UL Certification CUL Certification Services

1. Certification Introduction

UL is the abbreviation for Underwriters Laboratories Inc. UL Safety Laboratory is the most authoritative in the United States and one of the larger non-governmental organizations in the world engaged in safety testing and certification. It is an independent, for-profit professional institution that conducts tests for public safety. Since its establishment in 1894, UL has published nearly 1,800 safety, quality, and sustainability standards, over 70% of which have become American national standards. Additionally, UL is also the standards development organization for Canadian national standards.

UL certification is a non-mandatory certification in the United States, primarily focused on the testing and certification of product safety performance. Its certification scope does not include the EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) characteristics of products.

2. Certification Marks

(1) UL Listed Mark

Primarily used on general end products that consumers can purchase directly from the market, such as household appliances, computers, heaters, fuses, power strips, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, etc. Products bearing the UL Listed Mark indicate that representative samples of the product comply with relevant UL safety standards. This series of marks includes three types: for the United States, Canada, and the US-Canada region.

(2) UL Classification Mark

Used when a product has specific hazards, specific attributes, limited or special usage conditions, or is regulated by law. The classification mark involves one or more of the following requirements: specific risks, such as casualties, fires, etc.; performance under specific conditions; specific regulatory requirements; specific standards, etc. Common products include fire doors, fire hydrants, medical devices, ice makers, etc. This series of marks includes three types: for the United States, Canada, and the US-Canada region.

(3) UL Recognized Component Mark

Primarily used on component products utilized by finished product assembly plants or other component factories, such as plastics, capacitors, printed circuit boards, complex high-tech components, and industrial control components. UL component certification demonstrates compliance with applicable regulatory requirements through objective methods, adding value for component suppliers and helping products using UL-recognized components to shorten time to market.

(4) UL Enhanced Certification Mark

The enhanced UL certification mark integrates multiple UL certifications from different regions into a unified mark, enabling one certification mark to "carry" various certification information from different regions. Each mark has an identification code, providing more detailed certification information for specific products. The UL enhanced certification mark can integrate additional new certification categories, offering traceability and smart mark functionality.

(5) UL Verification Mark

The UL Verification Mark provides objective, science-based third-party testing verification for manufacturers' marketing claims about their products, such as performance, quality, functionality, etc.

(6) UL GREENGUARD Certification Mark

UL GREENGUARD is a certification for low chemical emissions from indoor products, ensuring that product chemical emissions meet minimum limit requirements. UL GREENGUARD applies to over 480 product types across 26 industries, including building materials, decorations, furniture, cleaning products, and electronic equipment.

(7) UL ECOLOGO Certification Mark

ECOLOGO certification is a multi-attribute certification standard based on UL's product lifecycle, conducting third-party audits and certifications to ultimately verify the green performance of products. This certification can evaluate over 350 specifications and standards, including various green building, environmental regulations, responsible sourcing, and green certification programs.

(8) UL Environmental Claim Verification Mark

UL Environmental Claim Verification validates specific environmental aspects of a product. Qualified enterprises or manufacturers can use the UL Environmental Claim Verification Mark on product packaging and marketing materials. Specific aspects include: bio-based content, recycled material content, rapidly renewable materials, zero waste to landfill, VOC content, etc.

(9) UL Environmental Product Declaration Mark

The UL Environmental Product Declaration is developed based on Product Category Rules (PCR), providing manufacturers with credible environmental transparency reports. It includes various environmental information throughout the product's lifecycle (LCA), from material selection to end-of-life treatment.

3. Product Scope

UL is primarily responsible for inspection work related to public safety, including electrical and electronic equipment, mechanical products, lighting fixtures, building materials, fire protection equipment, and chemicals.

