2022 Anuário Brasileiro do Cobre Brazilian Copper Yearbook 30 The Brazilian Association for the Quality of Electrical and Similar Wires and Cables (QUALIFIO) was founded in 1993 to tackle poor quality products. After several years of collecting data and information on products targeting low-voltage electrical installations, in a partnership with INMETRO, the government agency started to consider some families of electrical cables as compulsory. This effort to turn low-voltage electrical wires and cables into compulsory products encouraged QUALIFIO to increase the collection of products from the market and start reporting poor quality products to INMETRO. Through the Product Certification Body (OCPs), INMETRO can revoke the certification from companies that insist on placing Non- -Complaint products on the market. For some years, QUALIFIO continued to collect wires and cables but was always dependent on sending the samples to accredited laboratories, which caused a delay in results and taking future action. In 2019, QUALIFIO’s Board of Directors decided to start the implementation of its own laboratory to reduce costs and speed up tests. In February 2020, QUALIFIO moved to the city of Santo André and began carrying out tests in its own laboratory. QUALIFIO’s laboratory is in the process of being accredited by INMETRO, but it has already carried out all the basic tests for the evaluation of low voltage electrical wires and cables. (photo 1) The samples collected from buyers, complainants, construction companies, and public bodies are submitted to our laboratory and are correctly identified to have reliable traceability until the end of the tests. (photo 2) Upon identification, the samples are photographed, and then the required sampling for the tests is performed. The tests carried out by QUALIFIO follow ABNT’s Standards and INMETRO’s Ordinances. Electrical Resistance, Insulation Resistance, Electrical Voltage, Insulation, and Covering Thickness tests are carried out by duly trained and skilled personnel. The Electrical Resistance test is considered the most important because products with Electrical Resistance above that set in the Standard, due to the lower amount of copper, tend to heat up and eventually damage the insulation, which may cause short circuits and even fires. The Electrical Resistance test is carried out on a one- -meter sample of applicable length and must comply with the ABNT-NBR-NM 280 Standard (photo 3). Current indicators show that the number of poor-quality products in the Brazilian market is still huge. This year, 89 brands were assessed, and only 26 brands presented results below the current standards. Five hundred sixty samples were analyzed, and only 156 showed results as specified. The remaining 404 samples showed electrical resistance on average, 37% above the specified maximum. Due to these sustained results, QUALIFIO launched in January 2021 QUALIFIO SEAL to provide more safety to the consumer. The QUALIFIO SEAL ensures that our members’ products are assessed every six months. QUALIFIO’s laboratory provides testing to consumers of electrical wires and cables (end consumers, installers, electricians, construction companies, etc.) who wish to assess the product being used in their facilities. To do so, just contact QUALIFIO through its website www.qualifio.org.br or e-mail to secretario@qualifio.org.br where the user can report a complaint or find out how to submit the sample to be tested. The quality has a new home
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDU0Njk=