ISSUE
16 Dec.2013
TÜV Rheinland Greater China News
Exclusive interview with Mr. Ralf Scheller: Innovative, value-added service drives business growth Important tips to select safe mobile power-banks Alibaba supplier assessment is ON
Is Your Furniture Safe?
TÜV Rheinland’s expert teaches you how to judge a good piece of furniture
02 CONTENT
Contents ALIVE Is Your Furniture Safe?
04/08
04/08
PEOPLE Mr. Ralf Scheller: Seize the Situation and Provide Additional Value Constantly
10/13
FEATURED SERVICE Partnering with STRI to Serve China’s Transformer Certification Market
10/13
09
Important Tips to Select Mobile Power-banks
14/15
Building Electrical Safety Inspection
16/17
Work with CGC on Innovative Certification in Developing Global Markets
18/19
Wireless Charging: Changing the Way We Think about Power
20/22
Value Valves Obtained TÜV Rheinland Functional Safety Certification
26/27
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Alibaba Supplier Assessment is ON
24/25
A Decade of Partnership Promoting Zhejiang Exports 10th Anniversary Celebrations of TÜV Rheinland/CCIC (Ningbo) Co., Ltd.
26/27
Webex Seminar Platform Officially Launched
28
Preserves Business Reputations through Two-Day Testing for Malachite Green
29
CyberPower Becomes the First UPS Maker to Receive Energy Star Verification From TÜV Rheinland for European Market
31
Results of TÜV Rheinland New Test Mark Client Survey
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CONTENT 03
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE The New ENERGY STAR Program Requirements for Computers Version 6.0
33
Technical Requirements under the Electrical Appliances and Materials Safety Act Revised to Include Performance-based Descriptions
34/35
Canada Publishes Children’s Jewelry Guide
36/37
36/37
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY HK Colleague Events
38
Greater China Green Marketplace
38
Family Day of Shanghai and Ningbo
38
Taiwan: Beach Cleaning
38
38
GLOBAL NEWS FLASH Cologne
Sign Cooperation with CETECOM
39
Cologne
Design Award “Red Dot” for TÜV Rheinland
39
Spain
Strengthening Our Projects with Lidl
39
Japan
First Ever Girls’ Day in Japan
39
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ISSUE 16 Credit
How to contact us
Chief Editor
Ricky Xu
Editor
Clare Zhang Michelle xia Noral Lei Jade Wu Isaac Yuan
Publication Date
2013.12
Tel
+86 400 883 1300 (China mainland) +852 21921022 (Hongkong) +886 2 25287007 (Taiwan)
service-gc@tuv.com
Website www.tuv.com
04 ALIVE
In a recent series of random examinations conducted by the Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision, out of 747 batches of furniture products produced by 502 corporations, 87 did not meet regulations. This constituted a 11.6% rejection rate, and included products from renowned brands.
IS YOUR FURNITURE formaldehyde emission
SAFETY paint film performance
heavy-metal content
appearance of wood-based panels dynamic performance
soft and hard surface performance
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Consumers often find it hard to make choices when faced with so many furniture products, their varied discounts and sales policies, particularly when a furniture product with hidden safety concerns can cause great harm to you or your family members.
Failed Furniture Pose Safety Issues and May Even Cause Cancer Waley Huang, furniture laboratory manager at TĂœV Rheinland Guangdong, points out that many furniture products manufactured in China fail the last stage of fatigue testing. Take an average table with a surface-load capacity of 50kg as an example. A professional tester pushes the table from all four directions in sequence with 150 newtons of force. The table must not suffer from any structural deformity or loss of function after 15,000 cycles. Another issue is the excessive use of poisonous and hazardous substances. Through repeated testing of furniture, the issue of excessive formaldehyde content has remained a major problem. The World Health Organization has listed formaldehyde as a carcinogenic and teratogenic substance, and also potentially a strong mutagen. As such, excessive emissions raise serious health concerns.
Studies show that formaldehyde content in decorations and furniture can have an emission period ranging from 3 to 15 years.
Huang notes there are two types of tests for formaldehyde: the first measures formaldehyde content, the other formaldehyde emissions. The testing used for formaldehyde depends upon the product being tested. It is generally recommended that raw materials such as planks undergo formaldehyde content testing, while formaldehyde emission testing is recommended for fabricated indoorfurniture products.
06 ALIVE
Frequent Issues with Furniture Quality Demonstrate Delay in Industry Standards Experts from the furniture industry believe an increasing number of complaints relating to furniture products have emerged in recent years. These include incidents concerning furniture materials, false advertising of production location, and furniture causing skin allergies in consumers. These incidents expose the current situation within the Chinese furniture industry, where there are sometimes no standards, where standards are often not followed, and where supervision is inadequate. In addition, it is worth noting that furniture industry standards for products and system varies from China, USA, and European nations and the difference
business quality guarantees
will depend on degree of development. However, some furniture manufacturers fail to monitor product quality during the production process, which can result in safety incidents after products come to market.
Furniture Safety Certification: Assurance of Product Safety and Reliability According to experts, consumer’s understanding of furniture-manufacturing quality testing is limited. For example, some think that as long as companies send samples to a third-party testing organization, and have the third-party testing organization conduct tests in accordance with international
standards and issue a testing report, the product is fine. In fact, the test results are only valid for the sample sent for testing. It is also unclear whether products are tested for all items.
Unlike a test report, choosing product certification from an authoritative organization shows responsibility towards production and samples sold. This is fair, powerful proof of product quality, and goes beyond merely claiming responsibility for samples sent in for testing.
