What replaced the type-tested label, how duties split between the original manufacturer and the panel builder, which reports and certificates to ask for, and how to run a factory acceptance test.
Switchgear companies in the UAE fall into three groups: global manufacturers with local offices, panel builders authorised to assemble a manufacturer's switchboard system, and independent builders with their own designs. The label matters less than the evidence. Ask any of them for IEC 61439 design verification reports for the system offered, routine test records for your panel and proof of partner status where claimed, then shortlist from switchgear and panel suppliers in the UAE.
This guide is for consultants, MEP contractors and procurement teams who must approve a panel builder or compare switchboard bids. It explains what replaced the old "type-tested" label, how responsibility is split between the original manufacturer and the panel builder, which certificates to ask for, and how to run a factory acceptance test. Which brands are specified, and the UAE and Saudi conformity rules, are covered in our guide to switchgear and panel brands in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. For the Kingdom, see switchgear and panel suppliers in Saudi Arabia.
Many Gulf tenders still ask for a "type-tested assembly". The phrase comes from IEC 60439-1, titled "Type-tested and partially type-tested assemblies", whose scope covered type-tested assemblies (TTA) and partially type-tested assemblies (PTTA). IEC lists that standard as replaced by IEC 61439-1:2009, with a withdrawal date of January 2009.
The IEC 61439 series dropped the TTA and PTTA categories. In their place it asks for design verification of the design and routine verification of every assembly built. The current editions are IEC 61439-1:2020 (general rules) and IEC 61439-2:2020 (power switchgear and controlgear assemblies). Part 1 states that it cannot be used alone: an assembly must comply with the relevant part, Part 2 onwards, read with Part 1.
The 2020 edition of Part 1 made four significant changes, according to its foreword:
So when a specification says "type-tested", the practical translation is: design verified to IEC 61439-1 and -2 (2020) for the ratings and configuration offered, with routine verification of the actual panel.
IEC 61439-1 states that it applies whether an assembly is designed, manufactured and verified as a one-off or fully standardised and made in quantity, and that manufacture or assembly may be carried out by someone other than the original manufacturer. That is the basis of the panel-building model used across the Gulf. In practice the duties split like this:
| Role | Who it usually is | Responsible for | Evidence to ask for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original manufacturer | The company that designed the switchboard system: a global brand, or an independent builder with its own system | Design verification of the system (clause 10) | Design verification reports covering your ratings, form and configuration |
| Assembly manufacturer | The panel builder that builds your panel, either on its own design or on a brand's system | Building to the verified design and routine verification of each panel (clause 11) | Routine test certificate, drawings, proof that it builds the system as designed |
The risk sits in the gap between the two. If a builder puts a brand's breakers into its own enclosure and busbar system, the breaker maker's certificates cover the breakers, not the assembly, so ask who verified the assembly design and for which ratings. A builder that uses a brand's complete switchboard system can point to the brand's verification, but only for configurations within the limits of that system.
Clause 10 of IEC 61439-1:2020 lists the characteristics that must be verified for a design. The contents of the standard set them out:
| Clause | Characteristic verified |
|---|---|
| 10.2 | Strength of materials and parts: corrosion, insulating materials, UV resistance, lifting, mechanical impact (IK code), marking, mechanical operation |
| 10.3 | Degree of protection (IP code) |
| 10.4 | Clearances and creepage distances |
| 10.5 | Protection against electric shock and integrity of protective circuits, including short-circuit strength of the protective circuit |
| 10.6 to 10.8 | Incorporation of switching devices and components, internal circuits and connections, terminals for external conductors |
| 10.9 | Dielectric properties: power-frequency and impulse withstand voltage |
| 10.10 | Temperature rise: by testing, by derivation of ratings for similar variants, or by verification assessment |
| 10.11 | Short-circuit withstand strength: by comparison with a reference design (checklist or calculation), or by test |
| 10.12 | Electromagnetic compatibility |
IEC 61439-2:2020 added to this. Its third edition, published in July 2020, clarified the forms of internal separation (for forms above 1, live parts left energised in a switched-off functional unit need at least IPXXB protection) and added temperature-rise verification for naturally cooled assemblies with circuits above 1,600 A, using comparison with a reference design combined with calculation, and for actively cooled assemblies up to 1,600 A.
