Bundling services with FM Approvals can change the way manufacturers of property loss prevention solutions navigate the nuances of certification standards around the world, such as CE, Ex, UKCA, IECEx, and the FM Approvals certification (signified by the FM Diamond). The advantage of bundling for a manufacturer is that it streamlines approval and audit requirements across all regions (fig. 1). Here’s how manufacturers can—and why they should—make FM Approvals their one-stop shop for a globally recognized certification of their property loss prevention products and services.
Bundling by region
Manufacturers seeking to get a product certified in multiple regions often struggle with finding the best way to manage multiple criteria and submissions. From there, the confusion only grows along with the correspondence needed as each regional agency makes separate requests. Dealing with multiple agencies also slows production due to scheduling challenges and lead times for separate audits of facilities. With FM Approvals, you have one agency conducting one evaluation for all regional standards. Ten Hazardous Location (HazLoc) audits per year between U.S., Canadian and European agencies can potentially be bundled and completed with four HazLoc audits per year by FM Approvals.
Bundling by certification
Manufacturers can also synchronize different certifications through FM Approvals. Customers interested in Safety Integrity (SIL) can bundle SIL with HazLoc or even cybersecurity certification, the latter of which is rapidly evolving with FM Approvals at the forefront of certifying qualified industrial control systems (ICS) products as FM Approved based on the ISA/IEC 62443 series of standards developed by the ISA99 committee as American National Standards and adopted globally by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). We identify commonalities between standards to harmonize testing, certification, and auditing processes. It is possible to bundle processes by region and certification simultaneously.
Overview of implementation
If a manufacturer is designing a product that they want to put into a Hazardous Location, there are many different protection concepts to consider, from general requirements and increased safety to making the product explosionproof, flameproof, and other important concepts. If the manufacturer chooses to pursue flameproof certifications, FM Approvals can create a program encompassing U.S., Canadian, European Union, and IEC standards based on the root standards of IEC 60079-1 and the protection principle of containing an explosion and extinguishing a flame. If the same manufacturer also wanted SIL and cyber certifications for its flameproof product, we have the ability to complete the required testing for those standards in the same program.
Recently, FM Approvals worked with a multinational scale and analytical instrument manufacturer, which used regional bundling for a load cell platform. By bundling services, we were able to simultaneously issue FM (US & Canada), ATEX, and IECEx certifications covering multiple standards for hazardous (classified) locations.
Benefits of bundling
The primary benefit of bundling certification services is simplification, but that is far from the only one. The efficiency gained from having one test program for multiple certifications can lead to time savings, while setting the framework for more productive audits to minimize interruption. Our senior technical staff members participate in the development of standards, giving us and our clients the ability to proactively address new or revised requirements on the horizon that may impact product design. Learn more about the products we certify.