As part of its ongoing mission of working for a safer world, Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL), Northbrook, Ill., recently announced the purchase of Eaton Corporation's Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) laboratory.
Located in Southfield, Mich., the fully accredited EMC laboratory has provided services since 1976 and can perform EMC testing to nearly all EMC standards, including those of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), International Standards Organization (ISO), the Special Committee on Radiation Interference (CISPR), European Economic Community and the military.
Eaton said it made the decision to sell the EMC lab because it was no longer needed to support the company's core businesses. The company said that by selling it to UL, one of the world's foremost product testing and certification organizations which has an international reputation for excellence, the EMC laboratory would continue to be in a strong position to support automotive customers.
In addition to the acquisition of the assets, several former Eaton employees will join UL and continue to lend their technical expertise to the automotive industry.
"UL has long provided quality registration services for the automotive industry. The addition of the automotive EMC lab expands our growing portfolio of services for this segment," said Scott Griggs, UL general manager, Electromagnetic Compatibility. "We're fortunate to have such experienced, and well-respected EMC test engineers and technicians as part of the UL team."
In addition to experienced staff, the EMC test laboratory provides state-of-the-art equipment. With five anechoic chambers, three of which are designed specifically for the Big Three (Ford, GM, Daimler-Chrysler), the EMC laboratory will help component manufacturers introduce their products into the supply chain and will help lower production cost through efficient design.
Laboratory space will be leased by UL from Eaton on a temporary basis until the lab and its equipment can be relocated to another location in the Detroit area. UL plans to relocate this summer.
For more information on the laboratory and its capabilities, call (800)341-4892. For information on UL's additional EMC services, visit www.ul.com/emc.
