What is the Low Voltage Directive?
The Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU (LVD) outlines essential safety requirements, for electrical equipment, operating with a voltage of between 50V and 1000V for AC (alternating current) and 75V and 1500V for DC (direct current).
The regulations set out the requirements, that must be met, to ensure safe electrical equipment products, are placed on the market.
It applies to;
- Power supplies
- Control and indicating equipment with enclosed power supplies
- Components (if they form an integral part of the equipment) including batteries
One route to demonstrate compliance with the LVD, is to design and test against the published safety standards EN IEC 62368-1. There are several options available to manufacturers, to meet the requirements, but increasingly enclosures are being designed such, that fire retardant batteries are necessary.
Therefore, when applying this to batteries, the casing material should be V2, or higher to comply.
What is V2?
The V2 classification, is part of the UL94 plastics flammability standard, released by Underwriter Laboratories.
The standard classifies plastic, according to how they burn, in various orientations and thickness. From lowest (least flame-retardant), to highest (most flame-retardant).
| Rating | Description |
|---|---|
| HB | Slow burning on a horizontal specimen; burning rate <76 mm/min for thickness <3mm |
| V2 | Burning stops within 30 seconds on a vertical specimen; drips of particles are allowed |
| V1 | Burning stops within 30 seconds on a vertical specimen; drips of particles allowed as long as not inflamed |
| V0 | Burning stops within 10 seconds on a vertical specimen; drips of particles allowed as long as not inflamed |
What is the FIA recommendation?
The Fire Industry Association (FIA) released guidance on Wednesday 23rd August 2023, recommending that all combustible plastic material, within a fire enclosure have a V2, or better flammability rating.
With guidance to installers/maintainers to ensure, that replacement batteries conform with any flammability requirements, also specified by the original equipment manufacturers.
We are therefore encouraging all installers, to check the flammability rating of the batteries being installed.
What are we doing?
We strongly support the FIA guidance, recommending batteries with a suitable flammability rating should be installed.
We are proud to offer you the CASIL range of FR products, which are designed to meet the highest standards of safety and performance. Our Casil batteries have a V0 rating, which means they are highly resistant to fire and flame. They also have a long service life, high reliability, and a low self- discharge rate.
They are suitable for various applications, such as alarm panels, emergency lighting, back up power and many more.
We hope this information helps you understand the LVD and its implications for electrical equipment products. If you are interested in reviewing our range of FR batteries, please visit our website, or contact us for more details and we would be happy to assist you with your needs.
