Certification

You can tell an enclosure is UL approved by the UL mark on its casing. This may be the standard UL mark, a variant such as C-UL US in Canada or UL-EU in the European Union, or an RU mark, used on components of UL listed products that cannot carry the full logo themselves. The relevant standards for enclosures are UL94, UL746C, UL50, UL50E and UL508. Products carrying UL markings that are bought from reputable manufacturers or distributors can fairly be assumed legitimate; if you have concerns, ask your supplier for details of the testing procedures. Note that UL508 is no longer tested for new products; IEC 60947 is the internationally recognised standard to look for in new products.

Yes. We provide certificates of conformity with all of our enclosures. We manufacture enclosures and components that meet the requirements of major European and North American standards, including VDE, EN, CSA and UL. Every enclosure is tested for compliance in our own UL- and EN-certified testing laboratory in Schalksmühle, Germany, which operates under the strict guidelines of the Client Test Data Program (CTDP). Our tests for EN, VDE and UL standards cover everything from IP ratings to safety requirements.

There is currently no standard or regulatory requirement for a sloped top on an enclosure in a food washdown environment. Sloped tops are widely used because they prevent liquids, debris and dust building up around the enclosure, and in many cases the solution will be a roof angled at between 8° and 20°. You should also select a suitable ingress protection (IP) rating: for high-pressure, high-temperature washdown, IP69K indicates the enclosure is dust-tight and able to withstand high-pressure and steam cleaning. Material choice also matters: aluminium, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polyurethane, duroplastic, thermoplastic elastomers and polyamide suit exposure to animal or vegetable fats, while polystyrene and ABS may not be suitable for food-grade applications.

UL 94 is the standard used to classify the burning behaviour of plastics, and it comprises two tests: horizontal burning (HB) and vertical burning (V). In both, a sample less than 3 mm thick is held above a 50 W, 20 mm high open flame. For HB, the sample is horizontal and exposed for 30 seconds, and qualifies as HB if it burns at a maximum speed of 76 mm per minute. For V, the sample is vertical and hit by the flame twice for 10 seconds: V0 if the flame is extinguished within 10 seconds, V1 if within 30 seconds with no burning drips, V2 if drips are present. The 5V test uses a 500 W, 125 mm flame applied five times for 5 seconds, giving 5VA if the material self-extinguishes with no dripping or burn holes, and 5VB if holes are observed.

The IQ symbol on the specification of some of our electrical enclosures stands for 'Industrial Quality'. We apply it to products designed to offer resilience, safety, ruggedness and longevity, which makes them suitable for harsh operating environments. IQ-marked enclosures withstand extremely low and high temperatures, are flame-, impact-, UV- and weather-resistant, can be used where harsh chemicals are present, and offer ingress protection ratings up to IP68.

Spelsberg can supply a certificate of conformity confirming enclosures meet relevant VDE, EN, CSA and UL requirements, tested at its in-house, UL- and EN-certified laboratory in Germany. This applies equally to bespoke enclosures, with certificates covering technical drawings, materials, IP ratings and fire resistance as specified by the customer.

IEC60529 defines ingress protection ratings only, while UL50, UL50E and NEMA250 additionally set minimum material thickness and strength requirements for enclosures. An enclosure meeting IEC ingress protection standards is not automatically compliant with UL or NEMA thickness requirements, so both need checking separately for cross-market applications.

Neither UK nor US electrical regulations specify a maximum number of circuits for a panelboard or distribution board — BS7671 and the National Electrical Code both leave this to the manufacturer's data plate. The limiting factor is total current load, not circuit count, so maximum amperage ratings must always be observed.

UL (Underwriters Laboratories) is an independent safety science organisation whose certification confirms an enclosure has been tested for electrical safety, fire protection and durability. UL ratings such as UL50, UL94 and UL508 are widely used in North America and align closely with equivalent European IEC standards.