NEMA, UL expand in Asia

Staff -- Control Engineering, 7/1/2006

National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) each announced growth in Asia; NEMA also updated panel and switchboard standards.

NEMA is organizing U.S.-led training and cooperation seminars for Chinese industry and government officials. NEMA will set up the series of workshops and provide on-site organization for the three-year, multi-sector series of programs. The initiative, known as the U.S.-China Standards and Conformity Assessment Cooperation Program, is being sponsored by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), which will provide matching funding for about 25 events over three years. The award will be administered as a grant to the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham), which is retaining NEMA as a contractor and providing in-country oversight.

Updated panelboard and switchboard standards were released by NEMA. Two revised standards on panelboards and distribution switchboards are available from NEMA. This is the first revision of PB 1-2006: "Panelboards," and PB 2-2006: "Deadfront Distribution Switchboards" since 2002 and 2001, respectively. PB 1-2006 is a general standard for panelboards, providing information on types, voltage ratings, short-circuit current ratings, construction requirements, and test procedures. PB 2-2006 covers floor-mounted deadfront switchboards rated 600 A or less, 600 V or less, that consist of an enclosure, molded-case circuit breakers, low-voltage power circuit breakers, fusible or non-fusible switches, instruments, metering equipment, or monitoring and control equipment, and associated interconnections and supporting structures. These units are used in the distribution of electricity for light, heat, and power. www.nema.org

UL is expanding operations in Singapore to meet growing technical and customer services needs in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region. The planned investment includes increased engineering capabilities for the electronics, polymeric, and medical product categories, in particular. The services reportedly will enhance the ecosystem of other companies in the region such as HP, Oracle, and Sun Microsystems, who use Singapore as a testing ground for IT developments. www.ul.com