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Furniture-safety certification constitutes a comprehensive safety evaluation of a product and inspection of the safety and quality systems implemented by the manufacturer -- the certificate holder. This includes product testing, initial and annual factory inspections, random batch testing, and annual testing at sales locations to guarantee that consumers are purchasing safe, reliable products.
TĂœV Rheinland’s Expert Recommendations 1. Basic safety It includes irritating odors, sharp corners, or sharp edges, solidly of the product, etc. Find proof of quality assurance, such as: complete, permanent labeling on products, a specified warranty period, whether or not technical support is easily available during use, and whether the manufacturer initiates
brand reputation
recall measures if products prove to be problematic. 2. Functionality When purchasing furniture products, be sure to select products appropriate for the locations they will be used. For example, standards for selecting furniture for home and office use are different, as there may be seniors or children present in the home whereas, generally speaking, all users in an office will be
adults. Differences in user population and occasions will also reflect directly on the different product standards required. As such, professional furniture providers divide products according to their intended venue of use.
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3. Ergonomics When choosing furniture products, especially office furniture, the user will easily feel fatigued after extended periods of use if the product is not ergonomically designed. Professional data is available to offer guidance in this field. When selecting furniture, consumers should test pieces for themselves to determine whether or not they can achieve the standard usage position indicated on furnitureposted illustrations.
4. Export overstock offers Perhaps because people feel that export products are of better quality. Standards for export nations differ markedly, which can result in fluctuations in quality. We recommend that consumers emphasize business quality guarantees, brand reputation, and after-sales service rather than blindly believing product promotions which claim to offer extras from export orders.
For more information, please contact waley.huang@tuv.com Waley Huang
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PARTNERING WITH STRI
TO SERVE CHINA’S TRANSFORMER CERTIFICATION MARKET On 26 October 2013, TÜV Rheinland announced a strategic partnership with the Shenyang Transformer Research Institute (STRI) to consolidate the mutual resource advantages and together serve China’s transformer certification market. STRI received IECEE CB accreditation through a previous collaboration with TÜV Rheinland. During future collaborations between the two parties, STRI will test products according to select IEC standards and issue CB test reports. The two organisations will unite their strengths and provide Chinese transformer manufacturers and exporters with the conveniences of one-stop testing and certification. Securing a CB test report means that a
product is not required to undergo duplicate testing, allowing the manufacturer to apply for the test labels of various organisations.
Mr Liu Jie, STRI Director said: “It will help STRI learn advanced service philosophies and product certification techniques, and become a comprehensive service provider of product developing, testing and consulting for transformers, interactive sensors and resistors. “
For more information, please contact shu.xu@tuv.com
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With a background in engineering technology and more than 20 years spent working at TÜV Rheinland, Mr. Scheller has always kept his sensitivity and curiosity for new technology, laws and regulations around the world. He keenly observed that we should consider the Asian market, including China, as a target for displaying its core technology, and admitted that it played a very important role in his personal career development. Constant Expansion of the Communication Bridge “As an important partner of Chinese exporters, in addition to providing product quality and safety services, we pay more attention to bringing extra added value to Chinese manufacturers. According to current laws and regulations, we focus on providing customers with comprehensive one-stop services, from environmental protection to new energy, automotive and infrastructure construction and so on.” In Mr. Scheller’s view, we build a bridge for China’s exports to the world, and the domestic market has become an increasingly important
service object. As Mr. Scheller puts it, on the current map of the Chinese market that we are striving to develop, the organisation has expanded its services to foreign trade and domestic demand, giving equal attention to both. This comprehensive development trend, which includes product quality and safety, automotive, environmental protection, new energy, infrastructure and e-commerce services, has been booming and is sure to continuously enhance the value of products made in China. Further Development of E-commerce According to data from the Ministry of Commerce, e-commerce transactions in China amounted to 8.1 trillion yuan in 2012, accounting for over 10% of the national GDP, an increase of 27% over 2011. B2B trading accounted for over 80% of the total scale. However, it is difficult to convince two parties of each other’s size and strength through online communication. Therefore, the future of the e-commerce industry requires a valid purchase transaction platform that subjects goods to third-party inspection and
authoritative assessments. This would provide enterprises, overseas buyers and consumers with more comprehensive and credible references. For this reason, the “benefits” mentioned by Mr. Scheller refer to not only our business opportunities, but also the benefits provided to Chinese manufacturers. Our e-commerce cooperation with Alibaba, Global Sources and other enterprises has taken a step further. In fact, in March 2013, Alibaba and we jointly held the Gold Supplier Product Upgrade Conference in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. This leader of e-commerce and giant of international inspection, testing and certification services established stable relations to help smalland medium-sized foreign trade businesses in China show their strengths on a comprehensive e-commerce platform. Businesses received a hand in promoting rapid mutual trust and information matching between buyers and sellers of foreign trade, promoting their deals and shortening the trading cycle.
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Only by providing additional value, giving professional advice, solving clients’ regulatory problems and helping them to manage their supply chains properly can we boast substantial distinction from other third-party testing and certification providers.
MR. RALF SCHELLER:
Seize the Situation and Provide Additional Value Constantly
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“Our cooperation with Alibaba is just a start. As an independent thirdparty auditor, we enable international buyers to make purchase decisions more objectively and quickly, and thus promote deals between the seller and the buyer more quickly”, Mr. Scheller added.
