Difficulties of International Explosion-proof Certification
1. Data: All data must be translated into English, IEC or EN clauses, and each clause must be reasonably explained. The number of rectifications of data during the certification cycle far exceeds the domestic explosion-proof workload.
Note: Intrinsically safe products rely on calculation and evaluation, and the workload is cumbersome, which is very different from that in China. There are really few people in China who can calculate and catch up with the foreign level.
2. Testing: Foreign testing is much stricter, and for Class I IECEx certification, personnel from the issuing agency must go to an approved IECEx laboratory for on-site witnessing before testing.
3. Factory audit: There is no need for factory audit in China. Foreign factory audits are based on ISO9001 and then integrated into the EN/ISO/IEC 80079-34:2011 explosion-proof system for on-site review. It is equivalent to redoing a set of explosion-proof systems. And annual audits must be conducted every year after certification.
Note: Without an ISO9001 certificate, you cannot pass the factory audit.
After international explosion-proof practice, the following points are summarized to help you solve your doubts:
1. How long is the international explosion-proof certification cycle?
Answer: Generally 4 to 6 months, this is a perfect situation. Due to uncertain factors such as data and factory inspection, it is common to take 8 to 10 months or longer.
2. Why is the international explosion-proof certification so expensive?
Answer: You also know that it is an international brand. The product certificate is 45,000 RMB (6,600 US dollars), the factory inspection certificate is 45,000 RMB (6,600 US dollars), and the certificate fee is 13,200 US dollars. The daily salary of foreigners is much higher than that in China. Combined with the local level, do you still think it is expensive?
Note: The test fee and witness fee are not listed here because of the different product types and difficulty levels. It is recommended to obtain both ATEX/IECEx certificates to save costs.
3. Why is the certification cycle of famous institutions so slow?
Answer: On the one hand, the communication between China and foreign countries is slow, and on the other hand, it is caused by the laziness of foreigners in developed countries. In the examples I have seen, the certification speed of institutions such as Britain, France, Germany, and the United States is not much faster. Don't compare it with the domestic process.
4. How to improve efficiency for the first international explosion-proof certification?
Answer: Choosing a good certification engineer who understands the process, English, products, standards, testing, and factory inspection will greatly speed up the certification process. Otherwise, it is recommended to find a professional agency or person. Think about it yourself, and you will take more detours than one or two.
Note: This kind of certification engineer is hard to come by, and beginners are advised to find an agent.
5. Is the international factory audit strict?
Answer: There are all the requirements for the factory audit. It depends on the company's system specialists and the degree of cooperation between various departments. The difficulty varies from person to person.
6. Is the certification test conducted abroad?
Answer: At present, the domestic test + foreign certification model is basically adopted.
Note: According to IECEx regulations, the testing location is either in the enterprise itself or in the IECEx laboratory. The former is difficult to achieve due to incomplete equipment, and it is basically the latter. There are about 6 IECEx explosion-proof laboratories in China, and the number is still increasing. After years of development, Chinese people have indeed risen.
7. What is the biggest difference between foreign explosion-proof and domestic ones?
Answer: First, the QAR/QAN system factory audit, second, the involvement of foreigners, and third, the writing of IECEx reports (all in English). EX-TR is indeed very difficult to write, and each item must correspond to product information and test result analysis. A pure explosion-proof product is about 60~70 pages.
