Clearance

Clearance is a key term in electrical product safety standards, referring to the shortest spatial distance in air between two conductive parts. It differs from creepage distance, which is the shortest path along the surface of insulating material. The main purpose of clearance is to prevent short circuits or arcing caused by air breakdown, and its value depends on factors such as working voltage, altitude, and pollution degree. In foreign trade, especially for exports of electronic appliances, lighting, switches, etc. to the EU and the US, compliance with local safety standards (such as IEC/EN 60664, UL 60950) is mandatory; otherwise, goods may be detained by customs or recalled. Notes: Different standards have different requirements for clearance, which must be determined according to the product's working voltage and insulation type; the higher the altitude, the thinner the air, and the larger the required clearance. The difference from creepage distance is that clearance focuses on spatial distance, while creepage distance focuses on surface distance, and both are often required simultaneously. Foreign trade practitioners should specify safety standards in contracts and require suppliers to provide test reports.