“As a leading global thirdparty inspection, testing and certification body, we will provide various professional evaluation services independently, and quality services and solutions that meet the safety, quality and environmental protection needs of local enterprises, thus helping the domestic e-commerce platform to develop more soundly.” Make Made in China “Turn Green” The end users of any products are the consumers. Mr. Scheller mentioned that consumers’ environment and environmental protection requirements are much higher in the global market, offering us the opportunity to grow and improve the added value for its customers. “In terms of environmental protection and energy saving, our professional knowledge can also help Chinese manufacturers enhance their environmental performance,” he said. Concept is the forerunner of behaviour. With the sustainable
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development concept, we have already begun to develop such an opportunity and consolidate its position in the market. By combining current services with green professional solutions, we can commit to the pursuit of the additional value of the “green products” introduced by manufacturers. In practice, we are gradually trying to make Made in China “turn green.” In May 2012, Lenovo, a famous Chinese brand, won our first green logo. Thus far, the company has won our green product certification for its monitors, servers, desktop computers and laptops. We also hope to further expand the influence of integrated green products in the Chinese market by cooperating with well-known domestic brands and to provide green certification services for more brands and downstream suppliers. TÜV Rheinland’s Green Product Certification is a voluntary sustainability certification that aims to award the consumer products that have the lowest environmental impact. The Green Product Certification is
based on a safety evaluation of products against various regulatory requirements and a social compliance check for the product manufacturer. It also focuses on four key dimensions, including the responsible use of chemical substances, the recyclability and usage of recycled materials, energy consumption and efficiency and the determination of the product’s carbon footprint. Customers are Always the Focus of Business As TÜV Rheinland’s most senior leader in Greater China, Mr. Scheller believes that “opportunities are everywhere” and actively develops localisation services in the country. His confidence comes from the attention he pays to customers. In his opinion, customers are always the focus of business. Ensuring that the interests and values of customers are met is the essence of business. Earlier this year, we launched a new test mark worldwide, replacing all of the test marks used in the past 140 years. The new function of the QR code further enhances the
transparency of a product or a system. Producers, consumers and users can obtain access to information on products, raw materials, manufacturers, production processes and working conditions anytime and anywhere. When the new test mark appears on a product, it declares that the product has passed TÜV Rheinland’s strict and reliable testing process without piracy. A uniform test mark establishes the product’s authority and connotation, and also ensures accuracy of detection, thus improving the inspection authenticity desired by manufacturers and end customers. Its form and function are unique in the testing field. The new test mark benefits producers, distributors and end users greatly. Keeping closer to customers, creating value constantly and promoting added value have become our magic weapons for winning in China. “Every customer has their different requirements, and each colleague should do his best to discover the customer’s unique needs and provide assistance as much as possible”, said Mr. Scheller.
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Select qualified products rather than knockoffs Mr. Sven-Olaf Steinke, a battery testing and inspection expert at TÜV Rheinland, found that 43% of the 39 mobile power-bank products he saw in one electronicproduct market in Shenzhen were not traceable. That is, none of them had any supplier information
indicated, and thus were not compliant with any safety standards. TÜV Rheinland’s battery lab in Shenzhen reports that 10-20% of powerbank products submitted to them by suppliers fail their tests. The percentage would likely be much worse for those products made with no intention for submission to TÜV Rheinland for testing.
How can consumers ensure the powerbank products they buy are qualified and safe to use?
With the frequency of mobile power-bank accidents increasing every day, and with ever booming demands on them, powerbank safety has become the NO.1 factor when buying one. The 1st issue faced by any consumer is to ensure product quality and safety.
SAFE MOBILE POWER-BANKS IMPORTANT TIPS TO SELECT
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Before purchasing A qualified mobile phone power supply comes with a detailed user guide Read the material carefully for detail regarding trademarks, the manufacturer, manufacturing date, product specifications (including voltage, capacity, and recommended charging environment), and positive and negative pole indicators Do not select any product with a manufacturing date one year previous or longer Pay special attention to a battery’s appearance, looking for any bulges, deformations, odor, liquid leakage, or loosened parts Look for marks indicating prior usage at the positive and negative output poles. A new battery should have very small and light traces After purchase, overheating or a reduced standby period may indicate that your battery has suffered a micro short circuit. Stop using it and call your dealer immediately Battery capacity is not a good indicator of safety level, for batteries of larger capacity are not necessarily more inclined toward explosion. The truth is that the larger the capacity is the more powerful any explosion can be
In use Some feature two ports - 1A and 2A current, respectively. Charge your mobile phone with the 1A connector and notebook or tablet computer with the 2A Choose a branded battery for backup purposes Do not leave your phone in a parked car or under the windshield for a long time on hot days Low temperatures may slow down a battery’s reactions and reduce its capacity Mobile phones that become damp or fall in water may suffer from dampness of the output terminal (metal part), leading to corrosion of the internal protection PCB and leaking of electricity Do not subject your battery to heavy pressure. This may damage its internal isolation film separator and lead to a short circuit. The international and American markets test mobile-phone batteries according to directives standards IEC 62133, IEC 60950-1 and UL 1642, and scores of failures occurred in related squeeze and overcharge tests
The myths It is safe to charge your phone with a computer, as the latter’s USB output, DV5V and 500mA, present no danger of damage to your mobile phone Charging your battery with a brand charger over an extended period does not impact its service life, as both the battery and the charger are equipped with batterypower management and protection circuits for maximum self-protection Lithium-ion batteries do not suffer from the memory effect. You don’t need to charge one for 24 hours before its first use Do not leave a battery uncharged for an extended period of time. If you intend to leave your battery unused for a long time, charge it 50% before putting it away. Overcharging or overdischarging may have an adverse effect on your battery’s chemical system
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BUILDING ELECTRICAL SAFETY INSPECTION Building electrical safety is closely related to the safety of individuals and property. In addition to the safety procedures applied before building electrical devices are put into use, regular safety inspections must be carried out on these electrical devices.
