LPC Certification | Limited Production Certification

What is LPC Certification?

LPC Certification (Limited Production Certification) is a type of certification that is used to approve the manufacture of a limited quantity of products, indicating compliance to the full requirements of a particular standard or regulation. This type of certification is typically used for prototypes, pre-production models, or other low-volume products such as when only a few pieces (potentially just one) of the equipment are made.

The purpose of LPC Certification is to allow manufacturers to test and validate new products and technologies, meet all of the requirements of full certification, but not require surveillance audits or maintenance of test reports. This can save time and resources, and allow manufacturers to bring new products to market more quickly.

LPC Certification Benefits

Limited Production Certification (LPC) offers several benefits to manufacturers:

1. Reduced time to market: By allowing manufacturers to test and validate new products without having to meet all of the reporting and factory inspection requirements of full certification, LPC Certification can help reduce the time it takes to bring new products to market.
2. Cost savings: Full certification can be a time-consuming and expensive process, especially for new products or technologies. LPC offers a more streamlined and cost-effective way to test and validate products, helping manufacturers save time and resources.
3. Flexibility: LPC Certification provides manufacturers with the flexibility to test and validate different products and technologies, without having to commit to full certification for every product.
4. Improved product quality:  By requiring manufacturers to demonstrate that their products meet the full requirements of the standards, LPC helps ensure that products are compliant to the applicable standard for safety.  .
5. Enhanced reputation: By demonstrating their commitment to product safety and quality, manufacturers that obtain LPC can enhance their reputation and gain a competitive advantage in the market over products which are inspected and may not meet all of the construction and testing requirements of standards.

Overall, LPC Certification provides manufacturers with a number of benefits, including reduced time to market, cost savings, flexibility, improved product quality, and enhanced reputation.

Intertek's LPC Certification Advantage

The evaluation is performed at your production location, anywhere in the world, and includes applicable testing, an inspection of the equipment, the components used, the markings and the associated drawings. Once it has been certified and the ETL LPC label has been attached, your product can be sold anywhere in the United States and/or Canada. The local inspection body then checks the correct assembly and the correct electrical connection of the equipment.

Download our Limited Production Certification Fact Sheet

Eligibility Criteria

Limited Production Certification may be used in any of the following situations.

• Products to be installed in hazardous (classified) locations
• The product is unlisted. The quantity of units produced may run from one to several hundred. All production is scheduled within a contiguous (3) month period.
• A limited "market test" run of a product that would normally be mass-produced is planned. All production is scheduled within a contiguous (3) month period.
• A significant modification to a Listed product will be made on a specific number of units
• LPC may not be used where no published or draft standard exists

Characteristics of Limited Production Certification

• Full conformance to recognized standards
• Evaluation of a representative sample in the laboratory or applicant’s facility
• Limited number of units, produced over a defined time period
• Certification marks are applied by Intertek personnel, or by the manufacturer at the point of final assembly
• LPC Certification Report

Surveillance and Labeling Procedures

Manufacturers may apply the applicable Intertek certification mark to eligible products under the LPC Certification program in the following situations:

• ISO 9001 Registered Manufacturer
• Existing manufacturer under Follow-Up Services (including the Certification Agreement, Initial Factory Assessment and regular Follow-Up audits)
• Existing manufacturer not under Follow-Up Services after a successful Factory Audit is performed
• One time labeling by an Intertek engineer (performed at a site other than the point of installation)

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What if my product doesn’t meet the standards?

The LPC program requires full conformance with the product standards, which include sometimes destructive testing. Many product standards also require that components used as part of products must meet the component standards or be tested to those component standards.

In situations where this is not feasible for a prototype, a field evaluation may be a better choice. Additionally, when products are red-tagged and found to be not approved after installation a field evaluation is required.

See here for more information on Intertek’s Field Evaluation programs for Canada and the USA.