CANENA Case Study

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CANENA Case Study

• Product Wire Connectors
•  

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Objective

• Develop a tri-national standard for wire
  connectors for Canada, Mexico, and the United
  States consistent with the safe installation of
  these products in accordance with national
  installation codes.

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Approach

• The intent to harmonize trinationally was
  initiated in 1997, with draft development
  meetings beginning in 1999 by CANENA THC 99. The
  approach was to use requirements from existing
  wire connector standards, CSA C22.2 No. 65, UL
  486A, UL 486B, and connector requirements for
  Mexico.

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Outcome

• Tri-national standards CSA C22.2 No. 65-03,
  NMX-J-543-ANCE-2003, and UL 486A-486B were
  published November 15, 2003.

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Involvement of SDOs in the draft harmonization
activity

• 1) Each SDO provided representatives to attend
  meetings during draft development, through to and
  including review of ballot results. At times when
  this did not occur, it was not easy for a
  particular SDO to follow agreements and actions.

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Involvement of SDOs in the draft harmonization
activity

• 2) Open communications among THC members,
  including the SDO technical representatives,
  helped resolve contentious issues.

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Noteworthy problems encountered and addressed

• 1) Recommendation Have a single individual
  prepare the initial draft, be it a hired
  consultant, Chair, SDO, or other.

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Noteworthy problems encountered and addressed

• 2) Recommendation Preliminary technical reviews,
  through each SDOs committees, are an important
  step, to identify issues from persons not on the
  THC, for example members of UL STP, CSA TSC, etc.

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Noteworthy problems encountered and addressed

• 3) Recommendation Complete assignments on time
  and come to meetings prepared to participate,
  having read the material and formed positions
  beforehand.

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SDO Processing stage

• 1) The SDO processing required two rounds of
  ballots, the first ballot generating many
  comments from stakeholders, the second ballot
  providing resolutions to the first and achieving
  final approval at each SDO.

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SDO Processing stage

• 2) An editorial review meeting, with selected SDO
  and THC members, before preparation by the lead
  SDO for balloting, helped to address editorial
  comments. Frequently, editorial comments can
  impact technical requirements. Clean up of
  wording before ballot, in one specific meeting,
  dealt with this efficiently.

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Present Situation (Maintenance)

• The next THC 99 meeting will be on March 29-31,
  2004 and one of the topics on the agenda is the
  first amendment for this standard. The SDO
  Publication Coordinator representative has
  accumulated comments carried over as new
  business.

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Summary

• This is the first harmonized CANENA THC 99
  electrical connector standard to be published.
  THC 99 is working on a full series of electrical
  connector standards under CANENA. A standard for
  Splicing Wire Connectors is now at the ballot
  comment review stage, a standard for Sealed Wire
  Connector Systems may complete draft development
  work at a THC 99 meeting next week, and work on a
  fourth standard is planned to start in July 2004.