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Statistics indicate that electrical fire accidents account for 26% of the total fire accidents in our country every year, with the annual losses comprising 36% of the total losses. Further, many injuries or deaths resulting from directly or indirectly touching live electric devices. are seen every year. Therefore, in addition to the safety procedures applied before building electrical devices are put into use, regular safety inspections must be carried out on these electrical devices. IEC 60364 standards are generally adopted around the world to assess the electrical safety of buildings. They are applicable to building types such as residences, commercial buildings, factories, playgrounds and other temporary buildings, and define the specific requirements for the design, installation, pre-use inspection and regular inspection of a building’s electrical system. Since 2010, the Industrial Service Division of TĂœV Rheinland Greater China has been providing one-stop solutions for inspecting building electrical safety. Our inspection process can
usually be divided into three phases. Phase 1: We review technical documents and drawings, and identify the design defects of the electrical system according to the standards. Phase 2: On-site inspection and testing. We are equipped with multifunctional electrical testers, failure loop impedance testers, earth resistance testers, phase-sequence meters, wall/ floor impedance testers and other professional testers and meters that allow us to test all of the testing items defined in IEC 60634. Our test results comprise quantified data that accurately and objectively reflect the safety condition of a client’s electrical system.
recommendations and are hardly used in the design, construction and acceptance of actual buildings. This presents many potential building electrical safety risks. We are committed to helping building and factory owners who doubt the safety of their electrical systems eliminate safety risks and ensure the safety of their employees and production processes.
Phase 3: Re-verification after the client has rectified the incompliant items. This is done to ascertain the effectiveness of the rectification measures and achieve the standard safety requirement. The electrical standards in our country currently vary in quality, and show a considerable gap with developed countries. Although GB/T 16895 also adopted IEC 60634 standards, these standards are only
Vincent Sun For more information, please contact vincent.sun@tuv.com
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This novel “one-for-two” mode of certification, which is valid in both domestic and overseas markets, was the key reason behind TÜV Rheinland and CGC’s cooperation. It signifies the dedication of both parties to accelerating the pace of expansion of Chinese renewable energy corporations into foreign markets. Goldwind was the first client of the TÜV Rheinland/CGC cooperation.
WORK WITH CGC ON INNOVATIVE CERTIFICAT ION
TO AID RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPANIES IN
DEVELOPING GLOBAL MARKETS Rapid expansion overseas for wind turbine manufacturers According to the 2012 Chinese Wind Turbine Installation and Capacity Statistics report issued by the Chinese Renewable Energy Society and Chinese Wind Energy Association (CWEA), 53,764 wind turbine generator sets had been installed in China mainland by the end of 2012. The installation capacity reached
75,324.2 MW, a 20.8% rise over the previous year. At the same time, China’s wind turbine generator manufacturers exported 407 sets for a total capacity of 700.15 MW. The number of export countries expanded from just one nation in 2007 to 19 countries at the end of 2012, the most important being the United States. Innovative mode of certification Certification mechanisms are necessary for ensuring the high quality and sustainable
development of the wind power industry, and wind power product certification has become a common requirement when entering new markets. The creative launch of the “one-stop” certification service will allow both organisations to work together to certify each other’s testing and certification results. Chinese wind power companies will be able to enjoy both domestic and foreign certification services without the need for their products to leave the country. This will
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greatly decrease the development timeframe, simplify the certification process and accelerate the time to market for new products. It marks the first time that the “one certification, two certificates” model has been available to the wind power market, and it provides a simple solution for products seeking to enter both domestic and foreign markets. Our global network and professional services are working to heighten customer confidence in the product quality and safety of Chinese wind power companies. We started to develop wind energy services since 2000 worldwide, and obtained the DAkkS accreditation in Sept.2012. We provide a wide array of services for wind power system and parts manufacturers, developers and contractors. Examples include certification of the entire IEC 61400/GL model, IEC 61400/GL parts
certification, CE certification and manufacturing inspection of whole wind turbines and parts, transportation and construction supervision, periodic testing and inspection of lifting equipment, itemised evaluation of wind power facilities and more. The clients currently benefiting from these services include Siemens, Alstom, Vestas, ENERCON, Nordex and more.
“The wind power business is one of TÜV Rheinland’s primary strategic focuses in the global and Chinese markets. Through our global service network and advantageous resources, we will continue our investments in China and dedicate ourselves fully to this business field. This will surely aid China’s wind power companies in opening up new horizons in the international market,” stated Thomas Fuhrmann, Director of Industry Services at TÜV Rheinland Group Greater China.
For more information, please contact ben.zhang@tuv.com Ben Zhang
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Wireless charging is already available for low-power applications (up to 5 W), which is suitable for mobile phones and other devices. However, medium- and high-power applications are also being developed, and in the future your kitchen appliances may very well be wireless.
WIRELESS CHARGING:
CHANGING THE WAY
WE THINK ABOUT POWER
Given the upcoming ubiquity of wireless charging, with applications ranging from cell phones to home appliances, there is a real need to ensure that charging is standardised. This is why the Wireless Power Consortium developed Qi – the standard for interoperable wireless charging. With Qi, we want to ensure that your device can be charged wirelessly, no matter where you go and no matter which brand of charger you are using.
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Standby power consumptions
Total energy consumption
Our wireless chargers have the same ingredients as a wired charger (an AC-DC adaptor plus charging electronics) and one additional ingredient. We replaced the copper wire between the adaptor and mobile phone with a wireless link. That link was not as efficient as the unbeatable copper wire, but careful design made it possible to achieve at least a transfer efficiency level of 70%. That percentage can be increased if a manufacturer is willing to spend more on high-quality components.
