Medical certification ensures that electronic equipment meets stringent safety and performance standards. Medical systems must offer optimised, reliable performance, which in turn necessitates a high reliance on power. When patients’ welfare is at stake, the importance of certification cannot be overstated…
Within just a year or so, manufacturers of ICT and AV equipment will have to conform to a new standard for product safety, the IEC 62368-1. The date of withdrawal for the outgoing standards IEC 60950-1 and IEC 60065, is December 20, 2020.…
Every day, objects must be moved, shifted, and lifted, from automotive parts and tax office files to health clinics. And while some of them can be carefully relocated and positioned without recourse to help, plenty of others need a little support. Goods handling is the domain of Expresso, the Kassel-based supplier of ergonomic working aids in Germany. Their innovative range of products takes the strain out of lifting and moving and reduces the risks to every employer’s most valuable asset – their employees.…
With product lifetimes in many areas such as mobile phone shortening, the waste from electronic and electrical equipment (EEE), also known as electronic waste or e-waste, has become one of the fastest growing waste problems worldwide.…
Clever thinking has been part of how we work at Mascot ever since the company was founded more than 80 years ago as a pioneer in the manufacture of radio equipment.…
International power supply specialist Mascot has once again demonstrated the prowess of its manufacturing operation and global supply chain by delivering a rapid ramp-up in battery charger production to help one of its major global customers support the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.…
A future-proofed battery solution Lithium ion batteries have in the past few years become the preferred choice in a broad spectrum of applications. It’s easy to see why: they are versatile, boast high energy density and low self-discharge - below half of that of nickel-based batteries - and require little maintenance. But they have their limitations too: issues around transportation are well-documented and they are also subject to aging, even when not in use, while a protection circuit is invariably needed to maintain voltage and current within safe limits. Unsurprisingly, the search for the ‘perfect’ battery solution continues unabated, and an increased area of focus is sodium ion products.…
Creating solutions for healthcare and medical applications is challenging on many levels. Every specification and requirement must be strictly followed. When it comes to electronic systems, these challenges extend beyond “simple” functionality and into patient safety - from stray electronic noise control, to preventing impact on medical monitoring systems and other sensitive circuits, inside and outside the patient.…
Most devices on the market now use rechargeable batteries. This creates a two-fold challenge for the engineer: addressing a string of battery chemistries in legacy products developed over a manufacturer’s lifetime, and the need to select the best available chemistry for a particular application. Understanding battery chemistry and testing and charging needs will ensure a product operates optimally and cost-effectively. Even a venerable and almost-vintage technology like lead acid is finding a new lease of life beyond the automobile in applications like microgrid storage.…
It is widely anticipated that the CE scheme will continue to apply to products marketed in the UK after Brexit - and certainly the CE mark is still acceptable for many goods being sold in the UK market during the transition period. However, a ‘no deal’ scenario is likely to see the CE marking scheme in the UK replaced from 1st January 2021 by a new national conformity system, equivalent to the CE scheme, but known as the UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) mark.…