CE marking
The Machinery Directive, the Machinery Regulation, the Pressure Equipment Directive, plus dozens of harmonized standards that cross-reference one another—anyone placing a system on the market faces a regulatory framework in which even experienced engineers can get lost. Simply figuring out which regulations apply to one’s own product often takes more time than the actual technical implementation.
The following six steps bring order to this complex web—presented in a concise and practical format as the e-book “CE Marking in Plant Engineering.”
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01
Directive research
Every CE marking process starts with directive research: which EU directives apply to my product? The requirements of the relevant directive define the safety standard a manufacturer must meet – for machinery and plant engineering, this is usually the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, often combined with the Pressure Equipment, ATEX, EMC, or Low Voltage Directive.
02
Standards research
Directives formulate requirements in general terms – they only become concrete through harmonized standards published in the EU Official Journal. Applying them creates a presumption of conformity with the corresponding directive. The most important source for standards:
03
Risk assessment
Both the Machinery and Pressure Equipment Directives require a risk assessment – it ensures that all safety and health protection requirements are met and must be documented. It's the most important piece of evidence toward authorities and customers. Governing standard: EN ISO 12100.
04
Assess conformity
Conformity means: a product meets the legally defined requirements. Responsibility lies with the manufacturer – the person or company that produces, develops, or places the product on the market under their own name. For high-risk products (e.g. pressure equipment category III/IV), involving a Notified Body is mandatory. Each directive defines its own conformity assessment procedure.
05
Technical documents
Faulty or incomplete technical documentation can lead to fines and liability risks under civil and product liability law in the event of damage. A distinction is made between internal documentation (design drawings, risk assessment) and external documentation (operating manual, service manual, residual risk warnings).
