RED Tuesday Is Here - Are You Ready?

In 2014, the European Commission adopted a new series of rules regarding the production and distribution of radio equipment into the European market. These new rules, known as the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU, RED for short, apply to transmitters, receivers, and transceivers used for radio communication or determination. RED was published in its entirety in May of 2014, with the expectation that its provisions must be applied starting June 13, 2016 and as of June 13, 2017, manufacturers must be compliant with the new requirements. All equipment, even legacy equipment that was approved under the former Directive 1999/5/EC, has to align to Directive 2014/53/EU. Regardless of where your business may be located, if radio manufacturers and labs are not already compliant, they risk being rejected at customs. If you aren’t already compliant, it’s imperative that you make the necessary changes in order to be, and Advanced Test Equipment Rentals can help you get the right equipment immediately.

Here are some of the key items addressed in RED:

New Radio Requirements

Directive 2014/53/EU aims to ensure normal spectrum behavior, setting forth guidelines for accepted spectrum matters, frequency, power, and more. All equipment that intentionally emits or receives radio waves, for the purpose of radio communication or determination and makes continuous use of radio spectrum is subjected to the new Directive.

Overall Safety

The safety and security of the products being manufactured are a topic of concern within 2014/53/EU as well as electrical safety of the plant and possible RF exposure. The RED Directive outlines safety requirements that closely mirror those of the Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU (also known as LVD, thought its undergone updates). Though equipment now must comply with RED, manufacturers are not to state compliance with LVD. Radiation Meters and RF Monitors must be used to verify the safety of work spaces and products.

What About EMC?

Electromagnetic compatibility requirements within the RED directive are the same as those within the EMC Directive 2014/30/EU. Just like with the safety initiatives in RED, manufacturers and labs must comply with the requirements for EMC, but should not reference the 2014/30/EU directive on any documents that pronounce compliance.

If the above sounds familiar, that’s because it is. The RED Directive is not unlike those that preceded it – and that’s where things get tricky. The technical requirements didn’t change much, but the inclusion of certain words and phrases did. This means that while the equipment used to test compliance remains the same, the actual test standards have changed. If you haven’t tested compliance to these new standards by June 13th 2017, then you need to, immediately. To comply with the new directive manufacturers must be accredited under either ISO 17065 or ISO 17020, which is a formal audit process carried out by Accreditation Bodies (organizations that are designated by National Authorities to observe and approve this process). All equipment must undergo CE Marking (again). Manufacturers must either use Harmonized Standards or request that a Notified Body (a private sector organization that has been authorized at the national level to "approve" equipment under the EU system) issue a Type Examination Certificate. To test to RED, you’ll need to quickly find an ESD Gun for CE Marking, and a Radiation Meter for monitoring RF in your plant.

Advanced Test Equipment Rentals offers Radiated Emissions and Radiated Immunity test equipment for rent, with many products available for same-day or next-day shipping. To learn more about EMC test equipment, please feel free to reach out to ATEC directly at 800-404-2832.