Product Certification
Product Certification involves a formal attestation by an independent third party that a specific machine meets relevant safety standards. For North American manufacturers accustomed to UL or CSA "listing," this concept is familiar. However, in the context of the EU, true product certification is the exception rather than the rule. Most standard machinery undergoes Conformity Assessment via Self-Certification, where the manufacturer declares compliance without a third-party certificate.
Mandatory product certification, such as an EC Type Examination, is triggered only for specific categories of High-Risk Machinery listed in Annex IV of the Machinery Directive (or Annex I of the Machinery Regulation), provided Harmonized Standards were not fully applied. In these cases, a Notified Body must review the design and issue a certificate.
Outside of the EU, product certification is often a prerequisite for Global Market Access (GMA). Markets like the US (UL/ETL) or Canada (CSA) usually require a rigorous testing process by Accredited Laboratories before a product can be sold, unlike the EU's predominantly self-policing model.