4. UL Certification for Electrical Products

UL certification for electrical products is divided into three types: Listed, Recognized, and Classified:

Listed applies to complete products and various devices and installations that qualified personnel can replace or install on-site, such as complete household appliances;

Recognized applies to product components and raw materials. These components cannot directly constitute a complete product on their own, or their use is restricted, such as safety components used in household appliances—switches, fuses, capacitors, printed circuit boards, etc. The follow-up services for Recognized include R-class and L-class. L-class is mainly used for products related to life safety, such as fire extinguishers, detectors, electrical equipment, wires, etc. For products belonging to the L-class, manufacturers must directly order the mark from UL and affix it to the product. R-class products are mainly electrical equipment, such as televisions, electric fans, hair dryers, ovens, etc.

Classification applies to the evaluation of specific hazards of products or products assessed against standards other than UL standards. The flame retardancy rating of materials within household appliances falls under the Classification service category.

5. Certification Documentation

(1) Product Name: Provide the full name of the product.

(2) Product Model: Detail all product models, varieties, or classification numbers that require testing.

(3) Product Nameplate: Include product model, electrical parameters, manufacturer information, production date, and UL mark.

(4) Intended Use of the Product: For example: household/commercial, indoor/outdoor, etc.

(5) Component List: Detail the components that make up the product, along with their models (file numbers), ratings, and the names of the manufacturers.

(6) Electrical Performance: For electronic and electrical products, provide electrical schematic diagrams (circuit diagrams) and PCB layouts.

(7) Structural Diagrams: For most products, provide structural diagrams of the product, bill of materials, etc.

(8) Product User Manual and Installation Instructions, etc.

(9) UL-specific application form corresponding to the particular product.

6. Certification Process

(1) Submit the testing application form.

(2) Provide samples and materials.

(3) Sample testing.

(4) Issue the test report.

(5) Factory inspection.

(6) Obtain UL authorization and certificate.

(7) Four annual factory audits.

7. CUL Certification

The CUL mark is a UL mark used for products circulating in the Canadian market. Products with this mark have been verified to comply with Canadian safety standards, which are largely the same as the standards referenced by UL in the United States, although there are differences for some products. For example, handheld power tools have two sets of standards: UL45 applies only in the United States. UL745-1 applies to both the United States and Canada. Both standards are similar and originate from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard IEC60745--Safety standard for hand-held motor-operated electric tools. The CUL mark is commonly applied to household appliances, computer equipment, ventilation equipment, home security systems, and other types of products.

When exporting, companies may encounter Canadian customers requiring CUL certification for their products. Obtaining CUL certification ensures the product meets the safety requirements of all provinces in Canada. Applying for CUL simultaneously with UL has an advantage because many test items for UL and CUL overlap. Therefore, applying for CUL requires only a few additional tests and an extra application step, allowing for obtaining both countries' certifications at a lower cost and in a shorter time.

8. Differences Between UL Certification and CUL Certification

(1) Different Definitions

UL: UL is the abbreviation for Underwriters Laboratories Inc. UL Safety Laboratory is the most authoritative in the United States and one of the larger non-governmental organizations in the world engaged in safety testing and certification. It is an independent, for-profit professional institution that conducts tests for public safety.

CUL: The CUL mark is a UL mark used for products circulating in the Canadian market. Products with this mark have been verified to comply with Canadian safety standards, which are largely the same as the standards referenced by UL in the United States, although there are differences for some products.

(2) Applicable Countries Differ

UL: UL certification is a non-mandatory certification in the United States, primarily focused on the testing and certification of product safety performance. Its certification scope does not include the EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) characteristics of products.

CUL: This mark applies to products sold on the Canadian market. Products bearing this mark are evaluated according to Canadian safety requirements, which may differ from U.S. safety requirements.

(3) Different Certified Equipment

UL: This type of mark is typically seen on the following categories of products: appliances, calculator equipment, stoves and heaters, fuses, power strips, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers and automatic sprinkler systems, personal flotation devices such as life jackets and lifebuoys, bulletproof glass, and thousands of other products.

CUL: This mark can be seen on the following types of equipment: appliances and calculator equipment, vending machines, home security alarm systems, lighting fixtures, and many other kinds of products.