“CE Marking” is the “Manufacturer Self-Certification” process required for selling products into Europe. This process requires experience to prepare products and documents for scrutiny at EU ports.
Cary, NC -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/14/2010 -- Most manufacturers have heard about CE Marking for Europe. Many understand that this is a “Self-Certification” program, but only those that have successfully completed one of these projects understand what this really means.
Bill Bisenius, a Senior Certifications Engineer at CertifiGroup, puts it this way, “CE Marking is called a self-certification program, but that assumes a manufacturer has knowledge of the CE Directives, EN Standards, and has a staff capable of evaluating a product and performing repeatable, accurate testing. It also assumes that the correct test facilities, test procedures and test equipment are in place, and the documentation and records requirement will stand up to EU inspector scrutiny. These inspectors have been seeing many products from different parts of the world, and have had to reject improperly done products”.
If a decision is made to sell into the EU market, getting this process right is critical. Although the CE Mark process may not have been intended as a trade barrier, it has become just that for many manufacturers. Some product categories such as medical, explosive atmosphere, safety equipment and others requires a “Notified body” to be involved. Dealing with the Notified Body needs to be done in a way to minimize costs and make the process as quick as possible.
Many companies securing venture capital funding for a new product or manufacturing facility often miss their milestones and underestimate budgets for regulatory and safety. It’s critical to know about the requirements based on where your product might be marketed. Although the world has come along ways with harmonization of Standards, there are still many differences. Consider going to product safety regulatory experts like CertifiGroup for insurance against unexpected costs and delays.
Free preliminary sessions are available to manufacturers and designers who can bring their product to our testing laboratory in Cary, NC. Call 800-422-1651 to make an appointment, or visit www.CertifiGroup.com. For specific information on CE marking, go to: http://www.certifigroup.com/cemarking.html
CertifiGroup also provides UL and CSA Certifications, SEMI S2, Ingress Protection IP testing, hazardous location, medial, laboratory, lighting and many other equipment categories. CertifiGroup has former UL Engineers who understand the delays that can happen without proper preparation.