The Machinery Directive (MD) has a broad and detailed legal definition for machinery. It primarily considers machinery to be any product that contains a linkage of parts that moves under power for a purpose. According to the European Union, “Machinery consists of an assembly of components, at least one of which moves, joined together for a specific application. The drive system of machinery is powered by energy other than human or animal effort.”
The MD itself applies to more than just what’s obviously machinery; it includes a range of equipment related to machinery, such as components designed to provide safety functions, accessories used in lifting, interchangeable equipment for machines and tractors, and so on. It also covers assemblies that aren’t whole machines and groups of assemblies or machines that function together for a common purpose.
The Machinery Directive promotes the free movement of machinery and guarantees protection for workers and citizens in the European Union. It only applies to products entering the EU market for the first time.
To claim your product conforms, you must affix a valid CE Marking to the product and produce a Declaration of Conformity backed up by a Technical File. We are experts at figuring this out and can tell you what you need to know.
Benefits of Working With TI
- Accurately identify the applicable rules – don’t waste time and money chasing the wrong things
- Objective regulatory advice on all aspects of machinery safety – get it all done right, once
- Development of cost-effective compliance strategies
- Safety Compliance Reviews you can rely on
- Impartial inspections, Risk Assessment & Testing you can trust
- Compilation of safety Technical Files and other documentation required for product conformity by a team who know what the Authorities will look for
- Product design assessments free from organizational bias
- We come to you and assess at your factory and or at the final installation site – no shipping bulky items to test labs
- We specialize in large and complex systems as well as discrete machines – from hand tools to industrial plants
Typical Steps/Process
- Determine which directives your product must meet
- Plan your route to conformity
- Assess and test for conformity by addressing EHSRs directly and showing compliance with relevant EU harmonized standards
- Draw up necessary technical documentation
- Draw up a Declaration of Conformity (or Incorporation)
- Submit technical documentation to a notified body as required
- Affix the CE marking
Industries & Equipment Expertise
We work across the manufacturing industry from start-ups with only an idea and small businesses with a simple product through medium enterprises with a wide portfolio of products to diverse multinationals with plants, complex production lines, global warehousing and logistics systems, offshore production platforms and multi-contractor capital projects delivering next-generation aerospace programs and semiconductor fabs.
Regardless of your scale or industry, if you can make it, Technology International can guide your company through the Machinery Directive and allow you to take your product to the market faster and cheaper. Some typical industries and products include:
Industrial Equipment
Machine tools, robots, web-media equipment, industrial trucks, earthmovers, and finishing machines are just a few of the many pieces of industrial equipment that must conform to the Machinery Directive. We have applied the MD to fossil-fueled, bio-fueled, solar, nuclear, and syngas power plants, recycling facilities, chemical plants, oil refineries, and offshore platforms.
Electrical Equipment
Ensure the safety of your electrical equipment while gaining peace of mind knowing that you’re getting expert help to guide you through the Machinery Directive process.
Packaging Equipment
From form, fill, and sealing machines to box building equipment, and everything in between, packaging equipment must meet the MD’s requirements to enter the EU market.
Warehouse Automation
Forklifts, AGVs, labeling machines, conveyors, and control panels, are just a few of the many warehouse automation pieces of equipment that need to meet the MD’s requirements.
Canning and Food Processing Equipment
Mixers, ovens, and canning equipment are just some of the many food processing machines that need to comply with the Machinery Directive before they reach the EU market. The chances are high that you’ve recently eaten or drank something made, canned, bottled, baked, or pre-cooked by one of our global clients.
Aerospace, Defense & Military
Civil and military aircraft ground support equipment, airframe manufacturing robots, jigs and tooling, defense equipment, and everything in between requires MD compliance to enter into service in the EU. Flown internationally on a modern plane recently? We probably had a hand in its manufacture.
Agricultural Equipment
Agricultural equipment such as harvesters, forestry machines, log splitters, and wood processing equipment use a wide range of electrical and mechanical components. To bring your product to the EU market, you must first ensure Machinery Directive conformity.
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Equipment
Mixers, agitators, and packaging equipment are just a few of the many pharmaceutical manufacturing machines that require MD conformity before they’re allowed to enter the EU market. Production machines and lines making medical equipment, from disposable pipette makers to covid-test devices, are also included in the requirement.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Machinery Directive
If your product meets the definition of “machinery,” then it must comply with the Machinery Directive.
Sometimes, determining if certain electrically powered products must meet the Machinery Directive (MD) or the Low Voltage Directive (LVD) can be confusing. However, the MD lists the types of equipment that are exempt due to being covered by other directives. All other equipment that meets any one of its many definitions falls under the MD.
Some of the most common equipment that meets the definition of machinery or one of the other categories usually covered by the MD but is instead covered by the LVD includes:
- Household appliances intended for domestic use
- Audio and video equipment
- Information technology equipment
- Ordinary office machinery
- Low-voltage switchgear and control gear
- Electric motors
Technology International enables fast, efficient, and cost-effective Machinery Directive Certification. We can help minimize your costs and simplify the process. Our engineers have an expert-level understanding of the law.
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