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In comparison to the fireworks of traditional welding’s molten metal, ultrasonic welding is more a wisp of smoke and a tip of the magician’s hat. In the mid to late 1990s, ultrasonic welding had ventured well beyond its plastics and automotive roots of the 1960s and 1980s respectively. By the dawn of the new millennium, ultrasonic welding had expanded far beyond toys and automobile subsystems—it was wired into the consumer electronics industry, including medical devices and components. Though lacking the cachet of robotics and CAD-CAM, ultrasonic welding was already well versed in the language of manufacturing.

Previously we covered RoHS history and the successive directives published by the EU regarding the restrictions of the quantities of certain hazardous substances used in electrical and electronic equipment in European countries: lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), hexavalent chromium (CrVI), polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), and four different phthalates: DEHP, BBP, BBP, and DIBP.

60320-3 A little over a year ago, UL announced Certification Requirement Changes in a Revision/Edition published for 60320-3, Appliance Couplers for Household and Similar General Purposes—Part 3: Standard Sheets and Gauges on 02/15/2019. These have an Effective Date of 05/12/2021 and may be applicable to your products.

Dielelectric Voltage-withstand or Dielectric-strength tests are often referred to as the High Potential Voltage “Hipot” test. It’s one of the most common yet important safety and diagnostic tests used for electrical and electronic components and devices—it can be used in both the design phase and the production phase in the manufacturing of electrical products.