How Much Do You Know About Electrical Safety Tests?

The future world is shaping up with emerging technologies, such as electric vehicles, 5G, and the Metaverse. It aroused people's interest in innovative technologies. However, the evolution of technology relies on the high quality and safety of new technology products. Any electric hazards occur, people will be afraid to embrace new technology. Therefore, the manufacturers must ensure products' quality and end users' safety through rigorous testing and certification. Ikonix has focused on electrical safety testing for many years. We understand not every testing operator and quality assurance supervisor is equipped with an engineering background and faces challenges with some basic electrical safety testing principles and setup. Thus, this issue will briefly introduce the concept of electrical safety tests and answer the most frequently asked questions that we have received.

Before answering those questions, it is necessary to understand what the electrical safety test is. Any company launching a product on the market is not an easy thing, especially those targeted on a global scale. They must obtain certification from the target market, such as Conformitè Europëenne (CE) Mark and China Compulsory Certification (CCC) mark. The purpose of being certificated is to confirm that the products comply with a national legal obligation and ensure consumers have extra protection. Accreditation requires compliance with relevant international standards, such as the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Standards. Generally, electronic products are required to pass strict electrical safety tests. It includes Hipot, Insulation Resistance (IR), Ground Bond (GB), and Leakage Current tests.

  • Why the Hipot test is necessary?

Hipot test (also known as dielectric withstand test and dielectric strength test) is one of the most common and mandatory tests required by the electrical safety standards, such as JSI, CSA, BSI, UL, and IEC, TUV, etc. The Hipot test simulates a product exposed to a harsh environment to see if it can maintain normal conditions without damage. It is not only required by the safety standards but also conducted in the different stages. The functional test during the product design is to check if it is in accordance with pre-determined requirements. The routine test in the production line confirms the products meet specification requirements. Quality assurance is to confirm the quality of the product meets the safety standards. Post-repair safety test ensures that the product remains compliant. A series of rigorous testing prevents electric hazards to the end-users.

  • Should I use AC or DC voltage to conduct Hipot test?

Many standards list both AC and DC Hipot testing voltage. The manufacturer should decide which one they adopt. In most cases, the AC Hipot generally is more acceptable to third-party certification than DC Hipot. The main reason is most products use AC voltage as their working voltage, so AC Hipot is closer to the real-world situation. In addition, the AC Hipot test does not charge capacitive loads, and the current is stable and consistent from the start to the end of the test. Therefore, it does not need to step up the testing voltage. The operators can directly apply the full voltage to read the current. Also, as we mentioned previously, the AC voltage will not charge the load, so DUT generally does not need to be discharged after the test.

In addition to controlling the quality and safety of products, companies today should keep work area safe. Especially during the electrical safety testing, the testers output the high voltage and current beyond the normal. Employers need to carefully evaluate these risks and take necessary preventive measures to prevent disasters.

  • How to ensure the safety of operators?

Most electrical accidents in the workplace are a direct result from one of the following three factors: unsafe equipment, unsafe environment, and unsafe work practices. Therefore, It’s the responsibility of the employers to ensure safe working conditions and safe working environments for all test operators. One of the best ways to prevent injury is to provide personal protective equipment, such as DUT safety Enclosure, signal tower light, High voltage insulation mats, etc. (Shown in the figure below.) It is also necessary to provide operators with complete pre-training to help them understand the correct operation methods and electrical-related knowledge to identify potential electric shock hazards.

However, operators' training is the primary challenge for many employers. Ikonix has been deeply rooted in the electrical safety testing industry for many years and is well aware of the difficulties and challenges encountered in this field. Therefore, we established Ikonix Asia Academy to provide complete electrical safety training courses. The professional certification program is also available. We understand how difficult for people who are new in this industry to understand electrical safety testing principles and technicians who have many years of experience to prove their ability. So, this program can help you gradually develop relevant skills, enhance your professional ability, and give you an advantage in your career.

Now, Ikonix host a basic level certification course to introduce basic electrical safety testing principles and solutions in detail. After completing this course, you will understand testing methods and related standard requirements. Click here to reserve your spot now.

In addition to providing employees a completed training, it is equally important to choose high-quality safety testers. Ikonix has focused on manufacturing high-quality and high-precision testing instruments and AC power sources to provide different solutions for our partners to solve their testing challenges:

  • ESA Series Electrical Safety Compliance Analyzer is a 7-in-1 safety testing analyzer. One instrument can meet all electrical safety testing requirements. It integrated AC Hipot (ACW), DC Hipot (DCW), IR, AC GB, continuity detection (GC), leakage current (TC), and power test (RT). It is suitable for products that have stricter safety requirements, such as the medical or the IT industry.
  • SE Series Electrical Safety Analyzer combined ACW, DCW, IR, and AC GB testing in one tester. 500VA maximum output provides the ability to handle large electric motors in a wide range of industries that require high-capacity sources to drive and test.

Ikonix has more than 85 years industrial expertise and experience. We dedicate to the R&D and manufacturing of safety testing instruments and AC power sources and actively cooperate with leading manufacturers and laboratories to provide suitable solutions for various industries. If you have any questions about electrical safety testing, please contact our sales representative immediately.