RCM is a registered trademark, owned by the statutory authorities in Australia and New Zealand. The conditions for the supplier to use RCM are stipulated in the standard AS/NZS 4417, essentially requiring suppliers to ensure their products comply with the applicable regulations set by the statutory authorities. It is crucial to remember that suppliers of products that do not meet the statutory requirements may face penalties under relevant acts and regulations. Additionally, the misuse of RCM is governed by the Trademark Act.
RCM Certification Application Process
1. Third-party laboratories evaluate products and determine the applicable testing standards.
2. Should any discrepancies arise during testing, the laboratory will modify the product to meet and comply with Australian standards.
3. Passed testing, issued test report.
4. Submit the test report to the Australian certification authority for document review.
5. Australia's approval, issuance of RCM certificate.
6. Customers can register the Australian website themselves or have it done by a laboratory.
RCM Certification Requirements
1. The new regulations will go into effect as of March 1st.
2. SAA certification and C-Tick certification will be phased out and replaced by RCM certification, which covers safety regulations and EMC (C-Tick may still apply to some low-power wireless products).
3. All electronic products will be categorized into three types: High, Medium, and Low Risk. We do not have detailed classification criteria. Generally, products powered by batteries and with a voltage below 12V are considered Low Risk, products with a standard voltage of 240V are Medium Risk, and those with high voltage are High Risk. The buffer period for Low Risk products is 6 months, while for Medium and High Risk products, the buffer period is 3 years (this duration is recommended by relevant Australian associations, but has not been finally confirmed by specific regulations).
4. RCM certification can only be applied for by local Australian companies, which must obtain an RCM number from Australia. Chinese manufacturers and exporters can apply for IEC or AS/NZS reports in their own name, but these reports must be applied for by the Australian importer to obtain RCM. The registration fee is AUD 75 per product per trademark per year (for example, an Australian company owns two trademarks: A and B. It imports an identical batch of products from China, half labeled with A and the other half with B. This means a registration fee of AUD 150 per year is required).
RCM Certification Costs and Timeline
The RMC certification fee is an additional 6000 RMB on top of the C-Tick certification cost (which is around 1500-3000 RMB, excluding registration; registration incurs an extra 6000 RMB on the base fee; it is recommended for clients to register themselves in Australia for convenience), with a processing period of 3 weeks.
Australia and New Zealand's Electrical Product Testing and Certification Authority is introducing the RCM mark. This mark, owned by the institutions in Australia and New Zealand, signifies that the product meets both safety and EMC requirements and is non-mandatory.
Our company collaborates with various industry associations and certification bodies. Zhongzheng will provide you with fair and open third-party testing and certification services, as well as global quality control solutions.