A wireless power transmitter can be more or less efficient than the wired chargers it replaces, depending on the number of wired chargers that are replaced. It also depends on the type of chargers, and on the habits of the owner.
We estimate that in typical situations, the total energy consumed by a wireless power charger breaks even with wired chargers if it is replacing two wired chargers.
Charging efficiency
Wireless power efficiency Two main factors contribute to the energy consumed by battery chargers: charging efficiency and standby power consumption of the devices.
Many people unfortunately leave chargers and cradles connected to main power supplies when the charger is not in use. Standby power consumption (also called “noload power consumption�) is significant. A simple calculation shows that the amount of power consumed in standby mode is about the same as the energy consumed when loading the battery.
Click here for details and more technical info.
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TÜV Rheinland Shenzhen Approved as New Test Leboratory During the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) meeting in Qingdao this September, TÜV Rheinland Shenzhen was approved as the 12th authorized test lab under WPC. This is the only WPC Qi authorized test Lab in Mainland China. It is the 3rd test lab within TÜV Rheinland family as well, after Taiwan which the 1st WPC Qi test lab in the world, and then South Korea.
Latest news Boost for the Wireless Power Consortium and the Qi standard During the last WPC member meeting in Qingdao held 7-8 October, Qualcomm joined the consortium along with Verizon. Qualcomm’s membership will accelerate the development of resonant wireless power technology inside the WPC. It is expected that resonant/ loosely coupled wireless charging is the most consumer-friendly way of charging devices. When the WPC adds this feature to the current and future specifications with the help of companies like Qualcomm,
it could spell trouble for the third alliance out in the field, i.e., the Power Matters Alliance (PMA). The WPC also received backing from the Automotive Industry. The CE4A (Consumer Electronics for Automotive) aims to standardise interactions between vehicles and consumer electronics products such as smart phones. As a result, Mercedes-Benz announced the introduction of Qi wireless charging in their cars starting next year. More car manufacturers will follow soon. Qi is starting to look like it will be the wireless standard applied most widely in the near future.
With the approval of Shenzhen lab, we have setup a wide network to provide Qi compliance testing and certification service to global customers. As the only WPC authorized test lab in mainland China, TÜV Rheinland Shenzhen is able to offer quick and efficient local service to best fit for mainland manufacturers’ needs.
For more information, please contact andrea.hwu@tuv.com
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Recently Value Valves Co., Ltd. became the first valve manufacturer in the Greater China region to obtain TÜV Rheinland’s functional safety certification. As the Safety Integrity Level (SIL) of valves becomes more and more important, end-users have begun requesting that suppliers carry products with functional safety evaluations conducted by third-party testing organizations. TÜV Rheinland is a widely recognized professional functionalsafety certification-service provider, with many years of experience in assisting companies through the full
process, including failure analysis, type testing, and field-data analysis. Value Valves General Manager Jason Chen and the Director of TÜV Rheinland Greater China Industry Services Thomas Fuhrmann took a tour of the production line for clear understanding of the manufacturing process. Fuhrmann expressed a high degree of admiration and praise for the company’s stringency and professionalism. Value Valves is currently Taiwan’s largest and most prominent manufacturer
of butterfly valves. The company works with many famous domestic and foreign companies, such as BASF, Mobil, Shell, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Formosa Plastics, Chi Mei, Far Eastern Textile, China Steel, China Shipbuilding Corporation, and other enterprises. Its products are widely used in many industries, including the petroleum sector, petrochemicals, steelworks, shipbuilding, energy, water treatment, papermaking, air conditioning, and electronics. Value Valves has worked hand in hand with TÜV Rheinland on other projects as well, such as ATEX directive, PED 97/23/EC directive, and ISO 9001 management-system certification.
To make sure the reliability and failure rates meet international standards and to prevent accidents, more and more plants are requiring functional safety certification when purchasing valves.
VALUE VALVES OBTAINED TÜV RHEINLAND
FUNCTIONAL SAFETY CERTIFICATION
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Business development resulting from an innovative ambience
Innovation internalized into daily jobs Value-added services coming from problemsolving ability
The service of Alibaba.com’s Supplier Assessment made its debut in February 2012. In the domain of B2B e-commerce, it is to verify suppliers’ trustworthiness and quality management.
“ALIBABA.COM’S SUPPLIER ASSESSMENT” IN SYSTEMS
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Business development resulting from an innovative ambience New business development and delivery does not come from vacuum. Peter first stressed that creating and running an innovative working environment that colleagues would love to dive in has been his essential responsibility since he joined TÜV Rheinland in June 2010. Peter’s team then prepared and schemed out service solutions that would outperform competitor from the aspects of innovation, expertise and persuasion, demonstrating our solutions, capabilities, enthusiasm, pragmatic measures, and quick response. Therefore special thanks must be given to Mr. Yushun Wong, Director of Systems. Without his trust, support and empowerment, an innovative working environment and new business like supplier assessment and CSR will not happen. Value-added services coming from problemsolving ability In Peter’s mind of the future development of 2nd-party audit, including Alibaba.com
in TÜV Rheinland’s key account list is merely the first step and there are more rooms for other business opportunities with it. To transform these opportunities into revenue streams, it relies highly on business development and execution. Business development depends on vision and tactics. Vision means to translate market foresight into timely preparation and action. Tactics are about optimizing human resources, clients, channels, and sales at hand to evolve and bring in derivative business. Vision and tactics are then executed by agile and innovative measures and implementation. In the course of execution, colleagues are able to grow with clients and challenges encountered. Again, the realization of vision, tactics and execution can only be done within an innovative working environment. Innovation internalized into daily jobs The story of Alibaba.com becoming our client is just like an innovation process consisting of working environment operation, client development, professionalism formation, and value-added
services. This case could be treated as a type of supplier management over the Internet. Such a concept could be surely applied to various aspects of supply chain management and logistics in the brick-andmortar world. From a macro perspective, services of this kind are ways to attack the issues of fake and shoddy products so as to lower the cost of trading friction as well as to promote healthier economic activities. To build trust and confidence in trading, it is just the right time for trusted 3rd-party like TÜV Rheinland to leverage the trend and seize the opportunities of 2nd-party audit in different unsatisfied sectors.
