International
Electrotechnical
Commission
December 2011 edition
2.76 Mb
Managing Editor e-tech :
Editor in Chief:
Articles may be reproduced in whole or in part provided the source, "IEC e-tech" is mentioned in full.
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Message from the IEC General SecretaryIEC General Secretary Ronnie Amit reflects on the IEC’s achievements in the past 12 months and is confident that the IEC is ready to face the challenges ahead. His message introduces the special section of this issue dedicated to the outcome of the 75th IEC General Meeting in Melbourne.
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Electric futureIn his first address to Council as IEC President, Klaus Wucherer underlines the growing importance of the IEC and its strengths as well as the need for the IEC, in addition to providing a high level of efficiency and service, to openly assert its expertise, capabilities and experience in an increasingly competitive world.
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Taking the lead, moving aheadIEC General Secretary and CEO Ronnie Amit reviews the IEC's activities and achievements of the past year and puts a strong emphasis on what lies ahead for the Commission, focusing on the IEC Masterplan, the document on which all future actions and decisions of the IEC will be built.
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IEC SMB - Projects, challenges and accomplishmentsJames Matthews III, IEC-Vice President and Standardization Management Board Chairman reports to Council.
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IEC MSB - Input for the right outputEnno Liess, IEC Vice-President and Market Strategy Board Convenor reports to Council.
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IEC CAB - A systematic approachHiromichi Fujisawa, IEC-Vice-President and Conformity Assessment Board Chairman reports to Council.
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Lord Kelvin Award - Highest distinction in electrotechnologyA world-leading Smart Grid expert received the Lord Kelvin Award for his lifelong contribution to electrotechnology from the hands of IEC President Klaus Wucherer at a special dinner held at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne during the IEC General Meeting.
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Go ahead, Get aheadBuilding on the success of the first Young Professionals Workshop in Seattle, USA, in 2010, and on the ongoing involvement of the 2010 participants in the Young Professionals Programme, the IEC held its second workshop at this year’s General Meeting in Melbourne.
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IEC Statutory Council MeetingCouncil, the supreme governing body of the IEC, held its meeting at the IEC General Meeting in Melbourne.
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2011 Thomas A. Edison Award laureatesThree of the five laureates of the 2011 IEC Thomas A. Edison Award received their award from the hands of IEC Vice-President and SMB Chairman Jim Matthews during the IEC General Meeting. The Award recognizes exceptional achievement in the management of IEC standardization and CA (conformity assessment) activities by current TC/SC officers or officers of the IEC CA Systems.
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Safety in Ex environmentsThe strictest safety measures are needed not only for equipment operated in hazardous environments, but also for the people who man these installations and often work in harsh and extreme conditions. The IEC industrializing country workshop, held during the General Meeting in Melbourne addressed these issues, focusing primarily on personnel competence.
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Affiliate Forum - A new leader and a birthdayA special platform allows Affiliate countries participating in the IEC General Meeting to exchange views, share experiences and discuss common challenges and issues. In Melbourne they were also able to meet their new leader, Phuntsho Wangdi from Bhutan, and to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Programme.
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Photo galleryA selection of photos taken during the 75th IEC General Meeting in Melboune. Australia
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Enno Liess - Enthusiasm, leadership and know-howIn an interview for e-tech, Enno Liess looks back on the unconventional career path that led him to the IEC and the Market Strategy Board. He has now successfully completed his mandate as IEC Vice-President but has agreed to stay on an additional year to lend his expertise to the MSB.
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Olivier Gourlay - Finance mattersOlivier Gourlay will be completing his second and final term as IEC Treasurer at the end of 2011. His extensive experience and calm nature were great assets and with his help, the IEC was able to weather the economic crisis of the past few years.
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Pooling resources“If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it”. What Lord Kelvin said more than a hundred years ago is still true. The technology of the 21st century may be a far cry from that of Lord Kelvin’s era, but metrology is still a key element of standardization and conformity assessment, essential to the work of the IEC and the OIML, the International Organization of Legal Metrology.
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Men of Ex-perienceTesting and certification of Ex equipment and its servicing is essential, as is the assessment and certification of competence of those individuals that install, repair and handle equipment in hazardous areas. Safety depends on it. Several prominent Ex experts were present at the IEC General Meeting in Melbourne.
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LEDs leadIECQ, the IEC Quality Assessment System for Electronic Components, has a strong presence in the Asia-Pacific region and IECQ certification has become an integral part of the whole manufacturing process for all electronic component manufacturers.
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2012 Fully Networked CarThe seventh Fully Networked Car workshop, organized jointly by IEC, ISO and ITU under the umbrella of the WSC (World Standards Cooperation), will take place on 7-8 March 2012 at the Geneva International Motor Show.
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Assessing competitionIn this IEC Global Visions interview, Dr Tamotsu Nomakuchi, President of AIST (the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science) and Chair of the Technology Council of JISC (Japanese Industrial Standards Committee), discusses standards and why they are very important for companies to compete globally.
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Linking IEC experts globallyThe IEC has extended its communication platforms beyond traditional instruments to include social networks. The LinkedIn IEC Professional Group is proving very successful. More experts are welcome!
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IEC-IEEE ChallengeThe IEC and IEEE have launched a global competition, open to social and technical sciences academia, on the theme: How does electrotechnology impact economic, social and environmental development?
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Battle of the bulbsMore affordable prices, an increasing choice of energy-saving light compact fluorescent and LED-based bulbs, and government policies are driving consumer take-up of energy-efficient lighting for the home.
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Airfield lightingLighting plays a crucial role in day-to-day air traffic operations. After years of gradual improvements airfield lighting is now on the threshold of a revolution with the introduction of LED-based fittings for an ever growing number of installations to guide aircraft as they land or take off and as they move around on the ground.
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Ground lighting for the skiesAir traffic safety is a complex and multi-dimensional issue, with airfield lighting representing an essential element in this environment for the movement of aircraft both in the air and on the ground. IEC TC 97: Electrical installations for lighting and beaconing of aerodromes, is central to the preparation of International Standards for airfield lighting.
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LED into the futureAs energy-efficient LED-based lighting solutions are becoming more and more popular, the industry needs proper International Standards to ensure the safety and to measure the performance of LED products. IEC TC 34 and its Subcommittees are releasing new International Standards to ensure this is the case.
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ISO/IEC JTC 1 plenary meetingISO/IEC JTC 1 held its plenary meeting in November in California, USA. Over 130 representatives attended the meeting and reviewed the year's developments. JTC 1 decided to create a Subcommittee (SC 39: Sustainability of and by IT). JTC 1 also extended the scope of several of its subcommittees to allow them to respond to technology developments.
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Lighting the way to safetyThe timely evacuation of buildings in case of fire, smoke or other hazard is an essential part of safety in the work, commercial or residential environment. Emergency lighting systems maintain visibility so that occupants can find their way out in such cases and ensuring these systems operate properly when needed requires regular testing. The latest version of one IEC International Standard sets conditions for automatic test systems for one such type of device.
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Keeping track of changes in power cables standardsSome IEC International Standards are also available as Redline versions with track changes to provide users with a quick and easy way of comparing all the changes between standards and their previous edition. Two such Redline versions concerning test methods and requirements for power cables with extruded insulation and their accessories have just been released.
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