Connect with us

News

Applauding UL 879

Product standardization will prove the sign industry.

Published

on

Every electric-sign company is probably familiar with Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and UL 48, which, officially, is “The Standard for Safety for Electric Signs.” And veteran sign people will recall the intensive debate about UL 2161, which officially mandated secondary, ground-fault protection (SGFP) on September 30, 1996, primarily due to the influx of electronic power supplies (see ST, February 1996, page 148 and July 1997, page 32). At that time, no power-supply manufacturer had a product that met the standard.

Today, a different UL standard, which will go into effect in June 2007, will greatly impact many sign components. UL 879 concerns electric sign components. In its scope, 1.1.2(a), the standard officially states that it covers: “Materials used in signs and outline lighting, such as structural panels, sign-face materials, switch enclosures, sign frames, electrical enclosures, accessibility barriers, trim caps, water shields, coatings and lubricants, components related to material installation and the like.”

The (b) section covers components like GTO. The (c) section specifies “Electromechanical and electronic equipment for use in signs, such as LED units, LED power sources, sign flashers, animating equipment, scrolling units and sign-rotating equipment.”

Unlike SGFP power sources, which didn’t exist when UL 2161 was revised, many current products will probably comply with UL 879, but many may not, and product manufacturers will be scrambling to reformulate products, perhaps causing higher prices for signshop consumers. Due to UL 2161’s overlap, UL 879 doesn’t concern neon transformers and power supplies, fluorescent ballasts or “portable electric displays.”

As I write this in mid-January, the 35-member UL 879 Standards Technical Panel (STP) will meet January 30-31 in Northbrook, IL. Representatives come from product manufacturers, sign companies, certification associations and sign-supply distributors. Although the eighth edition of UL 879 was published June 6, 2005, its effective date is June 7, 2007. The January 2007 meeting will probably result in only minor language revisions. Any vociferous shouting would probably come from product manufacturers who are having trouble meeting (or accepting the cost of complying with) the new standards.

I was sent a link to the actual UL 879 regulation, which begins with an ominous “Page 1 of 236.” Fortunately, I received significantly abbreviated background information from Lee C. Hewitt, whose title is UL’s principal engineer, electric signs and sign components. His name will be familiar to those who read his “Ask UL” column in the “ISA Report” that ST publishes. In fact, his January 2006 column (page 114) focuses on a UL LED summit that was held last fall and which should also lead to a new UL standard in a few years.

Advertisement

“8th Edition” is essentially a misnomer, because the original UL 879 only concerned electrode housings. This “new” UL 879 is far-reaching in its effect, as evidenced by the “status” letters that were sent to approximately 180 product manufacturers. These letters stated whether or not existing product would meet the new standards.

David Ablon of Tecnolux (Brooklyn, NY), a manufacturer of neon products and components, is one of several product manufacturers on the committee. David said Tecnolux made a significant investment to increase the temperature rating on some end-cap products (now officially known as “polymeric neon electrode enclosures”) so they would meet the new standard. He classifies the UL 879 initiative as a “major improvement for materials. Neon needed a boost if it was going to compete with LEDs.” David added the “tougher standard really raises the bar, at least for neon and cold-cathode products.”

Steve Kieffer, president of Kieffer & Co. Inc. (Milwaukee, WI), represents “users” (sign companies) on this and two other UL committees, as he’s done for 20 years. The former ISA chairman lauded the new standard as “very good” for the sign industry. Steve said neon components varied so much from manufacturer to manufacturer, and this new standard would greatly upgrade product reliability.

He also appreciates how the new standard will open the door for other testing agencies. UL-recognized products are ones deemed safe for specific uses in a subsequent product. UL listing characterizes a finished product, and a sign company can also be UL listed. Contrary to numerous marketing materials I see, there is no such thing as UL approved.

However, Lee said UL will continue to only grant UL listings to products that utilize UL-recognized components, but with exacting standards, competing organizations, such as the Canadian Standards Assn. (CSA) and ETL Testing Laboratories, can also bestow their own certifications.

From the distributor side, Greg McCarter, president of Tubelite (Apopka, FL), another UL 879 committee member and former ISA chairman, said the new regulations are “an improvement that will benefit the entire sign industry.”

Advertisement

Lee has agreed to work with ST on a series of articles about specific standards for the various product categories leading up to the June effective date. Look for those soon.

Most Popular