Understanding the latest WPC certification requirements

30th July 2018

SGS

Enaie Azambuja

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On 8th March, 2018, version 1.2.4 of the requirements for Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) certification was released. The latest version includes several important points for stakeholders, including: Retaining the requirements for the Extended Power Profile (EPP) test and Baseline Power Profile (BPP); Removing the poorly defined definition for BPP plus Foreign Object Damage (FOD); Adding a requirement that all products with power exceeding 5W must now also meet the requirements in the EPP test.

The WPC was founded in 2008 and includes manufacturers of mobile phones, consumer electronics, batteries, semiconductors, components, wireless power technology and infrastructure, such as wireless operators, furniture and automotive parts. Compliance with its standard shows compatibility with global industry standards.

It demonstrates a product has reached a specified level of safety, interoperability and energy efficiency and helps mitigate against the risk of overheating, incompatibility with other wireless charging units, and concerns over device damage.

Buyers can assume that a product without WPC certification may work inefficiently and could risk harm to the device or operator, causing damage to their brand.

Interoperability has been recognised as a considerable problem for manufacturers and buyers of wireless power products. The latest data from the Telecommunication Technology Association of Korea (TTA), the WPC’s designated interoperability testing laboratory, shows that the current failure rate for interoperability is around 30%.

It is even higher for EPP, at around 60%. SGS has a robust working relationship with the TTA, which has resulted in the establishment of a TTA pre-interoperability testing laboratory at the SGS facility in Shenzhen.

SGS in Shenzhen is currently the only facility on mainland China that is WPC authorised and offers EPP testing services for products up to 15W. The laboratory provides the full range of testing services for electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) manufacturers, including two sets of BPP test equipment and one set of EPP test equipment.

SGS offers businesses a one-stop-shop for WPC certification. It provides fast, efficient and cost-effective testing solutions for all elements of WPC certification, including the pre-interoperability testing.

As the only facility on mainland China with this capacity, manufacturers who work with SGS will find a reduction in their time to certification and with their certification cycle being shortened. This allows them to more quickly access their target markets.