UL507 PA100A Articulated Probe - UL Standard Test Probe Supplier

Description

Product Overview

HeronTest articulated probe laid in open silver carrying case

The articulated accessibility probe is a jointed test finger for the UL507 check on mechanical enclosures that contain moving parts. A rigid rod travels in one line; this probe is made in three articulated sections that can be rotated and angled as they pass through an opening, and then re-set to a different configuration once they are inside. That is the movement a UL507 or IEC62368-1 Annex V.1 clause depends on when the question is whether a finger can reach a hazardous moving part inside a mechanical enclosure — a question a straight probe cannot answer.

It is a bench tool for people who run these checks week after week: compliance and certification engineers reproducing a clause for a report, lab technicians working through the openings of an enclosure, in-house QC and incoming-inspection staff checking production units, and R&D engineers validating a design before it goes for type testing.

The probe also sits inside a wider set of accessibility tools rather than replacing them. Labs that already hold other accessibility probes will recognise the format at once; the jointed finger is the piece they add when a UL or IEC62368-1 clause brings moving parts into scope, and it is supplied as a single item ready for the bench.

Articulated Head & Probe Body

Three articulated sections. The finger is jointed along its length, so it can be angled in any direction an opening allows instead of travelling straight in like a rigid rod. That is what lets it follow the internal shape of a mechanical enclosure.
Hinged tip and swivel joints. The jointed portions are what the clause calls the probe's configuration: they can be repositioned by hand while the finger is inside the opening, and they hold their position while the technician assesses the result.
Handle and metal body. A cylindrical handle with a conical base stays outside the enclosure and gives the technician a controlled grip, while the body carries the finger and the baffle into the opening.
Baffle plate. The round baffle sits between the finger and the handle and separates the working finger from the grip. It is one of the stated dimensions of the probe, so it is measured along with the finger.
Fitted carrying case. The probe is supplied in a case with a shaped insert that holds the finger steady and keeps the joints from being knocked about between tests — useful when one probe is shared between benches or carried out to a client site.
A tolerance tool, not a force tool. There is no thrust scale or spring on this probe; what matters is that the finger, the joints and the baffle match their stated dimensions. Where a test plan requires the finger to be applied at a defined force, this is not the item for that clause.
Handling. Treat the joints as the precision part. Keep the finger clean, check that it moves freely before a test, and never use it as a lever against a stiff guard or a sharp internal edge — a bent finger or a stiff joint is the fastest way to spoil a repeat run.

Specifications

Dimension drawing of articulated probe with web stop, section and side views

Probe type	Articulated accessibility test probe with a jointed finger
Curved finger diameter	12 mm
Bending finger length	80 mm (total of the three jointed sections)
Finger configuration	Three articulated sections with a hinged tip
Baffle diameter	50 mm
Baffle length	100 mm
Applied force	Inserted without appreciable force, as the clause states
Equipment covered	Mechanical enclosures of fans, shredders and similar equipment with hazardous moving parts
Item reference	HNT-507

Standards & Clause Reference

The UL507 PA100A Articulated Probe is defined by the figures it is made to, so the standard reference is worth checking against your test plan before you order. In UL507 it is the probe listed in Table 9.1 and illustrated in Figure 9.2, applied to any depth the opening permits. In IEC62368-1 it is the articulated accessibility probe of Annex V.1. In UL60950-1 the same jointed geometry is the Figure EE.3 articulated accessibility probe for mechanical enclosures.

The probe is also published with reference to IEC60065, IEC60335-1, IEC60529, IEC60884-1, IEC60950, IEC61032 and IEC69745-1. Read that list as the umbrella of standards the tool sits under — when one of them names an articulated accessibility probe, this is the type of finger the clause expects, and a lab that works across several programmes keeps one item on the bench rather than one per project.

If your test plan quotes a figure we have not listed here, send it through anyway; we will confirm whether this probe covers it before the order goes ahead.

Test Procedure & Acceptance

Mount the equipment as intended for use, following the manufacturer's instructions, and start with the mechanical enclosure as the user will find it — the check applies to all sides, not only the side facing the operator.
Work through the openings of the enclosure one at a time, inserting the finger to any depth the opening permits.
Keep the insertion free of appreciable force; the clause is about what the opening allows, not about how hard the probe is pushed.
Rotate or angle the probe before, during and after insertion, into any position needed to try to reach an uninsulated live part, a film-coated wire, or a hazardous moving part.
Change the configuration of the jointed portions after insertion if the opening requires it. Configuration here means the role of the jointed portions of the probe, not a change of tool.
Where accessibility can only be judged with the equipment running — a guard or cover that opens once the unit is energised and ready for use, for example — apply the finger in that condition as well.
Add the wedge probe alongside the test finger when the clause you are working to applies both tools.
Record the result. The test finger must not contact hazardous moving parts, and it must not reach an uninsulated live part or a film-coated wire.

Where It Is Used

Fans and fan enclosures. A fan enclosure moving parts safety test is the everyday case: the blades sit behind a grille or an opening, and the question is whether a jointed finger inserted and angled through that opening can reach them.
Household and home/office document and media shredders. These units are covered by the UL60950-1 side of the clause, where the articulated probe is applied to the mechanical enclosure of the shredder.
Design-stage assessment. R&D teams run the check on a prototype before tooling and moulds are committed, so an opening that gives a finger too much reach can be corrected while the change is still low in cost.
Pre-certification self-checks. Manufacturers repeat the clause in their own lab before a sample is submitted, which keeps the sample from making a wasted trip to a test house.
Incoming and production inspection. Where units share one enclosure design, the jointed finger gives a check that can be repeated on unit after unit with the same result.
Third-party test work. Certification and inspection laboratories apply the probe to each sample exactly as the clause describes and record the result in the report.

