How to source custom UL compliant labels for your finished product
How to source the correct UL compliant labels for your finished product
If you have a UL listed finished product, or are preparing to have your product UL approved, then this blog will help you understand where to get advice and how to source UL compliant identification labels specific to your product.
Getting started - contact your UL Engineer…
If your product requires UL approval, you will need to submit your request to a UL engineer who will advise you on the labeling requirements of your finished product. If you do not have details of a UL engineer, contact your regional UL label center who will be able to help.
How to get a standard UL logo label…
If you simply require a standard UL logo, with no specific durability performance criteria you can purchase this from your regional UL label center by completing a UL standard labels order form.
Example of UL Standard Label:
How to get a product identification label which includes a UL logo
If a UL logo is required to feature on a product label design which contains specific information i.e. instructions, safety information, rating or serial information, company details, etc., you will need to purchase the labels from a third party label supplier who must be UL PGAA approved.
CILS International holds this approval. UL File Number: LP5479.
Example image of a custom finished product label which includes a UL logo:
Why does the third party label supplier need to be PGAA approved?
UL does not have the capability of manufacturing labels based on custom requirements, it only supplies standard templated labels appropriate to your classification. UL applies strict controls over the provision of its UL marks and therefore only suppliers who have signed an agreement with UL are authorized to print labels in accordance with the PGAA category Marking and Labeling Systems program.
Design approval responsibility
It’s your responsibility to get your label design approved by a UL label centre before having your labels printed by an approved label supplier.
During the artwork preparation stage of a custom label design, the regional UL label centre must see and approve the design prior to label manufacture. Once approved, UL will ‘stamp’ the submitted design and return it. This approved design can then be forwarded onto the label manufacturer.
CILS international has a full design service and regularly creates artwork for our customers.
For more information on reproducing the UL Marks, refer to the UL website.
Label Durability is VERY important - If your label does not last the lifetime of your product, it may LOSE its UL approval!
Only once your label is displaying the correct UL mark with legible information will UL consider it approved. As the above title suggests, the durability of the label is very important as it must adhere and stay visible for the lifetime of the product. High label performance durability is just one of the reasons you may choose to use a specialist label manufacturer such as CILS International rather than purchase standard labels from UL directly.
Does a finished product label need to be approved under the UL 969 component label program?
As a general rule, if the label does not carry any other information that is important to the product such as ratings, instructions, warnings etc. it probably does not need to meet UL969. Incidentally, company logos and contact details are not considered a component part of the product. For correct verification for your product, you should speak with your UL engineer.
A quick word on UL969
The UL 969 component labeling program is a method of identifying component parts intended for use within a UL finished product. If these component labels carry important information relevant to the product, they will need to be approved under UL 969 which means the label has been tested to a specific set of durability criteria regarding permanence and legibility, including substrate types, temperatures and exposure conditions. However, UL 969 approved materials mean that they have been approved by a particular range of general tests but do not guarantee perfect performance with YOUR product surface and use.
Contact CILS or advice on which UL recognized label material is best suited to your product and its end use environment.
The bottom line: How to source the correct UL label for your product
Seeking UL approval for your product is incredibly valuable but a process fraught with various levels of complexity. The product identification label is often an afterthought and can cause needless delay and expense if it is not carefully considered.
The bottom line is that CILS International is able to guide you quickly and easily through your UL labeling process. We can use the line of communication that we have with our UL labeling engineers to help verify requirements if needed, and as an UL approved manufacturer with a huge portfolio of durable label products that are blank or partially printed ready for secondary printing, or fully printed, can provide the UL labels that you need.
Please contact CILS International directly if you need specific UL label guidance.
CILS International Approved UL Label supplier
UL File Number: MH62212 / MH62213
UL File Number (PGAA): LP5479