What a manufacturer really thinks of Certification

Plug manufacturer Volex, took a few moments recently to tell us what they really think of certification...

AB. What is Volex's core business?

V. The core activities of Volex include the design and manufacturing of AC powercords, cable assemblies for medical, data, industrial and telecommunication products. Recently we have ventured into the areas of designing and manufacturing of cord reels, power distribution units, appliance inlets, plug adapters and duck-heads.

AB. Tell us about your latest product

V. We are actively promoting our UK class 2 plug (UK13A2). This plug comes with a plastic ISOD. For the North America market, we will be launching our low cost class 1 and 2 plugs (US15S3 & US15S2). In the pipeline are a low cost UK class 1 plug (UK13A3) and a low cost class 1 Schuko plug (EU16CS3) for the European market. They will be ready by end 2005. Elsewhere in the world, we are working on a Japanese plug with in-build GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) to be available in 2006. Halogen-free powercords for the US and Japanese market will also be available next year.

AB. Which certification/ marks do you aim to achieve for your products?

V. Volex will always obtain the relevant certifications for our products in accordance to the market and legal requirement. For example, we will always seek ASTA Certification for our products in the UK and in other regions, we will work for a VDE mark for Europe and UL for US. In all Volex has obtained certifications for our products from more than 30 countries around the world. Currently we are looking into the possibility of obtaining the UNIT (Uruguay) and TISI (Thailand) marks for our products.

AB. How does certification contribute to your position as a market leader?

V. Everything! Our customers expect us to offer products meeting all safety and legal requirements of the world and they want to find them in one place. Our global customers do not like the idea of "shopping around" and Volex is able to offer them a "one-stop-shop" meeting all their needs.

AB. What is the key benefit of certification?

V. Volex is known for our widest range of approvals and certifications available for our products. While we are not the cheapest around, our products are designed and manufactured to the highest quality. Besides adding value, certification is a testimony on the quality of our products. Volex will in fact pursue certification on key products even if they are not mandatory legally.

AB. What would you say to other manufacturers thinking of working with ASTA BEAB?

V. You will not have any regrets working with ASTA BEAB. Like Volex, ASTA BEAB offers excellent services at a reasonable price. Over the years, ASTA BEAB has become our partner, working with us and offering solutions to meet our needs. It is a relationship that is hard to break.