For more information, please contact peter.chen@tuv.com
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TÜV Rheinland/CCIC (Ningbo) Co., Ltd., a member of the TÜV Rheinland Group Greater China, celebrated the 10th anniversary of its founding at the Ningbo Shangri-La Hotel on the 8th of November.
A DECADE OF PARTNERSHIP PROMOTING ZHEJIANG EXPORTS 10th Anniversary Celebrations of TÜV Rheinland/CCIC (Ningbo) Co., Ltd.
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TÜV Rheinland/CCIC (Ningbo) was formed in end of 2003 as a joint venture between the TÜV Rheinland Group of Germany and the CCIC Group of China. Its key activities are foreign certification services for products being exported from China including product quality and safety certification for electrical appliances, parts and components, tools, mechanical products, lighting, and automotive parts in addition to the issuing of European GS, TÜV and EMC certificates. The advantage offered by our global network means that TÜV Rheinland/ CCIC (Ningbo) can provide product quality and safety certification services for most countries in the world with focus on products destined for North America, Australia, Japan, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Korea to name a few.
Our advanced testing equipment and technologies combined with CCIC (Ningbo)’s local resources have enabled the company to provide professional “one-stop” service solutions to diverse industries. This has helped local enterprises cope with increasingly complex product quality and safety requirements while encouraging local firms to enter the international market. “In the beginning we mainly focused on electrical products,” says Dr.-Ing. Thorsten Keiter, TÜV Rheinland/CCIC (Ningbo) General Manager. “It is now a regional general service network with five product areas including electronics and electrical services, commercial products, softlines and hardlines products, and mobility components. From a team of 16, we grew to a professional service team of more than 100 people on more than 4000 sqm laboratory and office space, not only providing testing and certification but also support for every step: from the very first idea of a product invention to the final shipment. TÜV Rheinland/ CCIC (Ningbo) is
now a key one-stop service and technology provider to major export enterprises in Ningbo and Zhejiang Province. At the same time, we have remained committed to making our own contribution to the sustainable development of the local economy.” “During our ten-year partnership we proved that the activities and global reach of TÜV Rheinland and CCIC in Ningbo produced powerful synergies,” said Wang Zhenxin, CCIC Ningbo General Manager. “We believe that the common goals and corporate mission of both partners cooperating for at least another 15 years will give us immense advantages to promote Zhejiang’s export trade and boost the international competitiveness of the ‘Made in China’ brand.”
28 FEATURED SERVICE
The Webex is an easy-touse online seminar system. With only a computer and an Internet connection, you can attend a seminar without leaving your seat! ď Ź Webex can be accessed regardless of location. Neither the speaker nor the participants need to spend hours traveling to reach a seminar, thus reducing costs and increasing time efficiency.Webex has an instant Q&A box. Whenever you are unclear about what a speaker is saying, you can immediately type a question in the Q&A box and the speaker will be able to see and answer your question during the Q&A time.
Video recording is available. If you unfortunately miss a seminar, you can still access the content by clicking on the video, so you won’t miss important information that can help your business to run smoothly. Instant polling option and tailor-made registration. By answering the questions presented during registration and polling, our speaker will know more about you and your business. This will help the speaker to adjust his or her presentation to better meet your business needs
see which seminars you may be interested in. Of course, we welcome suggestions for seminars on topics that you consider interesting.
Simple click https://tuvrheinland.webex.com.cn to meet with anyone, anywhere. Please contact us for more information: Ms. Suki Yip (suki.yip@tuv.com)
Do visit us frequently and
WEBEX SEMINAR PLATFORM OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED
FEATURED SERVICE 29
In late September, the Shenzhen City Food Safety Administration and Market Supervision Administration’s Luohu Branch worked with the local police department to carry out specialised examinations of aquatic products at wholesale markets in Luohu, Shenzhen. Of 11 aquatic product samples taken from 5 stores at random, 6 were found to exceed the legal limit of malachite green.
PRESERVES BUSINESS REPUTATIONS
THROUGH TWO-DAY TESTING FOR MALACHITE GREEN We have launched an expedited two-day malachite green testing service in its laboratories located in Fuzhou, Shenzhen and Qingdao. These authoritative test reports will ensure positive business reputations and alleviate consumer worry.
Our food testing expert Chen Jun-dong provided the following suggestions for the safe selection of aquatic products: “Prior to purchasing aquatic products, consumers should ensure that they are shopping at a legal supermarket or company with a ‘food hygiene license. ’Then, consumers should give the product a sensory analysis, observing the fish’s skin, scales, gills and eyes to determine its freshness. The consumer can also attempt to detect any irritating chemical scents from the product. Lastly, consumers should actively request sales receipts”.
About Malachite Green Malachite green is a green crystal with a metallic sheen, and is also known as Aniline green, Basic green 4, Diamond green B and Victoria green B. It is used as both a dye and an antibacterial agent. Scientific research has shown that malachite green has many severe side effects and carcinogenic properties. Many countries have prohibited the use of malachite green in aquaculture.
