LVD Testing: Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU)

LVD testing shows that an electrical product meets the safety requirements of the EU Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU). It is one of the steps behind the CE marking of most mains-powered equipment. CE Danışmanı (CE Consultant) is an Istanbul-based consultancy that plans the tests, coordinates them with accredited laboratories and prepares the technical file for manufacturers in Turkey and for companies shipping products to or from Turkey.

Which products need LVD testing?

The Directive covers electrical equipment designed for use with a voltage rating of 50–1000 V AC or 75–1500 V DC. Typical examples:

• Household appliances and white goods
• Luminaires, LED modules and lamps
• Power supplies, chargers and UPS units
• Audio/video, IT and communication equipment
• Electric motors, cables and components such as fuses
• Measurement, control and laboratory equipment

Turkey applies the same rules through its own regulation aligned with 2014/35/EU, so a product that is correctly CE marked under the LVD can be placed on both the EU and the Turkish market.

What is excluded?

Annex II of the Directive leaves the following outside its scope, because other legislation applies to them:

• Electrical equipment for use in explosive atmospheres
• Electrical equipment for radiology and medical purposes
• Electrical parts for goods and passenger lifts
• Electricity meters
• Plugs and socket outlets for domestic use
• Electric fence controllers
• Radio-electrical interference
• Specialised equipment for ships, aircraft or railways that complies with international safety provisions
• Custom-built evaluation kits for professionals, used solely at research and development facilities

Which tests are carried out?

“LVD test” is a group of tests, not a single measurement. The harmonised standard for the product decides which of them apply. The most common ones are:

• Electric strength (high-voltage) test and insulation resistance test
• Leakage current test: the appliance is supplied at 1.06 times rated voltage and the current between accessible parts and earth is measured
• Earth continuity test: usually at 10 A or 25 A; the resistance is expected to stay below 0.1 Ω
• Heating (temperature rise) test
• Abnormal operation test: components are operated under single-fault conditions
• Protection against access to live parts: checked with the jointed test finger and similar probes
• Mechanical strength test: three blows of 0.5 J with the spring hammer on weak points of the enclosure
• Humidity test: 48 hours at about 93% relative humidity, followed by leakage current measurement
• Ball pressure test: 125 °C for insulating parts that hold live parts, 75 °C for other parts; the impression must not exceed 2 mm
• Glow-wire test: resistance of non-metallic parts to heat and fire
• Creepage distances and clearances, construction checks, cord anchorage (pull) tests and, where declared, IP dust and water tests

Common LVD standards

• EN 60335-1 and its Part 2 standards: household and similar electrical appliances
• EN IEC 62368-1: audio/video, information and communication technology equipment
• EN 60598-1: luminaires
• EN 62031: LED modules for general lighting
• EN 62040-1: uninterruptible power systems
• EN 61010-1: measurement, control and laboratory equipment
• EN 60204-1: electrical equipment of machines
• EN 60034-1: rotating electrical machines

How the process works

1. Standard selection. The intended use and the environment of the product determine the applicable harmonised standards.
2. Document review. Circuit diagrams, ratings, component list and user instructions are checked before the sample goes to the laboratory.
3. Testing. All applicable tests are performed under the environmental conditions required by the standard.
4. Test report. The report lists every test, the result and the measured values. The product must pass all applicable tests.
5. Technical file and EU Declaration of Conformity. The manufacturer draws up both and affixes the CE marking.

Why products fail, and how to avoid it

• Flashover in the electric strength test, caused by live parts placed too close together. Creepage distances and clearances should be designed in from the start.
• Failure in flammability tests, when the insulating material does not have a suitable flammability rating such as UL 94 V-0.
• Excessive temperature rise, when heat is not removed by natural ventilation or a fan.
• Marking and wiring errors, such as an incorrect rating label or an earth conductor in the wrong colour.

Checking the standard during product development is far cheaper than redesigning after a failed test.

What the technical file must contain

• A general description of the electrical equipment
• Design and manufacturing drawings, and diagrams of components and circuits
• The explanations needed to understand those drawings and diagrams
• The list of harmonised standards applied, and the solutions adopted where they were not applied
• Design calculations and the LVD test reports

The technical file and the EU Declaration of Conformity must be kept for 10 years after the product is placed on the market. The CE marking has no expiry date, but the assessment must be updated if the product or the applicable standards change.

A CE mark without a test report in the technical file has no legal standing. In Turkey, market surveillance is carried out by the Ministry of Industry and Technology, which can request the file at any time.

How CE Danışmanı helps

• Identifying the directives and standards that apply to your product
• Planning the tests and coordinating them with accredited laboratories
• Following up the test process and resolving non-conformities
• Preparing the technical file and the EU Declaration of Conformity
• Combining LVD with EMC and RoHS when the product needs them