The new specifications of the household appliance standard DIN EN 60335-1 / VDE 0700-1 and the certification of plastics by the VDE Institute offer four benefits, most of all, to processors: a huge reduction in testing costs, increased planning certainty, shorter development times and access to plastics that comply with all important flame protection standards around the world.

Previously, successful glow wire testing of the finished product by the VDE was necessary in order to obtain the test seal from the VDE Testing and Certification Institute in accordance with the household appliance standard. This is no longer absolutely necessary. Instead, the producer of the appliance can manufacture the component from a type of plastic that has already been glow wire tested and certified by the VDE using sheet test specimens.

First materials have already been certified
Now that six products of the Durethan series and one product of the Pocan series have been tested, numerous flame protected polyamides and polyesters are available to the market, which have been certified by the VDE on the basis of DIN EN 60335-1/VDE 0700-1.

Auditing plastics manufacturers
The VDE certification of plastics is subject to very strict requirements in order to ensure maximum safety for consumers. Among other measures the production facilities of plastics manufacturers are, for example, audited and certified in terms of quality assurance measures. The production facilities are inspected and controlled each year. Finally, as a quality control measure, the selected materials, which have already been certified, are again inspected to ensure their fire protection properties.