62368-1 Safety Standard Roll Out

How is Astrodyne TDI navigating the transition to the new safety standard?

Hackettstown, NJ – March 2021 - As of December 20th, 2020 the European Union has made compliance to the new IEC 62368-1 safety standard mandatory. This new Information and Communication Technology (ICT) standard regulates both audio visual (AV) equipment and information technology (ITE) equipment, including power supplies; it supersedes both IEC 60950 and IEC 60065.

IEC 62368-1 is considered a “hazard-based” safety regulation for electronic products to ensure that appropriate safety measures guard against danger or threat to human well-being. The latest standard will enhance risk-management for products with varying architectures to encompass evolving technologies under one universal safety certification. This impacts both embedded and external adapter power supplies, which may require modifications to meet the new regulations. It is important to note that power supplies utilized in medical applications continue to be regulated separately by the IEC 60601 standard.

Although not all countries have adopted IEC 62368-1, and not all countries that have adopted the new standard have established a date to mandate regulation, there are some “grandfather” rules that must be acknowledged by engineers and product designers in ICT.

• In the United States and Canada, products with IEC 60950 certifications prior to December 20th, 2020 will maintain permissions for sale or import. However, new products that are certified to IEC 60950 after December 20th, 2020 may not be allowed without an IEC 62368-1 certification.
• In the European Union, all applicable stand-alone products released to market after December 20th, 2020 must have an IEC 62368-1 certification. However, products with an IEC 60950 certification that are embedded in a certified system will continue to be allowed, as long as the system itself is certified to IEC 62368-1.

Astrodyne TDI is obtaining IEC 62368-1 certification for all new standard products, and many of its present products. This will allow our partners and customers to remain competitive in their respective industries. Through this transition, the Astrodyne TDI team is happy to answer questions regarding new safety certifications standards. We welcome all questions and are happy to direct you to our sales team or customer service group, at lpcs@astrodynetdi.com, for immediate support.

Click here to learn more about the new IEC 62368-1 Safety Standard. 

About Astrodyne TDI

Astrodyne TDI designs and manufactures innovative power solutions for demanding applications worldwide. The company’s products include power supplies and EMI filters for industrial, semiconductor manufacturing, medical, consumer appliance, military, and aerospace markets. With over 60 years of power supply design experience, Astrodyne TDI is headquartered in Hackettstown, NJ, and has engineering and manufacturing centers in the USA and China. For more information, visit www.AstrodyneTDI.com