InfoPower

Throughout the year, Interpower will publish its most frequently asked questions from customers. Q: Beyond the agency testing conducted by Product Develop Manager Ron Barnett at Interpower’s testing lab in Ames, Iowa, what real-time testing does Interpower conduct at its on-site manufacturing locations in Oskaloosa and Lamoni during the manufacturing process?

If your electrical products are manufactured for North America or any other market outside of Europe, or if you want to buy electrical products to use outside of Europe, the European RoHS Directive Does Not Apply. The Directive applies within the European market only. Which countries represent the European market?

Easy-to-disconnect connector locks and other cord-locking mechanisms are convenient tools for anchoring cords to inlets to prevent abrupt disconnects, but not all manufactured versions are created equal. Avoid easy-to-disconnect locking mechanisms which gouge or shave away the ground blade of the inlet during abrupt disconnects or improper usage and removal.

Individual conductor wires are extruded in resin before 2- and 3-wire conductors are cabled into a “twist” of conductors before jackets are extruded over them. The jacketing process is similar to insulating copper wires on the extrusion line. The main difference is jacketing uses more extruded resin making it more time-consuming than insulating. Prior to extrusion, talc is applied to the twisted, insulated conductors which acts as a release-agent for stripping the jacket. This is especially user-friendly when a few millimeters of jacket need to be stripped for crimping wires.

A made-to-order (MTO) assembly is a product created per customer specifications, whereas a stock item is manufactured from predetermined specifications and placed in inventory.