UL certification is usually required in the production of PCB boards, so what is UL?

　　What is UL?

　　Founded about 120 years ago in the United States, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is an independent facility for testing the safety of new products and technologies. Today, it has sites around the world that focus on product safety. It tests products, certifies manufacturers, and manufactures and updates safety standards for a wide range of industrial and commercial sectors.

　　For PCB boards, the main standards are UL 796, specific PCB standards, and UL 94 for flammability testing of all plastics. These specify the number of performance tests to measure the long-term reliability and fire safety of the PCB. If the board meets these standards, it is marked with the UL logo, manufacturer logo, and board type. So for Eurocircuits, we see the UL logo on the left, then the UL trademark of Eurocircuits, and the last ML for "multiplayer."

　　When do you use the UL mark?

　　As long as safety, especially flammability is a key issue, UL marking is required. For European OEMs, any board that enters the United States usually needs it. This requirement can be set by the OEM or the end customer.

　　What does the UL mark mean?

　　The base material meets the flammability level specified in UL94. For FR4, the required level is UL94 V0. This means that when a vertical sample of material is introduced into the test flame and then removed, it will self-extinguish within 10 seconds. It does not drip out the burning particles.

　　All Eurocircuits FR4 materials meet UL 94 V0 requirements. For boards that require UL marking, we use Isola and Nan Ya materials.

　　The base material meets the specified electrical breakdown (tracking) or comparative tracking index (CTI) values. This is a voltage difference that can be destroyed by the insulation properties of the substrate, leading to safety and performance issues. Isola and Nan Ya FR4 materials meet Class 3 (175 - 249 V) requirements.

　　Eurocircuits UL Specifications

　　Our UL certification E332411 can be found on the UL website. (UL query URL: http://database.ul.com/cgi-bin/XYV/template/LISEXT/1FRAME/index.html)

　　The UL logo is free.

　　For more information about which boards provide UL certification, you can contact us by phone or email to get relevant information.