FAQ – Product Testing and Certification

SIQ provides comprehensive product testing, assessment, certification and inspection services. Our areas include electrical safety testing, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing, radio spectrum measurements, environmental testing, cybersecurity, photometric measurements and photobiological safety, as well as support in obtaining certificates and approvals for various global markets.

Safety testing | EMC | Environmental testing | International approvals | Cybersecurity

We test a wide range of electrical and electronic products, including IT, audio and video equipment, medical devices, measuring, control and laboratory equipment, household appliances, LED luminaires, batteries and hand-held tools, electric vehicle charging stations, machinery, railway systems and automotive components.

If your product is not listed among these categories, send us the basic product information. We will check which services we can offer you.

ITAV | MED | MEAS | LITE | HOUS | AUTO | ELVH | MS

You can contact SIQ at any stage of product development – from the early development phase and prototype to the final product ready for certification and market entry.

We recommend early testing, as this allows you to identify potential non-conformities in good time and reduce the risk of product changes immediately before launch.

Testing verifies specific product characteristics and their compliance with the requirements of selected standards or other technical requirements. The result is generally a test report. Certification is a conformity assessment procedure whereby, following successful completion of the procedure, a certification body issues a certificate.

A test report is a comprehensive document containing information about the product, the tests performed and the results. A certificate, by contrast, is a concise document containing key product information and confirming product conformity. It can be understood as a “product passport” that the customer can provide to third parties as evidence of conformity without disclosing the detailed and sensitive information contained in the full test report.

Gateway to the global market

The requirements depend on the type of product, its intended use and the markets where you want to sell it.

For an initial assessment, please provide basic information about the product, its technical characteristics, intended use and target markets. Based on this information, we can identify the relevant testing or certification services within the scope of our competence.

List of standards

The simplest way is to send us an inquiry with basic information about the product and the service you need.

To enable us to prepare an offer efficiently, we recommend providing:

• the product type and name,
• a brief description and intended use (including product images),
• basic technical data (including dimensions and weight),
• the desired markets or countries of sale,
• standards or requirements, if already known,
• the current stage of product development, and
• the desired timeframe.

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The required documentation depends on the product and type of service. A technical product description, specifications, photographs, intended use, user instructions, electrical diagrams, a list of key components and information on tests already performed or certificates already obtained are usually helpful.

The number of samples required depends on the type of product, the standard and the scope of testing. The exact number of samples is determined during the offer preparation phase or before testing begins.

The duration depends on the type of product, the scope of the required tests, the complexity of the procedure, the availability of the required documentation and the test results.

After reviewing your inquiry, we can provide an estimated timeframe for completion.

The price depends primarily on the type of product, the required testing or certification, the standards applied and the target markets.

To prepare an offer, please send us basic technical information about the product and indicate the markets or certificates for which you require the service.

If a non-conformity is identified during testing, we inform you of the findings and test results. Once appropriate changes have been made to the product, we can arrange the necessary retesting.

As an independent third party, SIQ must ensure impartiality and therefore does not provide consultancy services on establishing or maintaining compliance with standards.

This depends on the type of product and the European legislation applicable to it. For many product groups, CE marking is a prerequisite for placing the product on the market in the European Economic Area.

CE marking

As a rule, a testing laboratory does not “issue” CE marking. By affixing the CE marking, the manufacturer declares that the product meets the applicable requirements of European legislation. The manufacturer is responsible for preparing and signing the EU Declaration of Conformity and for affixing the CE marking to the product. In the conformity assessment procedure, the manufacturer also demonstrates product conformity with appropriate evidence, such as test reports.

Within the scope of its competence, SIQ can perform the necessary testing and other conformity assessment procedures and provide the appropriate evidence that the manufacturer needs to carry out the conformity assessment procedure and issue its own declaration of conformity.

CE marking

Not always. The requirements for the conformity assessment procedure depend on the type of product and the legislation applicable to it. For some products, the manufacturer may carry out the procedure independently; for others, the involvement of a notified body or another independent body is required.

Yes. SIQ participates in international schemes and cooperates with various partner organisations, which can make it easier for manufacturers to obtain certificates and national approvals for different global markets.

If you tell us the countries in which you want to market the product, we can check the requirements and options for carrying out the procedures within our international certification services.

International approvals

As a rule, no. Individual countries and regions have different regulatory and certification requirements.

International schemes such as the IECEE CB Scheme can significantly simplify the process of obtaining national certificates for electrical and electronic products, but the requirements must be checked separately for each target market. It is therefore advisable to define the final target markets before or at the start of testing. This allows us to verify the relevant requirements for individual markets during testing and include any necessary national deviations in the test reports. This can subsequently simplify the process of obtaining national certificates or approvals for individual markets considerably.

A CB Certificate is a document issued under the international IECEE CB Scheme, which is based on the mutual recognition of test results for electrical and electronic products.

Using a CB Certificate and the corresponding test report can make it easier for a manufacturer to obtain national certificates or approvals in countries participating in the scheme.

Gateway to the global market

SIQ provides support in obtaining international approvals for numerous global markets – currently for more than 65 countries.

Country overview: International approvals

Yes. SIQ Ljubljana is accredited by Slovenian Accreditation, among other things, for testing according to SIST EN ISO/IEC 17025 (LP-009) and for certification of products, processes and services according to SIST EN ISO/IEC 17065 (CP-001).

The exact scope of accredited activities is defined in the valid annexes to the accreditation certificates.

Accreditations

International acceptance depends on the type of report or certificate, the scheme used and the requirements of the target market. SIQ participates in important international schemes and collaborations, including the IECEE CB Scheme.

If you tell us your target market, we can check which evidence or procedures are relevant for that market.

International approvals

Yes. SIQ can perform tests during the product development stages. Such testing can be useful for the early identification of potential non-conformities before the product design is finalised.

We can also perform development measurements in the early stages of development as well as preliminary testing covering essential and critical tests. This allows the manufacturer to verify on the prototype whether development is on the right track, identify potential issues in good time and correct them before the product is finalised. This reduces the risk of non-conformities only emerging during final testing and enables the manufacturer to use the results to assess the product’s readiness for final, full testing.

Whether existing test reports or results can be used depends on the type of procedure, the laboratory, the standard applied, the scope of testing and the requirements of the certification scheme.

Send us the existing documentation, and we will check whether and to what extent it can be taken into account.

In some cases, products can be treated as a family, and the scope of required testing can be optimised. This depends on the differences between the models, their design, the components used and the requirements of the relevant standards.

Send us an overview of the models and their technical differences so that we can assess the appropriate approach.

Yes. One of SIQ’s advantages is the comprehensiveness of its services. Depending on the product and your needs, several testing areas or procedures can be combined within one project, for example safety, EMC, environmental testing, international certification and other relevant services.

Send us an inquiry with basic information about the product, the desired tests or certificates, and the markets where you want to sell the product. Our team will review your requirements and contact you for additional information if necessary.

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