The word is out about the recently revised standards from Underwriters Laboratories and how those changes are benefitting the sign industry.
At Sign Fab, we’re doing our part to make sure our fellow manufacturers, retailers, and customers know about changes to UL 48, which now requires just one label for most remote-mounted LED-illuminated channel-letter signs. It’s an improvement that has made UL compliance easier and more efficient compared to the previous standard, which required separate labels for each channel letter.
For those who don’t know, UL 48 is the standard all electronic signs are required to meet in the U.S. The revision, which UL completed in December, changed the definition of “Sign Section” to exclude subassemblies, like LED channel letters or other parts that use low-voltage wiring — also known as Class 2 wiring. Because remote channel letters use Class 2 wiring, they are no longer required to bear a “UL Sign Section Label.” Instead, UL only requires a single “UL Electronic Sign” label on the power supply of these signs.
While the change has resulted in a more streamlined process for manufacturers, it’s a double dose of good news for sign customers. Not only will the signs they purchase have a cleaner, more aesthetically pleasing look moving forward, but it can potentially mean a streamlined approval process in many locations, depending on state and local building codes.
Only remote-mounted signs are affected by the revised standards. Signs that currently house their power supplies, such as cabinet or raceway-mounted signs, already carry the “UL Electronic Sign” label.
At Sign Fab, our goal is to constantly improve, maintaining our position on the leading edge of the sign industry. As a result, we are in the middle of a months-long educational-media campaign about the new UL Standards, working to make the information available industry-wide.
Need more information about UL revised standards? Email Sign Fab at [email protected] or visit signfab.com today!