Product safety

Conformity with the current machinery directive 2006/42/EG

The current European Machinery Directive 2006/42/EG has been in force since 29.12.2009. All machinery for the European commercial market has to conform to this directive. In the event of violation of its provisions, national regulatory agencies are empowered to stop the trading of the products and to issue a warning to manufacturers or distributors.


Changes contained in this new directive have had an impact on VAT products. Valves are definitely classified as “incomplete machines”. Technical adjustments were not required. The situation has, however, required changes in our product documentations.

Productsaefty

To meet the requirements of the new directive, VAT took the following steps:

  • The Machinery Directive 2006/42/EG forbids placing the CE logo on incomplete machines. All VAT valves and most spare parts can therefore not carry the CE logo. The declaration of conformity is no longer required and a declaration of incorporation is provided by the manufacturer.
  • VAT valves with an integrated controller no longer carry the CE logo, because they too come under the Machinery Directive. The declaration of incorporation will now also mention conformity to the directive on electromagnetic compatibility (EMC Directive 2004/108/EG).
  • VAT valves with a pneumatic drive are not to be treated as pressure equipment. According to Art.1, Para. 3.10 of the Pressure Equipment Directive 97/23/EG they are “control devices“ and thus do not come within the purview of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EG.
  • Assembly parts or spare parts like controllers, position indicators or heating components, which are directly attached or built into the valve, get neither a CE logo nor a CE declaration. They do not come under the Machinery Directive.

Exceptions prove the rule:

  • Single components purchased by VAT like sensors or heating cartridges which correspond to one or more EG directives may carry a CE logo from their manufacturer.
  • PM 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 controllers still carry the CE logo. They also come with a declaration of conformity. This is based on the Low Voltage Directive 2006/95/EG and the EMC Directive 2004/108/EG and the relevant standards.
  • PM 6 controllers also carry the CE logo. They come with a declaration of conformity, based on the EMC Directive and the relevant standards. Heating jackets carry the CE logo. The declaration of conformity is based on the relevant standards in the Low Voltage Directive 2006/95/EG.

If you have any questions, please contact our Corporate Quality Department

©2012 VAT Vacuumvalves AG | Switzerland
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