InfoPower

UL 94 Testing Underwriters Laboratories’ (UL) 94 Standard for Safety Tests for Flammability of Plastic Materials for Parts in Devices and Appliances defines acceptable flammability ratings of plastic materials for parts in devices and appliances in North America, including cord sets. The First Edition of UL 94 appeared in September of 1972. On September 16, 1988, the Department of Defense (DoD) adopted UL 94.

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

Deep inside the bunker of Interpower’s testing facility in Ames, Iowa, (Area 51²?) is an array of testing apparatus for the testing of electrical cable and components to push both newly manufactured and warehoused cable, cords, and components (and cutting-edge prototypes) to extreme limits, often well beyond UL and IEC standards for product compliance. For much of his 20 years, Ron Barnett, Interpower’s Product Development Manager, has procured specialized testing equipment to ensure Interpower’s power cords, cords sets, and components exceed all testing criteria standardized by worldwide agencies such as UL and VDE while personally conducting thousands of tests.

By automation or manually by hand, Interpower® crimps bridges for country-specific plugs, and IEC 60320 connectors onto miles of flexible cable it manufactures each year. For cord sets, the optimal crimp is one that provides the most electrical contact between the conductors of stranded wire and its bridge or connector—the B crimp provides optimal electrical contact for flexible cable.

Whether customized cord sets or electrical components for global industries, Interpower’s cords and cord sets are continually tested beyond UL and IEC standards.