Does Your Part Need EN 1090 CE Marking? One Test Decides It
This gets asked the wrong way round. Buyers ask "is your factory EN 1090 certified?" when the question that actually matters is "is my part a construction product?" For a lot of machinery components, the answer is no, and the certificate is irrelevant.
Where the line usually falls
| Usually inside EN 1090 | Usually outside |
|---|---|
| Building frames, beams, columns | Machine frames and bases |
| Bridge components | Mining equipment components, chutes, liners |
| Load-bearing platforms forming part of a structure | Crane structures (Machinery Directive route) |
| Roof trusses | Gearbox and drive housings |
| Structural connections in civil works | Weldments supplied to an OEM as part of a machine |
The test
If you removed this part, would the strength or stability of a building or civil engineering work be affected?
Yes → it is a load-bearing construction product. It falls under the Construction Products Regulation, EN 1090-1 applies, and it must be CE marked. This has been mandatory since 1 July 2014.
No → it is outside EN 1090, therefore outside the CPR, and no CE marking is required under that route.
The Construction Products Regulation also does not apply to support structures that exist solely to support machinery and are supplied as part of the machine.
Borderline cases
A fixed conveyor gallery, or a frame that both carries a machine and forms part of a building's load path, can go either way. Those need your engineer or a notified body to decide. We will tell you when we think a part is borderline; we will not tell you it's fine because we want the order.
What EXC costs you
EN 1090-2 defines four execution classes, EXC1 to EXC4, set by the consequence of failure and the type of loading. Your designer specifies it. Higher classes mean more NDT, tighter tolerances and more documentation — it is a cost driver, and it is often inherited from a reused drawing rather than chosen. Ten minutes with the designer before the enquiry goes out is worth real money.
Where we currently stand
| Certification | Status | Certificate no. | Issuing body | Valid to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | In progress | — | — | — |
| ISO 14001 | Not held | — | — | — |
| ISO 45001 | Not held | — | — | — |
| EN 1090-1 | In progress | — | — | — |
| EN ISO 3834-2 | In progress | — | — | — |
| PED 2014/68/EU | Not held | — | — | — |
| Welder qualifications (EN ISO 9606-1) | In progress | — | — | — |
| WPS / PQR (EN ISO 15614) | In progress | — | — | — |
- EN 1090-1 — Until it is issued we do not take work that requires CE marking under the CPR.
- EN ISO 3834-2 — Certification typically takes weeks rather than years. Target date on request.
- PED 2014/68/EU — We are not certified for pressure equipment.
Frequently asked
- Are you EN 1090 certified?
- Not yet — certification is in progress. If your part is a load-bearing construction product we are not the right supplier today and we will tell you so straight away. If it is a machinery component, EN 1090 does not apply to it and the relevant standards are ISO 3834 and the welder and procedure qualifications, which we can send you.
- Is ISO 3834 the same as EN 1090?
- No. ISO 3834 is a welding quality requirement standard, not a CE marking route. It applies whether or not your part is a construction product, and it is what most machinery OEMs actually audit against.
- Who is responsible if a CE-marked part turns out not to be compliant?
- Under the CPR the obligations run along the whole chain — manufacturer, importer and distributor each carry duties. Importing a non-compliant construction product is not only the supplier's exposure.
- Does an ASME U stamp help in Europe?
- Not for pressure equipment placed on the EU market. That requires CE marking under PED 2014/68/EU, with a notified body involved for higher risk categories.
Every shipment leaves with the paperwork trail: EN 10204 3.1 mill certificates, documented melt-and-pour origin, welding records, a first-article dimensional report, and the coating and packing record.
Send us the drawing
Acknowledgement within 4 working hours. Full quotation within 48 hours when the drawing package is complete.