InfoPower

What the IEC Does and Doesn’t Do The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), né Commission électrotechnique internationale, is an international standards organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, which writes and publishes international standards. IEC standards have been adopted by a majority of nations worldwide. Unlike safety agencies such as UL or VDE, the IEC does not test or certify its IEC 60320 electrical components—the safety agencies do that. While the standards are not codified or enforced by the IEC, the agencies representing countries worldwide—such as those listed above—can demand compliance from manufacturers to meet IEC standards as written. In Europe alone, 80% of European and electronic standards are IEC standards.

Polymer pioneers in the 1960s and 1970s experimented with multiple thermoplastics to create a low-smoke and zero-halogen (LSZH) cable for the wire and cable industry. Despite achieving low-smoke low-halogen (LSLH) cable, the work of these scientists and engineers was not in vain—in 1979, Richard Skipper of the Raychem Corporation in Menlo Park, California, developed a thermoplastic infused with aluminum trihydrate to create the first LSZH thermoplastic. Aluminum trihydrate [Al(OH)₃] is a white, odorless powder derived from bauxite and commonly used as a flame retardant. The new patent greatly minimized flames and smoke when subjected to intense heat. According to the universal Harmonized Wire Coding System (a one-page download available at the end of this article), the alpha-numeric code of H05BQ-F lets users know the cable is LSZH because of its specific jacket and insulation compositions, as well as its fine-wire flexibility. This cable is further described in paragraph four.

According to a recent report published by the St. Louis Federal Reserve on August 12, 2025, the number of U.S. manufacturers rose in the U.S. from 336,000 in 2014 to 401,000 toward the end of 2024.

A switch is an electrical component used in equipment to “switch” power on and off—technically its function is to open and close a circuit. An open circuit (indicated by a “O” on the rocker) turns devices off, and closing them turns the device on (indicated by a “—” on the rocker) which allows the current to flow again. While it sounds somewhat backwards, it’s the nomenclature of electrical circuits.

In 1983, the first surgical robot, Arthrobot, was used to accurately align a patient’s leg during an orthopedic surgery. In 1985, the PUMA 560 robot assisted in a brain biopsy providing precise tissue sampling. The da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) system by Intuitive Surgical debuted in 1998, and received FDA approval in 2000 for laparoscopic surgery. In 2014, the da Vinci Xi was the new system’s advanced version enhancing flexibility, imaging, and instrument control. And in 2023, da Vinci added transoral procedures to its list, all which minimize recovery times through less invasive surgeries. The da Vinci 5 added tactile feedback for the surgeon to “feel” the tools move along soft tissue during surgery, which Intuitive calls Force Feedback technology. It received FDA 510(k) clearance in March of 2024.