Component Testing
Component Testing and Critical Component Certification
Testing and certification for power supplies, batteries, radio modules, transformers, and other critical components, so every end-product approval has the component evidence it depends on.
Why components matter
Every end-product certificate rests on a list of parts. Change one and the certificate moves.
Product certification doesn't stop at the enclosure. A safety report names the power supply, the transformer, the fuse, the insulation system, the cells, and the connectors that control the hazards the standard cares about. A radio approval names the module and the antenna. A substance declaration names the materials. Those components are the load-bearing parts of the file, and each one either carries its own certificate or has to be tested as part of the end product.
Component testing is the work of producing that evidence at the component level: certifying a power supply so every product that uses it can reference the certificate, testing a battery pack so the host product's safety evaluation can rely on it, or qualifying a module so its approval can be inherited. Done well, it makes every downstream product approval faster and cheaper. Done poorly, or not at all, it means the end product carries the full test burden every time.
ORBIS Compliance manages component testing within Product Compliance Testing and Management, for component manufacturers who need their parts accepted by OEMs and certification bodies, and for OEMs who need to know which components in their products are holding up which approvals.
Components we scope and certify
The parts that most often decide an end-product approval.
- Power supplies and adapters: external and internal, under IEC 62368-1, IEC 61558, and energy efficiency requirements.
- Cells and battery packs: IEC 62133, IEC 62619, UL 2054, UN 38.3 for transport, and national battery marks and registrations.
- Radio modules: FCC, ISED, CE RED, and national modular approvals, including the grant conditions a host product must respect.
- Transformers, inductors, and insulation systems: construction and thermal evaluation the end-product safety standard will reference.
- Switches, relays, connectors, and fuses: component standards and the ratings the host product's evaluation depends on.
- Plastics and enclosures: flammability ratings, thermal indices, and material identification tied to the safety file.
- Motors, pumps, and compressors: component safety and efficiency evidence used across appliance and machinery products.
- Displays, printed circuit boards, and wiring: material and construction data certification bodies request during evaluation.
Two ways to carry the same part
Certified component versus tested in the end product.
Both are legitimate routes. Choosing the right one for each part is a cost and schedule decision that affects every product using that component.
Tested in every end product
What matters
Certified once as a component
The component is evaluated again inside each product that uses it.
EFFORT
One component certificate is referenced by every product and every market that accepts it.
A component substitution triggers re-evaluation of every affected end product.
CHANGE CONTROL
The replacement component's certificate is reviewed once, and the end products reference it.
The OEM carries the evidence burden for the supplier's part.
SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIP
The supplier holds the certificate, and the OEM verifies it covers the intended use.
A gap in the component evidence surfaces during end-product certification, on the critical path.
RISK
Gaps are found and closed at the component level, before the product program depends on them.
How ORBIS is involved
We read the component the way the end-product certifier will.
A component certificate is only useful if it covers the way the component is actually used. A power supply certified for indoor use in a specific temperature range doesn't cover an outdoor charger. A battery certified with one protection circuit doesn't cover a pack built with another. A radio module grant doesn't cover a host with a higher-gain antenna. ORBIS engineers review component evidence against the intended application and the target markets, and they tell you where it holds and where it doesn't.
For component manufacturers, we scope certification so the resulting certificate is as broadly usable as possible: the right standards, the right ratings, the right range of conditions, and recognition in the markets your OEM customers sell into. That makes your part easier to design in.
For OEMs, we build and maintain the critical component list behind each product approval inside ORBIS Intelligent Compliance. When purchasing proposes a substitution, the platform shows which certificates and markets are affected, and our team tells you whether a declaration, a review, or a retest is needed. Your suppliers and laboratories can contribute their certificates to ORBIS Cloud with authorized access, so the component evidence sits with the product record.
Questions
Component testing and certification
Our supplier says the part is certified. Is that enough?
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Sometimes. Ask for the certificate and the conditions of acceptability. Check that the standard, the edition, the ratings, and the intended use match how you're using the part, and that the certifying body is recognized in your target markets. ORBIS does this review as part of the end-product file.
Can we substitute an equivalent component after certification?
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Only with evaluation. Equivalence for purchasing purposes isn't equivalence for certification. The replacement needs matching or better ratings, a certificate the scheme accepts, and in some cases testing in the end product. We assess each substitution against the affected approvals before it enters production.
Does component certification help with markets outside the EU and North America?
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Yes, with limits. Many national schemes recognize IEC-based component certificates through the CB Scheme. Some require local certification of specific components, especially power supplies, batteries, and plugs. We map recognition per market so you know where a component certificate travels and where it doesn't.
Lock the parts your certificates depend on.
Bring the bill of materials and the certificates you already hold. We'll show you which components are carrying your approvals, which need their own evidence, and how to manage a substitution without losing a market.
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