CE marking is an obligation for manufactures of products (for example industrial machines) selled in European Union countries; it certifies the conformity of the products to the Community directives applicable.
It has value exclusively within the European Union or in countries for which there are mutual recognition agreements (eg Turkey).
With Brexit, the CE marking will no longer be valid in the UK, so if you manufacture machinery and your customers are in the UK, it will be useful to read this article on the new UKCA branding .
The applicable directives to industrial machines can be more than one.
The CE marking for industrial machines is the final act of a process that certifies the compliance of the machines to all applicable Community directives and has the aim of guaranteeing the safety of the machine .
CE marking or CE certification?
A lot of customers write to us asking if we can help with the CE certification of the machines they manufacture or use.
The definition "CE certification " is almost always improper and, if it is used for example by a consultant as a description of their activities, and not by a Notified Body (Certification Body), it is an error.
CE certification is in fact a procedure that involves a Notified Body, external to the manufacturer, which certifies the machine, while normally it is the manufacturer himself who proceed with CE marking of the machine.
In some cases, CE certification is required (machines listed in Annex IV of the directive machinery),then an external body affixes the CE marking, but they are rare.
What is the CE marking?
Normally, therefore, it is the manufacturer himself who marks the machine with CE label.
The CE marking is a graphic symbol that the manufacturer must affix on the product to certify, in an easily recognizable way by the purchaser, its compliance with the Community directives applicable to it.
In fact, the affixing of the CE marking means the product complies with all the directives, as an indicator from paragraph 4 of article 5 of directive 2006/42 / EC.
In fact, like many other products, industrial machines must comply with the laws in force in the countries in which they are marketed and put into service.
The application of the directives is supported by numerous technical standards issued by bodies (ISO, IEC, CEN, CENELEC, UNI, CEI, etc.).
For the machine, designed and built in compliance with the applicable directives, an EC declaration of conformity was drawn up by the manufacturer; the declaration will remain valid for the entire life of the machine itself and will be enclosed with the machne documents in all future commercial transitions.
The directives applicable to machinery
Community directives of interest for machines can be:
machinery directive 2006/42 / EC ,
pressure Equipment Directive 2014/68 / EU (PED),
2014/34 / UE (ATEX) ,
environmental noise emission directive for machines intended for outdoor use 2000/14 / EC,
electromagnetic compatibility directive 2014/30 / UE (EMC).
Except for the first directive, each of the following may be applicable to the machine, according to its characteristics; for example, the machine will fall within the scope of the ATEX directive if it is intended to work in an explosive atmosphere.
On this page you will find information relating to the CE marking of machines according to the machinery directive, if you are looking for information on the CE marking according to ATEX, you can go to the dedicated page.
Where is the CE marking affixed?
Directive 2006/42 / EC requires that the CE marking be affixed in the immediate proximity of the name of the manufacturer, or of his authorized representative, using the same technique (for example if the manufacturer's name is printed, the CE marking must also).
What does the CE plate contain?
The machine plate according to directive 2006/42 / EC, or common label for products, must contain at least the following indications in a visible, legible and indelible way:
business name and full address of the manufacturer and, where applicable, his authorized representative,
machine designation,
CE marking (Annex III of Directive 2006/42 / EC),
designation of the series or type,
possibly, serial number,
year of construction, i.e. the year in which the manufacturing process was completed.
The basic steps for CE marking process
The necessary steps for the correct CE marking of machines, and sets of machines, according to the Machinery Directive 2006/42 / EC are:
Identification of the legislative and regulatory requirements applicable to the specific type of machine;
analysis of the machine with respect to the requirements of the Machinery Directive 2006/42 / EC and specific machine standards;
analysis of the electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic equipment of the machine
risk assessment according to directive 2006/42 / EC and creation of a technical file of the machine .
Our technical dossier standard includes an estimate of numerical risks according to a method compliant with the indications of the UNI EN ISO 2100: 2010 and UNI ISO / TR 14121-2: 2010 standards;
machine's instruction manual;
instrumental tests (noise, vibrations, AOR, electromagnetic fields, electrical safety EN 60204-1, electromagnetic compatibility);
analysis and verification of safety functions (PL & SIL);
the validation of safety functions according to UNI EN ISO 13849-1: 2016 and UNI EN ISO 13849-2: 2013;
the validation of software with safety functions according to the UNI EN ISO 13849-1: 2016 and UNI EN ISO 13849-2: 2013 standards.
For many of these topics and to find out more about the marking process, there will be a dedicated page on the site menu.
Self-built machines
The marking process also concerns self-built machines by the user.
In the case of machines built for his own use, the manufacturer therefore coincides with the user of the machine, who must assume all the charges described above, including the CE marking of the machine and therefore the drafting (and storage) of the EC declaration of conformity.
CE marking process: what we can do for you
Our technicians can help you in CE marking process of the industrial machines, even in case of substantial changes.
First of all, it will be necessary to identify which directives are applicable and then decide on the most correct and simple path to reach the compliance
Contact us for advice or to design a training course that allows the CE marking independently.
Our assistance also includes the design of specific training courses for personnel involved in product development and safety
Are you looking for a complete manual on the CE marking of machinery?
Buy our book on Amazon
