Motors for European Union

[fifty60]

I am trying to figure out what motors can be used in the European union. The question does not center around frequencies and voltages. The question is with the ratings.

It is rare to find a motor that is CE marked. A major reason for this is that the CE mark depends on how the motor is used, and its final enclosure. Preferebly, the motor would have a CE mark or VDE or other European house mark.

What if the motor has none of this? The next thing I would look for would be IEC ratings. This is where I am stuck. What IEC ratings do I need to obtain? Is it the insulation that needs to have the IEC ratings? Isn't class B insulation the same in NEMA and IEC?

My goal is to CE mark my equipment. I'm having trouble finding the IEC information on some motors that are rated for 50/60 Hz, have CSA and UL marking. What can I do to make sure that the motor I use is suitable for the European market?

 

[fifty60]

For example. Does the 50Hz rating of the motor imply that some kind of IEC testing had to have been done on the motor?

Does a CSA or UL rating for a motor also imply that IEC (or very similar) testing was performed on the motor?

 

[wallypiper]

CE marking equipment is much more complex that just using CE marked components to build it. You have to be certified to CE mark it, like a UL508 panel shop sort of but not exactly. It can be marked in the field after delivery but that is expensive, comparable to having UL certify a panel after installation in the US. CE is a voluntary standard and your equipment is self certified but with massive amounts of backup documentation. We have declined to bid on equipment that required CE marking with expected sell prices under $100K because the CE mark took all the profit out since our European based competitors already had CE capability.

Maybe you knew all that and, if so, I apologize for assuming you did not. Your question seemed to focus on motor nameplate data and if the project requires CE marked equipment, that is the least of your problems.

CE is an umbrella standard that basically lists all the applicable IEC or other standards which your equipment complies with. And it is a loooooooong list that is hierarchical in nature.