CE marking Machinery and Installations (Directive 2006/42/EC)

The Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC

The Machinery Directive is one of the European product directives according to which the CE marking can be affixed. Machinery and Installations that fall into the scope of the Machinery Directive must comply with essential safety requirements of the directive before they can be traded and/or put into operation. By affixing

the CE marking the manufacturer and/or importer confirms that the product complies with the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. In other words: the machinery conforms to the European essential requirements for health, safety and environmnent.

The Machinery Directive firstly applies to machinery and installations. An installation is the assembly of machinery with joint functionality and it must bear separate CE marking. Besides machinery and installation the Machinery Directive applies to:

• Interchangeable equipment
• Safety components (ex. guards, safety devices, emergency stop devices, etc.)
• Lifting accessories (ex. lifting lugs, lifting beams, etc.)
• Chains, robes and webbing
• Remmovable mechanical transmission devices
• Partly completed machinery

The main goal of the Machinery Directive is to ensure the highest possible safety level for users of machinery and accessories.

How can Certification Company help you?

Certification Company performs complete CE marking machinery and installations based on Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. In addition to complete CE certification, you can also contact us for the following services:

• Performing risk assessment in accordance with the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and relevant harmonized standards;
• Determining the applicable essential safety and health requirements and relevant product standards;
• Conformity assessment of machinery (on location);
• Compiling and verifying the Technical Files;
• Compiling and verifying User Instructions manual;
• Verifying and drafting EC Declarations of Conformity;
• Instruct in affixing the CE marking correctly.

Is the CE marking mandatory for machinery and installations?

The CE marking and certification is mandatory for the machinery and installatons that was build and/or traded after the 1st January 1995. The CE marking is always mandatory for this machinery.

Machinery that was traded before the 1st January 1995 is not obligatory to comply with the Machinery Directive and can be traded without the CE marking. Such equipment must comply with the Work Equipment Directive 2009/104/EC. If the machine was functually adjusted after the 1st January 1995 it must be re-tested in accordance with current rules of the Machinery Directive and CE marking.

Can multiple Directives apply to one machine? 

By affixing the CE marking the manufacturer or importer declare that machine comply with all relevant CE legislation. In addition to the Machinery Directive, the EMC Directive or the Pressure Equipment Directive may also apply to a machine. In that case, the machine must comply with all essential requirements from all applicable directives.

We take the CE compressor as an example. This is a machine, but it aso falls into the scope of the Pressure Equipment Directive (provides the pressure, as an essential design factor). Thus, by compressor can different directives and requirements apply. Our CE specialists will define what European Directives apply to your product and provide you with complete CE marking.

Six steps for CE marking machinery and installations 

Before a machine can be traded or put into service on the European market, it must meet the essential requirements of the Machinery Directive. The machine will eventually have to be CE certified. Below are the steps of how certification procedure looks like.

1. Product classification: defining whether the product falls into the scope of the Machinery Directive and/or other CE directives.
2. Risk assessment: an analysis to determine which risks and essential health and safety requirements apply to certain machine.
3. Conformity procedure: requirements assessment mentiond in the step 2 based on European harmonized standards.
4. Technical Files: drawing up the Technical Files, including User Manual and Risk assessments.
5. EU Declaration of Conformity: drafting the EU Declaration of Conformity, showing that machinery/installation complies with CE legislation.
6. CE marking: instructing on affixing the CE marking on machinery.

When the machinery should be CE marked?

A manufacturer and/or importer must affix the CE marking on the machinery and/or installation before it’s traded on the market or put into operation. Some other cases when the CE marking must also be applied are mentioned below.

Assembling or modifying the machine

Manufacturers of assembled machinery (installations), after double-check that each machinery in that assembly bear the CE marking, must affix the CE marking on whole installation.

If an existing machine and/or installation functionally adjusted, it becomes ‘new’ machine and must be re-inspected. The same applies if the existing installation is modified and/or expanded.

Import from non-EEA country

The production of installation and machine parts is regularly moved abroad or the purchase is made abroad (i.e. a manufacturer located outside the EU). This is often due to cost savings. The importer who places the machine on EU market is then fully responsible for affixing the CE marking. The importer is at that moment assimilated to the actual manufacturer of the machine and has to carry out the conformity assessment.

Our technical experts help you further

Do you want to know more about the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC?
Contact one of our technical experts today.

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 info@certification-company.com
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