Talk · Purchasing · Samples, tooling & launch

Can the factory run pre-compliance tests before we pay a certification lab?

Yes, and it usually saves money, but a factory's own results are a screening step. They cannot replace the accredited laboratory's report.

Wecent Editorial Team Updated 24 Oct 2026 3 min read

The question

A certification lab quotes us per test attempt, and a failed sample means re-testing and delay. Can the factory run pre-compliance tests first, and how much can we rely on them?

Main answer · Wecent Editorial Team

Short answer: Yes. Ask the factory to run the tests it can do in-house, and keep the records, before you send samples to a laboratory. Treat the results as a screening step that catches obvious problems early. They do not replace the report from the recognised laboratory that your market and customers require.

What a factory can usually check

Electrical basics. Output voltage and current, load regulation, ripple, efficiency, no-load power and protection behaviour.
Safety checks. Hi-pot, ground continuity where it applies, and temperature rise at full load.
Mechanical tests. Drop, plug retention, pull and bend tests on the cable.
Protocol checks. Charging behaviour with common phones, tablets and laptops.
Construction. Distances between parts, material markings and label content against the specification.

What it usually cannot prove

Radio-interference and some safety tests need special rooms, calibrated equipment and trained staff, and the result only counts if it comes from a recognised laboratory. OSHA describes an NRTL as an independent laboratory recognised to test and certify products. Retailers and certification bodies expect that independence, so an in-house pass is not the same as a lab report.

How to make pre-testing worth it

Send the factory the list of tests and the pass limits taken from the standards your lab will use.
Ask for raw data and photos, not just a pass or fail sheet.
Use production-intent samples with the final parts, not engineering builds.
Run the tests on more than one sample, from different positions in the batch.
Agree that any failures are fixed before samples go to the laboratory.

Ask the lab too

Many laboratories offer a pre-scan or a consultation. Ask which items most often fail for products like yours, and what they want to see in the sample before they start. A short call can save a re-test.

Watch the margins

A unit that passes by a narrow margin in the factory may fail at the laboratory, which uses different equipment and conditions. Ask for results with margin to the limit, and fix small margins early.

Keep the sample identical

Do not change parts between pre-testing and the laboratory submission. If something changes, say so, because the earlier results may no longer apply.

Sources checked on 24 Oct 2026: OSHA: NRTL Program FAQ.

Where this answer says to confirm with Wecent, the detail is not published on the product page and has to come from the datasheet or the factory. General facts come from the regulators, standards bodies or device makers named in the text.

Three more perspectives

Wecent Editorial Team · Purchasing perspective

Put the pre-compliance step in the project timeline and the quotation. It costs little compared with a failed laboratory attempt and a delayed launch.

Wecent Editorial Team · Compliance/QC perspective

Keep the pre-test data in the compliance file. If a later production issue appears, the early measurements show what the design looked like at the start.

Wecent Editorial Team · After-sales perspective

Share the test list with your service team. Many field complaints, such as heat and slow charging, match items the factory can check before certification.