SHANHUCertifications for fans and air purifiers: what the buyer has to ask for
Certification is not a logo printed on a carton. It is a file of test reports that must match the model, the voltage and the market you ship to — and in most jurisdictions the legal responsibility for that file sits with the importer, not the factory.
The requirement comes in layers
A mains-powered fan sold in the EU sits under at least three regimes at once. Electrical safety covers the product itself: for household appliances the reference standard is the EN 60335 family, with a part-two sheet for fans. Electromagnetic compatibility covers what the product emits and how it behaves when disturbed. Hazardous substances restricts what may be inside it. On top of those sit ecodesign rules on standby consumption and, in some markets, energy or noise labelling.
North America runs a different structure: UL 507 is the usual reference for fans, and the product is listed or certified by a recognised body such as UL or Intertek, which is where the ETL mark comes from. The plug, the cord and the voltage are part of the certification, not an accessory to it.
Beyond those two blocks, each country adds its own registration — UKCA for Great Britain, SASO for Saudi Arabia, INMETRO for Brazil, PSE for Japan, G-mark for the Gulf. A product that is correct for Germany is not automatically legal in the UK, even though the technical file is nearly identical.
What a CB report does, and what it does not
A CB report is a test report issued to IEC standards by a national certification body, and it is designed to be recognised by the other members of the scheme. It shortens the work of getting a national certificate, because the testing does not have to be repeated. What it does not do is replace the national certificate itself: the report is an input, the certificate is the output.
This matters commercially. A supplier who says the product is CB certified may only mean that a report exists. The question to ask is which national certificates were issued from it, for which model, at which voltage, and in whose name.
Four questions that prevent most problems
Ask whether the report names the exact model and voltage you are ordering. A report for a 220–240 V version does not cover a 110 V version, and a report for the F09D does not cover the F09D-B. Ask whether the critical components in the report — motor, capacitor, cord set, plug, PCB — are the ones that will be in your shipment; substituting a cheaper motor invalidates the safety file even when the housing is identical.
Then ask who holds the file after the order, and whether the manufacturer named on the declaration will be the factory or your company. Finally, ask for the current list in writing rather than a page of logos: approvals are model-specific and they expire, and a website is a poor place to keep them.
Buying questions
Is CE self-certified?
For low-voltage and EMC compliance, yes: the manufacturer or the importer draws up the declaration and keeps the technical file, with test evidence behind it. That is precisely why the importer has to verify that the evidence matches the product, rather than assuming the CE mark on the sample settles it.
Can the test reports be issued in our company name?
Reports can be issued to the buyer as applicant, and the declaration of conformity is normally drawn up by the importer for the EU. Which arrangement is used changes what you can show a customs officer, so it is worth deciding before the tests are booked rather than after.
Does changing the plug or the voltage need new testing?
Often yes, at least partially. The plug and cord set are part of the safety assessment and the voltage affects the motor and the creepage distances. Treat a plug change as a variant that needs confirmation from the test house, not as a packing detail.