electrical standards

Hospital Grade Lighted Cords

emergencyHospitals are great. Sure, they get a bad rap sometimes, but think about it. Everyone who works in the hospital, from the doctors to the janitors, each works together in unison, to try and save people’s lives. Yes, even the janitor. They are responsible for cleanliness, which is the cornerstone of fighting disease. But with so many people relying on so many different electronic devices, it’s important to guarantee power at all times, from operating room machines to power cleaners.  That’s where Hospital Grade Lighted power cords come into play! Continue reading Hospital Grade Lighted Cords

Tri-Approval Trifecta!

ApprovalsThere’s a lot that goes into electronics. It’s not as simple as that potato powered clock you made in third grade. One of the most common questions I get about understanding electronics is about standards. Often times, you see stamps on various electrical components, such as VDE, UL, and C-UL. What do these standards mean? And what can they tell us about these electronics? And what is tri-approval?

approval and plugsWe’ll start with an explanation for each. UL stands for Underwriters Laboratories, which issues safety standards for different products. It is commonly viewed as the North American standard. Founded in 1884, the UL strives to promote safe work and home environments and to support the implementation of products that have guaranteed safety.  C-UL denotes the Canadian listing program implemented by UL. C-UL is most commonly understood as the certification mark for Canada. VDE is also known as the Association for Electrical, Electronic, and Information Technologies, and is based in Germany.  However, VDE is seen as the international standard. The DKE is the standards division of the VDE, whose aim is to foster standards to ensure global safety and the promotion of technological usage. Continue reading Tri-Approval Trifecta!