Rules for eletronics with 230V

[ArCoN]

Hello EE's

Does anyone know what rules should be complied with CE? 

Airgab?, spacing? etc.

B.R.

[pyr0boy]

There is a lot of reading to do when it comes to the EU and their standards.

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52017XC0908(04)&from=EN

This is a list of the standards, with reference and title, unfortunately there is approximately 750 of them.
These all refer to any electrical device from 50-1000 VAC.
And given some of the breakdowns you can see in the list, it is obvious that there is no one standard when it comes to mains ~230V electronics.

An extra downside, is unless your lucky enough to find a free source, you have to pay just to read the standards themselves.

EN 61010-2-033:2012 is a good standard to look at, as it is the standard for measuring mains voltage with a handheld device.
Although to buy this standard to read in full is ~$USD200 depending on your source.
https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/4288

If your interest is curiosity, you can get 20 or so page long samples online,(https://webstore.iec.ch/p-preview/info_iec61010-2-033%7Bed1.0%7Db.pdf), but if you want to make something that complies with these, you'll be paying for it one way or another.

[Neilm]

Let's get the lid of this can of worms.

The CE mark says that you meet all the EU directives for your product. For safety, you almost certainly have to comply with the Low Voltage Directive (LVD). EMC & RoHS are separarate directives you will also have to meet, but there are others (Radio Equipment Directive and Machinery directive are two that also spring to mind).

Depending on your product, there will be a standard that defines the safety requirements for your product (for instance test and measurement is IEC61010). The Official Journal (OJ) will tell you which standards are accepted and if you meet those you can "presume conformity" to the LVD. When you place a product on the market you have to produce a Declaration of Conformity (DoC). This has to detail the directives you meet and the standards you have used to meet it.

The standards will say what distances are needed, if you need to account for unit altitude operation and if any testing is required. For instance IEC61010 says that you have to 100% test barriers if there is accessible metalwork, if you don't and someone is hurt  you will find you are not complying with the standard. Some standards will mandate larger clearances as the altitude increases, some don't (IEC61010 does is some places not in others).

Basically, I could say "it is x mm" but you have no way of knowing if that is true for your product

EN 61010-2-033:2012 is a good standard to look at, as it is the standard for measuring mains voltage with a handheld device.
Although to buy this standard to read in full is ~$USD200 depending on your source.
https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/4288

If you do read this standard, you will see a lot of "Part 1 applies". Most (but not all) standards have a general part (part -1) and bits you drag out if relevent to you. Multiple parts can and do apply.

An extra downside, is unless your lucky enough to find a free source, you have to pay just to read the standards themselves.

The trouble with "free sources" is that they may not apply to Europe. As a for instance, the copy of a standard for India may have been modified for their particular requirements. The harmonised EU version could be different. There should be a list of deviations from the IEC version at the start of the standard. Also, if you are developing a product as a company, buying the standards is a pretty cheap expense. Probably not much more than a day at an EMC test house for all the applicable standards. The IEC offer a "free preview" of most of the standards on the website. The free preview includes the scope of products covered and also those excluded from the standard so you can work out if it is applicable to your product.

[Benta]

Is this work-related or private?

If it's private: have fun!

If it's work-related, call Force Technology or look for similar test/certification houses. Going through this yourself will drive you nuts. And you're the guy having to sign the CE Conformance document at the end, which can ruin you for life if something goes wrong.
Don't go there.

[ArCoN]

Thanks for the answers. I will to talk to the boss. then he can decide. 

[Gyro]

It sounds as if your boss has some reading to do about his responsibilities under the regulations. Presumably he - or his boss will end up signing legally significant documents (it really ought to be done at engineering director level).