Two of these characteristics decide most disputes. Temperature rise sets the current the busbars and circuits can really carry, and the standard includes a clause on adjusting rated currents for alternative ambient temperatures, which matters at Gulf temperatures. Short-circuit withstand sets the fault level the panel survives; the standard allows comparison with a tested reference design, so ask which reference design and which test it relies on.
Clause 11 lists the routine checks that the assembly manufacturer performs on each panel before dispatch:
The routine test certificate should list each item, the result, the test equipment used and the panel's serial number. A certificate that only says "tested OK" is not enough.
Several brands run formal programmes for panel builders who build on their systems. Two examples from the makers' own pages:
Other brands have their own partner arrangements; ask the bidder for them in writing. In every case, check that the partner status is current, that it covers the specific system offered, and whether the brand inspects or audits the builder's work.
When you evaluate a panel builder, ask for these with the bid, not after award:
A factory acceptance test (FAT) is where the buyer or consultant witnesses the routine verification and checks the panel against the drawings. A useful FAT plan covers:
Agree the FAT procedure at the drawing approval stage, including how failures are recorded and retested. For MCCs, add the starter and communication tests listed in our MCC guide.
Beyond product conformity, which our guide to ECAS and EQM conformity explains, consultants and utilities may keep their own approved lists for switchgear makes and panel builders. Ask the consultant which list applies and what a builder must submit to join it, and confirm whether the utility needs to inspect panels that connect to its network.
Imported components and assemblies go through SABER under SASO technical regulations; see our guide to SASO and SABER certificates. Large clients and utilities may prequalify panel builders and keep approved manufacturer lists; check yours before bids are invited. LV switchgear and distribution board suppliers can usually tell you which lists they are on.
Siemens builds its SIVACON S8 network through certified technology partners. Schneider Electric offers the PrismaSeT panel building systems and larger Okken and BlokSeT switchboards; Saudi buyers can see Schneider Electric in Saudi Arabia. For ABB, Eaton, Hager, Legrand, Socomec and other makers, see the main guide, and ask each bidder for the partner documents above. The breakers inside the panel are explained in our guide to circuit breaker types.
To get several qualified builders to quote at once, post a requirement on ListGCC with your single-line diagram and specification.
More in this series: LV vs MV Switchgear, and Gas-Insulated vs Air-Insulated Explained, Distribution Boards.
The term comes from IEC 60439-1, which covered type-tested and partially type-tested assemblies. IEC lists that standard as replaced by IEC 61439-1 in 2009. Today the equivalent is a switchboard whose design has been verified to IEC 61439-1 and IEC 61439-2 (both 2020 editions), with routine verification of each panel built. Ask for those reports rather than a type-test certificate.
No. IEC lists IEC 60439-1:1999 as replaced by IEC 61439-1:2009, and the current edition is IEC 61439-1:2020. Specifications that still cite IEC 60439 should be updated, and bidders offering assemblies should provide IEC 61439 design verification evidence for the configuration offered.
It is a panel builder that a switchgear brand has approved to manufacture its switchboard system, such as Siemens' certified SIVACON technology partners. The builder relies on the brand's design verification and carries out routine verification of each panel. Ask for the brand's current letter naming the builder and system.
Design verification, in clause 10 of IEC 61439-1, proves that a switchboard design meets the standard, covering items such as temperature rise, short-circuit withstand and dielectric properties. Routine verification, in clause 11, is carried out on every panel built and checks items such as protection, wiring, mechanical operation, dielectric properties and function.
The breaker maker's certificates cover only the breakers, not the assembly. If the builder designed its own enclosure and busbar system, ask for the design verification evidence for that assembly design, covering temperature rise and short-circuit withstand at your ratings. Without it, the panel has not been shown to meet IEC 61439 as a whole.
Compare them on evidence: IEC 61439 design verification for the ratings you need, routine test certificates, partner status where claimed, test facilities, approved list status with your consultant or utility, and component conformity certificates. Then compare price and delivery on bids made to the same specification.
Featured image: Photo: Majidaltoubi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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