IEC 62841-2-8:2016

Overview

IEC 62841-2-8:2016 (edition 1.1) specifies the safety requirements and test conditions for electric motor‑operated hand‑held shears and nibblers. It is a Part 2 (Particular requirements) document of the IEC 62841 series and is intended to be read together with IEC 62841-1:2014 (general requirements). The standard covers tools with rated voltages up to 250 V (single‑phase a.c. or d.c.) and 480 V (three‑phase a.c.), and a rated input not exceeding 3 700 W. Limits and requirements for battery tools are referenced in Annexes K.1 and L.1.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and definitions
  • Defines shear (for shearing metal sheets, plates, strips) and nibbler (for punching metal sheets, plates, strips).
• Electrical safety
  • Protection against access to live parts, starting behavior, input/current limits and earthing provisions are required as in Part 1.
• Mechanical safety
  • Guarding of moving parts, protection against mechanical hazards and construction strength requirements specific to shears and nibblers.
• Heating and thermal tests
  • Continuous operation heating test: tools are run for 30 minutes and temperature rise measured at end of the period.
• Marking and instructions
  • Technical information must include maximum sheet thickness for cutting and other user safety instructions.
• Components and wiring
  • Supply cords: minimum requirement is heavy polychloroprene sheathed flexible cable (60245 IEC 66).
  • Mass calculation includes shear blade, die holder and punch where applicable.
• Noise and vibration
  • Annex I sets noise/vibration measurement protocols (in Europe this annex is normative). For noise tests: shears are suspended oriented for cutting a horizontal sheet; nibblers are held per specified operating conditions.
• Special provisions
  • Hand‑held tools that can be mounted on a support are treated as transportable tools and may fall under Part 3 rules. The standard allows power switches that are not momentary for shears and nibblers.

Applications

• Ensures the safe design, testing and documentation of electric hand‑held shears and nibblers used in fabrication, metalworking, HVAC, automotive bodywork and maintenance.
• Used by manufacturers for product design and markings, test labs for conformity assessment, certification bodies for safety approvals, and compliance engineers preparing technical files.

Who should use this standard

• Tool manufacturers and R&D teams
• Safety and compliance engineers
• Test laboratories and certification bodies
• Standards committees and national adoption bodies

Related standards

• IEC 62841-1:2014 (General requirements) - mandatory companion document.
• Regional adoption example: EN 62841-2-8 (Europe), where Annex I is normative.

Keywords: shear, nibbler, hand-held tool, transportable tool, IEC 62841-2-8, safety standard, battery tools, noise and vibration.