Certifying For International
Standards (CSA, CE, FM)
Although the applications for which industrial control panels are manufactured and designed may share similarities around the world, the standards that panels must meet for certification are not universal. In fact, they vary significantly by country. When the team that builds a control panel does not understand the standards of the country the panel will be operational in, important safety and quality details can be overlooked. It is therefore vital to choose a control panel partner who knows the appropriate steps needed when designing to global standards.
Even minor components in control panel design and manufacturing can label a panel as certified or uncertified. This is especially true when regional standards and processes where the panel is built differ from those of the operational region. For instance, national UL standards require certification on each individual panel; however, under FM and CE standards, the project design is what is certified, not the individual panel.
To ensure your control panels are compliant to their respective standards in every stage of the manufacturing process, it is necessary for your control panel partner to be thoroughly conversant in the process of certifying panels to various international standards. Staying up to date on the most recent iterations, we are proud to be a qualified subject-matter expert. We can follow a variety of international standards to each unique job including: Canada’s CUL, ESA and CSA standards, the CE standard used in the European Union, and FM Global’s set of universally-recognized and respected standards.
CSA
The Industrial Controls Company builds applicable panels to the CSA standard. To certify the panel, we must bring in a CSA inspector to examine the panel. CSA compliant panels will then leave our facilities certified prior to arriving at the project manufacturer.
CE/FM
The Industrial Controls Company is CE and FM compliant when building applicable control panels. However, our role in a CE and FM certified panel project is as a subcontractor as opposed to a direct project partner. This means that the certification is the responsibility of the manufacturer. We assist the manufacturer in documenting proof and rationale of CE and FM compliance, but it is ultimately the responsibility of the project manufacturer to self-certify that design. However, if the panel will operate in a hazardous location, then we will bring in a third party inspector to certify the project.
While standards for industrial control panels may vary from region to region, our quality procedures and processes do not, and that makes us unlike any other company in the industry. We stay up to date on changes to the certification standards so you don’t have to. Additionally, we design and build our panels from the ground up with certification standards as a top priority, and believe that the team that builds your panel should be thoroughly educated on the certification standards necessary to exceed your expectations.