Routine tests for controls within the scope of the EN 60730 series

The electrical safety tests described in this standard shall be carried out at the final stage of manufacture on the following Automatic Electrical Controls: a) free standing and in line cord controls, 100% of production. b) independently mounted Automatic Electrical Controls, 100% of production. c) any Automatic Electrical Controls with flexible integrated or internal conductors, 100% of production d) incorporated or integrated Automatic Electrical Controls with any surfaces directly accessible to the end user when mounted as declared 100% of production. Except that for controls where 100% testing is carried out on the final equipment in which the control is incorporated or integrated, routine testing is not required and testing is subject to agreement between the Control Manufacturer and the Appliance Manufacturer.

Stückprüfungen in der Fertigung von Regel- und Steuergeräten im Geltungsbereich der Normenreihe EN 60730

Essais de production des dispositifs de commande du domaine de la série des EN 60730

Routine tests for controls within the scope of the EN 60730 series - Part 1: General requirements

General Information

Status
Published
Publication Date
27-Jun-2001
Drafting Committee
IEC/TC 72 - IEC_TC_72
Parallel Committee
IEC/TC 72 - IEC_TC_72
Current Stage
6060 - Document made available - Publishing
Due Date
28-Jun-2001
Completion Date
28-Jun-2001

Overview

EN 50344:2001 is a European standard developed by the CLC (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization) that specifies routine electrical safety tests for automatic electrical controls within the scope of the EN 60730 series. These tests are designed to be carried out at the final stage of manufacturing to ensure the safety and compliance of automatic electrical controls used primarily in household applications. The standard addresses a broad range of control types including free-standing controls, in-line cord controls, independently mounted controls, and those integrated into appliances.

The primary goal of EN 50344:2001 is to verify electrical safety during routine production testing, helping manufacturers maintain product quality and reliability while meeting regulatory requirements.

Key Topics

  • Scope of Testing
    The standard mandates 100% production testing for various types of automatic electrical controls:

    • Free-standing and in-line cord controls
    • Independently mounted automatic electrical controls
    • Controls with flexible integrated or internal conductors
    • Controls incorporated or integrated into appliances when surfaces are accessible to users
  • Routine Electrical Safety Tests
    The standard defines minimum essential tests to detect safety impairments that may arise during manufacturing:

    • Earth continuity test: Ensures the integrity of protective earth connections with a minimum current of 10 A, verifying resistance does not exceed 0.1 ohm.
    • Electric strength test: Applies a voltage (AC or DC) between live parts and accessible metallic or non-metallic surfaces to ensure insulation withstands breakdown or flashover under specified conditions.
  • Test Procedures and Requirements

    • Tests must be performed on fully assembled controls unless impractical; some tests may occur at earlier production stages.
    • Flexible cords fitted to controls must be included during testing.
    • Non-conforming controls must be clearly identified and segregated to prevent unauthorized use.
    • Manufacturers must establish a documented failure investigation and corrective action process.
    • Test equipment must be verified regularly to ensure accuracy and reliability.
  • Exemptions and Specifics
    Controls tested 100% within the final equipment by the appliance manufacturer may be excluded from separate routine testing, subject to agreements between control and appliance manufacturers.

Applications

EN 50344:2001 is essential for manufacturers, quality control engineers, and compliance professionals involved in the production of automatic electrical controls, especially those designed for household appliances and related equipment. Practical applications include:

  • Manufacturing quality assurance: Enables line testing of 100% of production output to detect electrical safety issues before products reach the market.
  • Product safety compliance: Assists manufacturers in meeting European electrical safety directives and regulations.
  • Supplier and production management: Defines procedures for testing, handling non-conformities, and maintaining the integrity of routine safety evaluations.
  • Inter-industry cooperation: Provides a basis for agreements between control manufacturers and appliance manufacturers on final equipment testing and exemptions.

Related Standards

EN 50344:2001 closely relates to the following standards within the electrotechnical and appliance safety context:

  • EN 60730 series: The fundamental standards governing automatic electrical controls for household and similar use, covering general requirements and particular functional criteria.
  • EN 60335-1: Household and similar electrical appliances safety - General requirements, which influences the development of routine test requirements.
  • CENELEC Certification Agreement (CCA): EN 50344 is aligned with certification schemes operated by CENELEC to facilitate harmonized safety compliance across Europe.

Manufacturers should consider these related standards for comprehensive compliance and to incorporate additional functional or verification testing beyond the scope of routine electrical safety tests. EN 50344:2001 complements these by focusing on consistent, high-volume production quality control.


Keywords: EN 50344, routine electrical safety tests, automatic electrical controls, EN 60730 series, electrical safety testing, manufacturing quality assurance, household appliance controls, CLC standards, earth continuity test, electric strength test, production line testing

Frequently Asked Questions

EN 50344:2001 is a standard published by CLC. Its full title is "Routine tests for controls within the scope of the EN 60730 series". This standard covers: The electrical safety tests described in this standard shall be carried out at the final stage of manufacture on the following Automatic Electrical Controls: a) free standing and in line cord controls, 100% of production. b) independently mounted Automatic Electrical Controls, 100% of production. c) any Automatic Electrical Controls with flexible integrated or internal conductors, 100% of production d) incorporated or integrated Automatic Electrical Controls with any surfaces directly accessible to the end user when mounted as declared 100% of production. Except that for controls where 100% testing is carried out on the final equipment in which the control is incorporated or integrated, routine testing is not required and testing is subject to agreement between the Control Manufacturer and the Appliance Manufacturer.

