Discover the meaning behind standard and certification acronyms and how they can benefit your next cable project.
When quality, safety and efficiency are important in your decision making, choose products and testing services that have been qualified and certified by third-party organizations.
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
ISO is a global entity responsible for setting key technical standards across a variety of manufacturing industries, and is the largest such organization in the world. With nearly 20,000 published standards, ISO is highly respected and often viewed as an authoritative measure of quality.
Northwire’s quality management system meets strict ISO standards such as ISO 13485, governing medical device manufacturing; AS9100, for aerospace assurance; and ISO 9001, which applies to more general quality management systems.
U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP)
USP is a USA-based nonprofit that issues standards for medications, drug ingredients or products, and supplement and food ingredients. These standards, enforced by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), are viewed as a strong gauge of quality and consistency.
NWI’s BioCompatic medical cable meets USP Class VI requirements, the most stringent class of USPstandards, proving that biocompatibility, durability, and cost-savings can go hand in hand.
Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)
The RoHS Directive monitors the materials and components of electronics and electrical equipment, specifically looking at ten substances that are known to be harmful. RoHS is the latest iteration of the directive and requires regular evaluation.
Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)
Similarly, REACH also holds manufacturers responsible for chemical safety and safe handling, requiring substitution of suspicious chemicals whenever possible and registration in a central database. RoHS ensures that the product is free of these dangerous substances.
Northwire holds RoHS and REACH compliance on relevant cable systems and uses the highest quality materials to produce safe, long-lasting products.
Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
Beyond product and material safety, it’s important to ensure that product testing is performed to a high degree of accuracy and that products undergo tests that mimic real-world conditions. CSA Group provides accreditation to manufacturers across the world with support from technical experts on proper testing methods.
Northwire has been qualified by CSA GROUP, Certification and Testing, as a testing facility for supervised manufacturer’s testing for certification based on ISO 17025.
Outside of these major standard-setting organizations, Northwire’s cable manufacturers work with a variety of relevant government agencies, industry authorities, environmental groups, and other third-party organizations to ensure the highest quality products.
Other certifications include:
- UL, cUL, cULus
- RU, cRU, cRUus
- SAE AS9100
- Six Sigma®, Lean, Project Management and American Society for Quality
- CE
- MSHA
- NFPA
- NEC
- ANSI
- ABS
- IEEE
- IEC
- FDA
