifications as well as Def Stan or Mil Std. For larger military projects, specific product EMC Test Standards may be developed and written to cover that product only, an example of this is the EFA specs for the Euro-fighter project.

If we have a multi role piece of military hardware that is airborne, ship borne and also fitted to land vehicles then a complete set of Def Stan testing would be the very minimum required. If this product is also being marketed to the US, then a gap analysis of Def Stan to Mil Std specifications may be required to identify areas that Mil Std differs from Def Stan. On top of this, tests from the RTCA specifications will be relevant for the airborne version and Commercial Maritime test standards may be relevant for the ship borne version.

If you require more advice, please email our experts on info@tuvps.co.uk

Fisher-Price recalls highchairs and toys

Thousands of high chairs and toys sold in the UK have been recalled by Fisher-Price over safety concerns. It is part of a wider US-led recall of more than 10 million products following reports of injuries. The UK recall of 72,763 high chairs follows 14 reports of problems in the US, including seven children who needed stitches.

Products with inflatable balls have also been recalled following 50 reports of valves coming off. The list of UK products which have been recalled has been issued by parent company Mattel.

The UK highchairs affected are the Basic Healthy Care Cow over the Moon, Flutterby Dream, Aquarium Healthy Care, 3-in-1 High Chair to Booster and Link Deluxe Healthy Care. About 72,763 of the chairs were sold in the UK between September 2001 and August 2010.

'Overwhelmingly safe'

Children could fall on pegs on the back of the high chairs, designed to store the tray, resulting in cuts and other injuries, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said.

Some 165,090 products with inflatable balls have also been recalled in the UK after the CPSC said the valve of the ball could pose a choking hazard. The products include the Baby Playzone Crawl and Cruise Playground, Baby Playzone Crawl and Slide Arcade, Baby Gymtastics Play Wall, Ocean Wonders Kick and Crawl Aquarium, 1-2-3 Tetherball and the Bat and Score Goal. All the items were sold between July 2001 and July 2008.

A further 6,107 Little People Wheelies Stand 'n' Play Rampway toys sold between April and September 2010 have also been recalled after reports that the wheels on the cars could come off, posing a choking hazard.

A UK spokeswoman for Fisher-Price said:

“We want to reassure parents that our products are overwhelmingly safe. We operate in a highly regulated industry and we test our products at many stages during development and production. Our product engineers have many years of experience in designing safe toys.

"In addition, we monitor parents' safety-related reports over time. If we see an issue with a product at any point, even after many have been sold and used safely, we take appropriate action.

"Our actions reflect our continuing commitment to the safety of our products. Hundreds of millions of our products are used safely every day and we believe these simple fixes will continue that excellent record."

‘Panic or don’t panic?’

Although retailers and consumers must be aware that unsafe products still find their way into our homes, the majority of products are safe and do comply with safety standards.  RAPEX, the EU rapid alert system for dangerous products issues a weekly report highlighting unsafe products picked up by market surveillance authorities such as Trading Standards, see http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/dyna/rapex/rapex_archives_en.cfm. 

To help combat these unsafe products TÜV SÜD works closely with manufacturers, importers, retailers and the market surveillance authorities. 

“Not only do our safety compliance experts ensure that products meet international requirements, we routinely conduct product assessments and factory inspections to ensure ongoing safety and quality.”  Richard Poate, Compliance Services Manager, TÜV SÜD.

Our CE marking facility near Stratford conducts risk assessments for due diligence; product testing; compilation and checking of technical documentation and advises steps to be taken to ensure toys are reliably manufactured to the designed to 'safe specifications'.  “These services provide manufacturers with the tools and support necessary to be able for them to sell safe toys; it is vital to ensure that all due diligence is taken, especially where child safety is involved” Alastair McLaughlin, Toy Safety Specialist, TÜV SÜD.

If consumers feel worried they should contact the Fisher-Price helpline on 0800 0320 615.

Click here to view the original article from the BBC, 01/10/2010.