Approved Cord Assemblies In most cases, power cords and cordsets assembled in our shop meet the requirements of national safety agencies. Compliance with these requirements falls into the following three levels:
Third-world countries don't enforce standards. Cord assemblies should employ components compatible with prevalent usage in a given country. Assembly should be done in accordance with good standard practice. Most industrialized countries have written standards which require the use of approved components. The standards may also indicate some preferred assembly and testing methods. In North America, UL and CSA require both the use of listed and certified components and periodic on-site inspections of the assembly operation to verify that approved procedures are being followed.
Where possible, we have chosen components which meet the three levels of compliance listed above. In addition, we follow standard assembly and testing practices and guidelines which satisfy all three levels. Finally, we can produce detachable and non-detachable cords per UL 817 and CSA 22.2 No. 21-M1984. When an assembly meets all agency requirements, we can mark the packaging with UL and CSA labels. Made-to-Order Assemblies This section is an extension of the cord and cordsets section of the catalog. The standards for cords, plugs, sockets, power inlets, and power outlets vary by nation. The information in the cordsets section is needed to make good selections in this section, but it is not repeated here. Additional information can be found in the plug and socket section, and the power module and inlet section.
Advantages of Standard Cords The cords in the International / North American Cords and Cordsets section are the best value; use them when you can. They offer several advantages over those in this section: First, they are less expensive than made-to-order cords. Second, we try to maintain a good stock of the standard products so that you won't need to wait so long for your orders to be filled. Third, they are made with molded-on plugs and connectors. This makes them better for at least three reasons: They can use crimp connections which are more secure and reliable than screw terminals. Because these connections are surrounded by PVC, they are just about tamper-proof. Last, they look clean and solid.
When you can't find just what you need among our standard cords, this section will help you specify made-to-order cords and cordsets that meet your exact needs. Here you will find more options from which to choose. Cords of any reasonable length can be made. In many cases, higher current ratings are available. In addition, we can prepare power cord ends in many ways (special strip lengths, barrel crimp, ring and flag terminals) to help you hook them up to your other primary components.
Standard Components We use a group of standard parts to make our made-to-order cords because this helps us do a better job for you. We keep these parts in stock, which allows us to turn your orders around quickly, giving you a high level of service. Also, since our assembly people work with the same parts and tooling often, they can make consistently high quality cords for you. Our standard ship times are as follows: Order Quantity Lead Time Fewer than 250 pieces 1-3 days 250-500 pieces 3-5 days 500-1000 pieces 5-10 days Most of the standard components used in our cord assemblies are available separately.

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