Ordering & Delivery

Send the standard, clause or figure your lab is working to, together with the type of equipment you are checking. That reference is what the probe is matched against.
Say how many probes you need, and whether the same test plan calls for companion items such as a wedge probe or a thrust version of the articulated finger.
Confirm the delivery destination and any paperwork your customs broker or receiving department needs.
Ask your sales contact for the current price, lead time and payment terms for your quantity. As a UL standard test probe supplier we confirm the quoted item in writing before the order goes ahead, including any companion item you asked for.
Packing follows the probe: it travels in its fitted case, with the finger held in the case insert. If several probes are going to different benches or sites, tell us so they can be packed and labelled separately.
If you are ordering against a fixed test deadline, give us the date when you enquire so lead time can be confirmed against it.

Probe Family Comparison

Probe	Reference standard and figure	What it verifies	Applied force
PA100A articulated accessibility probe (this item)	UL507 Table 9.1 and Figure 9.2; IEC62368-1 Annex V.1; UL60950-1 Figure EE.3	Whether a jointed finger can reach a hazardous moving part or an uninsulated live part through an opening in a mechanical enclosure, as in a fan enclosure moving parts safety test	Inserted to any depth the opening permits, without appreciable force
Jointed test finger B, plain version	IEC61032 Figure 2; IEC60529 and the appliance standards that list it	Finger-touch access at the IP2X level — whether an opening admits a finger-sized route to a live or hazardous part	Applied by hand; order the thrust version when the test names a force
Jointed test finger B, 50 N thrust version	IEC61032 Figure 2, supplied as the thrust version	The same IP2X access question, where the clause requires the finger to be pressed at a defined force	50 N
Rigid test rod C	IEC61032 Figure 3; IEC60529; 2.5 mm probe	First characteristic numeral 3 and the additional letter C — a tool or metal wire of that size	3 ± 0.3 N where the test requires thrust
Rigid test wire D	IEC61032 Figure 4; IEC60529; 1.0 mm probe	First characteristic numeral 4 — a thin wire of that size	1 N version available

Technical Support & Model Matching

Choosing the right item starts with your requirement, not the catalogue. Our technical team works with buyers in Europe, North America and Asia to match a model to the clause or test condition you have to satisfy, and stays with you afterwards for commissioning, setup and troubleshooting. If an instrument already in service needs attention, we can supply replacement parts and advise on returning it to work. OEM and ODM requests go to the same team.

FAQ

Q1. How is this probe different from the IEC 61032 Figure 2 jointed test finger?

Both are jointed fingers, but they are bought against different clauses. The Figure 2 finger belongs to the IP2X accessibility family and is also supplied in thrust versions for tests that state an applied force. The UL507 PA100A Articulated Probe is the articulated accessibility probe for UL507 Table 9.1 and Figure 9.2, IEC62368-1 Annex V.1 and UL60950-1 Figure EE.3, and its purpose is access to hazardous moving parts inside a mechanical enclosure. If your test plan cites an IEC 61032 figure rather than one of those clauses, tell us which figure and we will confirm the right probe for it.

Q2. Is this probe used for IP (ingress protection) testing?

No. IP testing works with the IP probe family — the jointed finger B for the IP2X check, rod C for IP3X and wire D for IP4X — and each of those is bought against the first characteristic numeral it verifies. This articulated probe answers a different question: whether an opening lets a finger reach a hazardous moving part. The two checks are often run on the same enclosure, but the tools are not interchangeable.

Q3. Do I need a wedge probe as well as the test finger?

That depends on the clause. Some of the tests that call for the articulated accessibility probe apply the test finger and the wedge probe together, so a lab working to those clauses keeps both on the bench. Check the clause your report is being written against, and tell us if you need both — they can be quoted on the same enquiry.

Q4. How do I know the probe's dimensions are right when it arrives?

Every probe is measured against the figures it is supplied to before it is packed, and the joints are checked to make sure they move freely. The dimensions to compare against your standard are the curved finger diameter, the bending length across the three jointed sections, and the baffle diameter and length; they are listed in the specification table above. Keep the probe in its case between tests and never use the finger as a lever — a bent finger or a stiff joint is what invalidates a repeat run.

Q5. Which products is this probe used on?

Mechanical enclosures where hazardous moving parts sit behind an opening: fans and fan enclosures, household and home/office document and media shredders, and similar equipment. A fan enclosure moving parts safety test is the clearest example, because the finger has to pass through the grille or opening and then be angled inside — which is exactly what the jointed sections are for.

Q6. Can one probe serve both the UL507 and the IEC62368-1 check?

Yes. The same articulated geometry is called for by the UL507 probe of Table 9.1 and Figure 9.2 and by the IEC62368-1 Annex V.1 articulated accessibility probe, so one probe covers both checks — labs that report against a North American scheme and an IEC scheme keep a single item on the bench. As a UL standard test probe supplier we record the clause you are demonstrating on the quotation, so the probe can be filed against the standard in your report.

UL507 Test Finger Articulated Accessibility Probe PA100A