Battery KC Certification Overview

To enhance consumer understanding of certification marks on purchased products and alleviate the certification costs for manufacturers, the Korea Technical Standards Institute (KATS) announced on August 20, 2008, that a new certification system, KC (Korea Certification), would be implemented starting January 1, 2009. This program was initially introduced in the Ministry of Knowledge Economy from July 2009 and is expected to be expanded to all departments by the end of 2010.

South Korea's KATS (Korean Agency for Technology and Standards) has announced the standards applicable to portable secondary lithium-ion battery packs and cells, and included related products under the self-declaration category of the KC Certification System, which will be officially implemented on July 1, 2009. Currently, testing of portable secondary lithium-ion battery packs and cells must be conducted by authorized laboratories within South Korea, and cannot be certified by the IEC 62133 CB report. Starting January 1, 2009, the MKE (Ministry of Knowledge Economy) has unified 13 existing certification marks within South Korea, such as eK, KCC, KPS, into the KC mark as the national certification mark of the country. The transition period for the old and new marks is June 30, 2011.

Battery KC Certification Product Scope

1) Single Battery (Cell): Portable

Battery (Pack): Single Battery Straight Series Assembly

3) Lithium single batteries or battery packs with navigation functionality are applicable, regardless of their volumetric energy density (for use in harsh conditions within vehicles).

4) Single batteries and battery packs for portable medical devices, barcode and credit card readers, and other products are applicable.

5) Carry-on Items: MP3 players, electronic dictionaries, PMPs, laptops, digital cameras, etc.

6) Portable Product Subdivision: Batteries used in mobile products are also included in the certification scope.

7) Non-certified objects: Vehicle driving, industrial, medical, or button-shaped

Battery KC Certification Required Documents

Application Form

2) Korean Authorization Letter

3) Circuit Diagram

4) User Manual

5) Key Component List

6) Korean Labels

7) Required Documentation: Inspection and Quality Papers, Air Transportation Test Reports: English UN38.3 Report or IEC62281 Report

Battery KC Certification Test Project

1) High Temperature Storage Test

2) Temperature Cycling Test

3) External Short Circuit Test

4) Cell Crushing Test

5) Cell Protection Testing at High Charging Rates

6) Thermal Abuse Test

Battery KC Certification Application Method

Under the previous KC regulations, only Korean manufacturers or local agents were eligible to apply for the KC battery certification. Consequently, manufacturers outside of Korea had to be represented by a local Korean agent to apply for the KC mark on their battery products. The new KC regulations now offer foreign manufacturers two options for applying for the KC certification:

Applying for KC safety certification (holder: overseas manufacturer) in the name of an applicant (company) from an international manufacturer.

KC Compliance Certificates are issued per factory; a single factory can only be listed on one certificate. If more than one factory requires KC certification, they will be considered as new cases, necessitating retesting and the issuance of new certificates. Furthermore, if a factory's name changes, it will also be treated as a new case, with testing arranged. One KC certificate can be used by multiple local agents simultaneously (no need for each local agent to issue a separate certificate).

02  Apply for the KC Safety Certification (with the local agent as the certificate holder) in the name of the local agent applicant (company):

The KC Safety Certification is issued by the local agent; only one contemporary geographical merchant can be listed on a single certificate. If a customer wishes to include more than one local agent on the certificate, two or more local agents will be considered a change case. No testing is required, but a set of samples must be provided for review, and a new certificate will be issued. If the factory name changes or a new factory is added, even if the certificate holder (local agent) has not changed, it will be treated as a new case and testing will be arranged.

Additionally, it's important to note that the battery KC certification can accept CB reports and certificates, allowing for a conversion of CB reports and certificates. Only some additional assessments are required. Therefore, it is recommended that manufacturers widely apply for CB to convert to KC certification, which will facilitate the conversion to certifications in various countries, including South Korea, after applying for CB.

Battery KC Certification Test Standards

The battery KC certification test standard is KC62133, which is equivalent to IEC 62133:2012 Ed.2.

Note: As of January 2017, products with a volume energy density below 400Wh/L are also subject to certification. This includes batteries used within mobile products, which require construction inspections and quality documents, as well as aviation transport test reports. The old standard K62133 was abolished in August 2015. K62133 certificates issued prior are valid for five years from the date of issuance. After the expiration of this period, certification must be applied for under the new standard KC62133. Products produced after the revision of the safety criteria must comply with the revised safety standards. Cell reports issued based on the K62133 safety criteria are considered invalid when applying for KC62133 (meaning that all previous versions of cell test reports are invalid).

Battery KC Certification Timeframe

In the case of complete documentation and samples, the battery KC certification process typically takes around 5 weeks.

Battery KC Certification Validity

The battery KC certification is valid for 5 years and does not require factory inspection.

Battery KC Certification Agency

Korean Battery KC Certification by GSQ Inspection; Welcome to Enquire about Battery KC Product Certification! Our laboratory testing facility offers testing and certification for almost all KC directive products to assist manufacturers in meeting the requirements for affixing the KC mark. GSQ Inspection boasts a full range of safety, EMC, battery laboratories, equipped with: 966 wave absorption chamber and 844 conducted shielding room, ESD static laboratory. Surge lightning laboratory, EFT electrical fast transient pulse group anti-interference laboratory, and a complete set of EMS testing equipment. Strict testing procedures ensure the authority and validity of the certificates!

Engineers are highly qualified, comprising long-term international experts and industry engineers! We offer one-stop testing and services! Our laboratory is authorized by multiple authoritative institutions including UL, TUV, ITS, and more. Your products can be pre-evaluated by us; if the evaluation is successful, we will notify the institution's engineers for on-site witnessing. Should any issues arise during the evaluation process, we can assist with rectifications and provide one-on-one guidance. We solemnly promise at Guoxin Qi Inspection that retesting is free of charge, with no additional fees! We adhere to the principle of诚信 cooperation: safeguarding our clients' business secrets. For further information on battery KC certification, please call to inquire; we will provide you with professional KC certification consulting services!