The electrical safety tests described in this standard shall be carried out at the final stage of manufacture on the following Automatic Electrical Controls: a) free standing and in line cord controls, 100% of production. b) independently mounted Automatic Electrical Controls, 100% of production. c) any Automatic Electrical Controls with flexible integrated or internal conductors, 100% of production d) incorporated or integrated Automatic Electrical Controls with any surfaces directly accessible to the end user when mounted as declared 100% of production. Except that for controls where 100% testing is carried out on the final equipment in which the control is incorporated or integrated, routine testing is not required and testing is subject to agreement between the Control Manufacturer and the Appliance Manufacturer.

EN 50344:2001 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 97.120 - Automatic controls for household use. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.

You can purchase EN 50344:2001 directly from iTeh Standards. The document is available in PDF format and is delivered instantly after payment. Add the standard to your cart and complete the secure checkout process. iTeh Standards is an authorized distributor of CLC standards.

Standards Content (Sample)


2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.Routine tests for controls within the scope of the EN 60730 series - Part 1: General requirementsStückprüfungen in der Fertigung von Regel- und Steuergeräten im Geltungsbereich der Normenreihe EN 60730 -- Teil 1: Allgemeine AnforderungenEssais de production des dispositifs de commande du domaine de la série des EN 60730 -- Partie 1: Règles généralesRoutine tests for controls within the scope of the EN 60730 series -- Part 1: General requirements97.120Avtomatske krmilne naprave za domAutomatic controls for household useICS:Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z:EN 50344-1:2001SIST EN 50344-1:2002en01-julij-2002SIST EN 50344-1:2002SLOVENSKI
STANDARD
EUROPEAN STANDARDEN 50344-1NORME EUROPÉENNEEUROPÄISCHE NORMJune 2001CENELECEuropean Committee for Electrotechnical StandardizationComité Européen de Normalisation ElectrotechniqueEuropäisches Komitee für Elektrotechnische NormungCentral Secretariat: rue de Stassart 35, B - 1050 Brussels© 2001 CENELEC -All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC members.Ref. No. EN 50344-1:2001 EICS 97.120English versionRoutine tests for controls within the scope of the EN 60730 seriesPart 1: General requirementsRègles particulières pour les essais deproduction des dispositifs de commandedu domaine de la série des EN 60730Partie 1: Règles généralesBesondere Regeln für Stückprüfungen inder Fertigung von Regel- undSteuergeräten im Geltungsbereich derNormenreihe EN 60730Teil 1: Allgemeine AnforderungenThis European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 2000-08-01. CENELEC members are bound tocomply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this EuropeanStandard the status of a national standard without any alteration.Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained onapplication to the Central Secretariat or to any CENELEC member.This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any otherlanguage made by translation under the responsibility of a CENELEC member into its own language andnotified to the Central Secretariat has the same status as the official versions.CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic,Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway,Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.SIST EN 50344-1:2002

EN 50344-1:2001- 2 -ForewordThis European Standard was prepared by the Technical Committee CENELEC TC 72, Automaticcontrols for household use.The text of the draft was submitted to the Unique Acceptance Procedure and was approved byCENELEC as EN 50344-1 on 2000-08-01.The proposal to prepare a draft for routine tests originated from a decision taken at themeeting of CLC/TC 72 held 6-7 December 1994 where CLC/TC 72 Working Group 1 was setup to produce a draft for routine tests, based on the document for routine testing ofappliances under the scope of EN 60335-1, for use by testing authorities;Following the circulation of drafts prepared by WG 1, document CLC/TC 72(SEC)71 whichwas circulated during 1996, and document CLC/TC 72(SEC)87 circulated during 1997, it wasagreed at the meeting of CLC/TC 72 held 11 and 12 September 1997 that when finalised, therequirements for routine tests should be published in a separate standard.Further modifications to the draft followed at the meeting of CLC/TC 72 held 10 and 11September 1998 which resulted in WG 1 holding a further meeting in July 1999 in order tofinalise a draft for voting under the CENELEC Unique Acceptance Procedure.At the meeting of CLC/TC 72 held 10 and 11 September 1998 it was also agreed that thereneeded to be a Part 2 to this standard in order to cover functional testing of some safetyrelated controls. It was agreed that work on the part 2 would not be started until the Part 1was complete.The following dates were fixed:–latest date by which the EN has to be implementedat national level by publication of an identicalnational standard or by endorsement(dop)2001-12-01–latest date by which the national standards conflictingwith the EN have to be withdrawn(dow)2003-08-01__________SIST EN 50344-1:2002

- 3 -EN 50344-1:2001IntroductionThe tests detailed in this standard are carried out by the manufacturer and apply to products within thescope of EN 60730-1 and its part 2’s.This standard is for use within the scheme of the CENELEC certification agreement (CCA) and can beused in conjunction with other schemes.Routine tests are line tests performed on 100% of production and are normally carried out at the finalstage of manufacture.NOTE 1Routine tests are not to be confused with functional or performance tests, or product verification tests (repeat typetests).NOTE 2Functional or performance tests are considered the responsibility of the manufacturer and shall be carried out at themanufacturer’s discretion unless otherwise specified in clause 2 of this standardNOTE 3Product verification tests (repeat type tests) are considered the responsibility of the manufacturer and shall becarried out at the manufacturer’s discretion and to the manufacturers own quality system.These tests are performed to ensure the electrical safety of the products and are intended to reveal avariation during the manufacture of Automatic Electrical Controls which could impair safety. They donot impair the properties and the reliability of the Automatic Electrical Control. They are normallycarried out on the complete Automatic Electr
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