The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) is the largest trade association of electrical equipment manufacturers in the United States.
Founded in 1926, it advocates for the industry, and publishes standards for electrical products. Notably, the form of US household electrical outlets and plugs is specified by NEMA.
Description
It was founded in 1926 and maintains its headquarters in
Rosslyn, Virginia
Rosslyn ( ) is a heavily urbanized unincorporated area in Northern Virginia located in the northeastern corner of Arlington County, Virginia, north of Arlington National Cemetery and directly across the Potomac River from Georgetown and Foggy ...
, in the
Washington metropolitan area
The Washington metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the National Capital Region, is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C. The metropolitan area includes all of Washington, D.C. and parts of the states of Maryland, Virgi ...
. Its approximately 350 member companies manufacture products used in the
generation
A generation refers to all of the people born and living at about the same time, regarded collectively. It can also be described as, "the average period, generally considered to be about 20–30 years, during which children are born and gr ...
,
transmission
Transmission may refer to:
Medicine, science and technology
* Power transmission
** Electric power transmission
** Propulsion transmission, technology allowing controlled application of power
*** Automatic transmission
*** Manual transmission
** ...
,
distribution Distribution may refer to:
Mathematics
* Distribution (mathematics), generalized functions used to formulate solutions of partial differential equations
*Probability distribution, the probability of a particular value or value range of a vari ...
, control, and end use of electricity. These products are used in utility, industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential applications. The association's
Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) is a lobby for equipment manufacturers of medical imaging machinery.
Standards
MITA is also the source of the DICOM standard and the XR series of medical imaging and radiation dose standards:
XR 26-201 ...
(MITA) division represents manufacturers of cutting-edge medical diagnostic imaging equipment including
MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio waves ...
,
CT,
x-ray
An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...
, and
ultrasound
Ultrasound is sound waves with frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is not different from "normal" (audible) sound in its physical properties, except that humans cannot hear it. This limit varies ...
products.
Other major end markets include building systems, electrical infrastructure, industrial systems, lighting systems and utility systems. Their combined industries account for 360,000 American jobs in more than 7,000 facilities in every state. Their industry produces $106 billion shipments of electrical equipment and medical imaging technologies per year with $36 billion exports. NEMA also has offices in Mexico City.
In addition to
lobbying
In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, whic ...
activities, NEMA has published nearly 1,000 electrical and medical imaging standards, application guides,
white paper
A white paper is a report or guide that informs readers concisely about a complex issue and presents the issuing body's philosophy on the matter. It is meant to help readers understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision. A white paper ...
s, and technical papers. Among its major standards are those for electrical enclosures, motors and magnet wire,
AC plugs and receptacles; the
NEMA connector
NEMA connectors are power plugs and receptacles used for AC mains electricity in North America and other countries that use the standards set by the US National Electrical Manufacturers Association. NEMA wiring devices are made in current rat ...
s are universal in North America and also used by some other countries.
See also
*
NEMA connector
NEMA connectors are power plugs and receptacles used for AC mains electricity in North America and other countries that use the standards set by the US National Electrical Manufacturers Association. NEMA wiring devices are made in current rat ...
*
NEMA contact ratings NEMA contact ratings are how much current at a rated voltage a relay or other pilot device can switch. The current rating of smaller NEMA contactors or their auxiliaries are defined by ''NEMA ICS 5: Industrial Control and Systems, Control Circuit a ...
*
NEMA enclosure types The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) defines standards used in North America for various grades of electrical enclosures typically used in industrial applications. Each is rated to protect against personal access to hazardous ...
*
NEMA stepper motor
A stepper motor, also known as step motor or stepping motor, is a brushless DC electric motor that divides a full rotation into a number of equal steps. The motor's position can be commanded to move and hold at one of these steps without any posi ...
References
External links
* {{Official website
Electrical safety standards organizations
Electrical trades organizations
Manufacturing in the United States
*
Organizations based in Arlington County, Virginia
Organizations established in 1926
Trade associations based in the United States