For more information, please contact leo.chen@tuv.com Leo Chen
FEATURED SERVICE 31
CYBERPOWER BECOMES THE FIRST UPS MAKER
TO RECEIVE ENERGY STAR VERIFICATION FROM TÜV RHEINLAND FOR EUROPEAN MARKET
CyberPower has passed TÜV Rheinland’s Energy Star testing and verification process with five models of UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) from its Smart App Professional Tower Series. CyberPower is now the first EU-specification UPS maker to pass Energy Star product testing by TÜV Rheinland Taiwan. CyberPower has long taken an interest in environmental issues, and all of its products conform to the relevant EU/US green product guidelines. Energy Star-certified UPS are estimated to reduce energy loss by 30 ~ 55%, and the high cost-performance ratio for approved “Energy Star” products makes them more competitive and attractive to retailers, buyers and end consumers.
On January 1, 2011, the US “Energy Star” program made supplier verification compulsory. All products must be inspected by an EPA-approved laboratory or CB in order to display the “Energy Star” mark.
UPS products were listed as a voluntary certification product in the US “Energy Star” scheme on August 1, 2012. TÜV Rheinland Taiwan
had already become the first TAF accredited laboratory in Taiwan and has also been designated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the only certification body (CB) authorized to provide local testing and certification. Apart from the inclusion of UPS products into the Energy Star program, the EU ErP directive will complete its preliminary report on UPS products in early 2014. TÜV Rheinland will continue to monitor future developments and help companies become certified on low-energy consumption products as soon as possible in order to conform to the latest energy-efficiency requirements of the European market. For more information, please contact wch@twn.tuv.com
32 TECHNICAL EXPERTISE
RESULTS OF TĂœV RHEINLAND
NEW TEST MARK CLIENT SURVEY
83% of respondents acknowledge New Test Mark 17%
1. Have you heard about the new test mark? Yes
No
Test mark is successfully promoted by marketing campaigns
83%
2. By which channel? (Multiple choices) EDM
35.37% 28.20%
Website
20.45%
Sales Advertisement
4.75%
Others
4.65%
News
3.29%
Social media
3.1%
(Weibo , Facebook)
0
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
3. Do you understand what advantage new test mark brings? (Multiple choices) Increase product recognition
38.64%
Enhance brand value
31.38%
Easier for fake crack down
29.47% 0.29%
others 0
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Benefits of the new test mark are well communicated via marketing campaigns.
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE 33
The New ENERGY STAR Program Requirements for Computers Version 6.0 On 10 September 2013, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the ENERGY STAR Program Requirements for Computers Version 6.0, covering the following products. Desktop and integrated desktop computers Notebook computers (such as mobile thin clients) Workstations Small-scale servers that are marketed and sold for non-data-centre use Thin clients The new ENERGY STAR Version 6.0 specifications will take effect on 2 June 2014. The major changes from the current Version 5.2 are as follows. Product category classifications Idle mode testing method Adjusted mode weightings Adjusted typical energy consumption (TEC) levels for graphic cards
Added incentive for power supplies, displays and energy-efficient ethernet capability In addition, the new “Implementing Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to ecodesign requirements for computers and computer servers” was published in the EU Official Journal on 26 June 2013. Among other aspects, the directive addresses total annual energy consumption, operational modes (e.g., sleep and off), power management enabling and manufacturer-provided information. The ecodesign requirements will become effective at three points: from the directive’s entry into force, from 1 July 2014 and from 1 January 2016.The directive and additional information can be accessed at this link . TÜV Rheinland’s testing and certification services, which are conducted in accordance with relevant energy consumption regulations, offer a professional opinion during a product’s design and testing stages. Our one-stop, energy-efficiency testing services help manufacturers meet the demand for low-energy-consumption products and comply with entry regulations in the key market.
34 TECHNICAL EXPERTISE
Technical Requirements under the Electrical Appliances and Materials Safety Act Revised to Include Performance-based Descriptions The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) entirely revised the Ordinance Specifying the Technical Requirements for Electrical Appliances under the Electrical Appliances and Materials Safety Act and promulgated it on Monday, 1 July 2013. The ordinance specifies the technical requirements for electrical appliances, aiming to prevent the occurrence of the hazards and damage caused by such appliances. METI has revised the ordinance to include performancebased descriptions of the technical requirements, which specify the various
types of safety performance that electrical appliances should satisfy. 1. Revision outline The existing technical requirements under the Electrical Appliances and Materials Safety Act of Japan provide “specification-based descriptions” of the detailed specifications based on product names, sizes and shapes. The related ordinances have now been revised to explicitly set out the “performancebased descriptions”of safety requirements that electrical appliances must satisfy.
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE 35
All of the 457 product categories regulated by the existing technical requirements must now conform to the following technical matters essential to ensuring the safety of electrical appliances. General requirements (5 categories) Safety principles Securing safety functions in the designing process Retaining safety functions during in-service periods Safety designs that consider users and locations of use Use of components and materials with adequate heat resistance, insulation and other performance parameters Protection against hazard sources (11 categories) Protection against electric shocks Retaining insulation performance Protection against fire hazards Preventing users from being burned Preventing harm caused by mechanical hazards
electrical appliances Protection coordination and combinations Resistance against electromagnetic interference This revision of the technical requirements means manufacturers can now choose to follow the “specificationsbased descriptions� (dimensions, shapes) or the prescribed safety performance standards, increasing the degree of design freedom while supporting rapid, effective product development. Specifications-based descriptions will be replaced by performancebased descriptions of the technical requirements in the future. To promote product development and expand international markets, the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) will also be revised and flexibly applied in response to the latest technologies and international standards, as necessary. 2. Date of promulgation and enforcement Promulgation: 1 July 2013 Enforcement: 1 July 2014
Preventing harm or damage caused by chemical hazards Preventing harm caused by electromagnetic waves emitted from electrical appliances Safety design that considers use Preventing harm caused by starting, restarting and stopping
For more information, please contact TĂœV Rheinland Market Access Services. mas@twn.tuv.com
36 TECHNICAL EXPERTISE
Canada Publishes Children’s Jewelry Guide Recently, the Canadian government published a guidance document for industry, stating the safety requirements for children’s jewelry, which are manufactured, imported, advertised or sold in Canada, under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act and the Children’s Jewelry Regulations. Scope: Jewelry that is manufactured, sized, packaged, advertised or sold in a manner that appeal primarily to children under 15 years of age. Examples
Brooches Rings Bracelets Pendants Necklaces Headbands with a tiara, etc.
Exemption
Merit badges, medals for achievement or other similar objects normally worn only occasionally Watches and hair clips and functional components of clothing and accessories such as buttons and belt buckles are not considered as jewelry unless they are designed or marketed in a way that clearly indicates that their primary purpose is decorative Key Points to Note
Under Children’s Jewelry Regulations, limit of lead contents for children’s jewelry are 600 mg/kg of total lead and 90 mg/kg of migratable lead Above limits apply to all accessible components of children’s jewelry
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE 37
items, including metallic or nonmetallic, glass and crystal components “Accessible” means if it is exposed to direct contact with the hands or mouth or if there is potential for the component to become exposed under reasonably foreseeable handling by a child Jewelry components such as beads, chains and clasps which are sold separately, whether individually or in kits, must also meet the requirements under Children’s Jewelry Regulations Jewelry material under any decorative or protective coatings must also
comply with above limits due to easily removal when the product is sucked, chewed or swallowed, or through normal wear and tear Health Canada has also proposed a guideline for cadmium content in children’s jewelry that would limit total cadmium to 130 mg/kg We can provide you more details of captioned guidance. Our toys expertise can help your jewelry products comply with relevant standard or if any exemptions can be granted.
Children’s Jewelry Guide under 15 years of age
More standard updates Regulatory update of German Drinking Water Ordinance and Its Effect on Brass Materials
EU approved Germany to use existing Heavy Metal elements limits in Toys
Vietnam Government Implements Energy Labeling and Minimum Energy Efficiency on TV and Computer Monitors
23 Aug, 2013, Commission regulation (EU) No 801/2013 was published on Official Journal of the European Union
38 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
HK Colleague Events
Family Day of Shanghai and Ningbo
Since August this year, HK CCC has organized a variety of staff events such as cocktail class, occupational health seminar (headache & neck pain), photographing techniques, and also set up its own band. We encourage our staff to pursue a healthier, happier life and be more productive at workplace.
As one of the 10-year anniversary campaign events, TÜV Rheinland /CCIC (Ningbo) Co., Ltd. launched the Family Day activity on Saturday, 14th September. More than 130 people including colleagues from CCIC took part in the event. On October 19, 2013 the 2nd “Family Day” was held in Shanghai. Around 400 colleagues and their families joined this annual event and everyone enjoyed a wonderful Saturday afternoon. The new highlight added this year was “Cookies & Cake Contest”.
Taiwan: Beach Cleaning TÜV Rheinland Taiwan provided the opportunity to colleagues voluntarily to join a beach cleaning event held by European Chamber Of Commerce Taipei (ECCT) at Linshanbi Recreation Area. Underlying this event, the spirit of goodwill and “green” mindset has a strong linkage to our “Go Green” movement. By participating in this event, we showed our contribution to make this world a better place, not only in terms of safety, but also in terms of environmental quality.
Greater China Green Marketplace TÜV Rheinland invited its staff to collect redundant goods at home to the green marketplace for sale in Greater China offices. 30% of the sales will be donated for charity cause, and the remaining 70% will be returned to the providers.
GLOBAL NEWS FLASH 39
Germany
Spain
Sign cooperation with CETECOM
Strengthening our projects with Lidl
TÜV Rheinland and CETECOM, the renowned brand for telecommunications and energy services, have agreed to cooperate. Both companies will especially work together in the fields of battery safety and mobile payment, sharing their experience and expertise for the benefit of their customers.
We are working with Lidl supermarkets in many projects in different fields including statutory inspections, security reviews, industrial refrigeration services, facilities maintenance audit and totem Quality Control. The latest projects “The maintenance audits of thermal plants of 15 stores” allow us to strengthen our relationship with this large client. They offer the clearest sign that Lidl trusts us.
Japan First Ever Girls’ Day in Japan When you ask 10-year old Japanese girls what they want to be in the future, most popular answers are “typically female” professions such as “work at a restaurant”, “nurse” and “kindergarten teacher”. Girls’ Day aims to change this by giving young girls an opportunity to learn about science and technology. 20 female students of the local elementary school attend the first ever Girls’ Day at Yokohama GTAC. The girls were introduced into the world of testing and inspections followed by a special lab tour. Learning about basic safety and what happens in the background when verifying safety, seems to have opened completely new dimensions for the girls. Besides contribute to the advancement of women into society – especially in technology and science professions, we also aim at further increasing awareness about safety among youth.
Germany Design Award “Red Dot” for TÜV Rheinland The TÜV Rheinland AG image spot, which was created as part of the introductory campaign for the new test mark, has been awarded the Red Dot Award 2013 in the category “Communication Design”. Each year, the award – which, at the same time, is also an international seal of quality – is given to projects that feature high-level design.
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