CE marking of machinery has been with us since 1993, so it is concerning that many machinery users and manufacturers still do not do it properly. The original machinery directive was significantly modified at the end of 2009.
Machinery supplied since then should comply with the current Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, which defines machinery as:
'an assembly, fitted with or intended to be fitted with a drive system other than directly applied human or animal effort, consisting of linked parts or components, at least one of which moves, and which are joined together for a specific application,'
also
'assemblies of machinery ... or partly completed machinery ... which, in order to achieve the same end, are arranged and controlled so that they function as an integral whole,'
It goes on to define partly completed machinery as
''partly completed machinery' means an assembly which is almost machinery but which cannot in itself perform a specific application. Partly completed machinery is only intended to be incorporated into or assembled with other machinery or other partly completed machinery or equipment, forming machinery to which this Directive applies;'
The difference is that machinery must carry CE marking, partly completed machinery must not.
Examples
A robot is a partly completed machine, as it has to be integrated into other machinery to carry out its functions. The hazards need to be addressed by the integrator, rather than the robot manufacturer. Something like a conveyor could be either a machine or a partly completed machine. If it is supplied with controls, and just needs connecting to a power source, then it is a machine and should carry CE marking. If it is controlled by the system it is being incorporated into, it should not carry the CE marking.
When purchasing a standalone machine that works on its own, that does not require any other equipment to feed it, and does not need any other communication with other equipment, it should carry CE marking and be supplied with a Declaration of Conformity (DoC) and an Instruction Manual.
If a machine is purchased that cannot work on its own, one that needs other equipment to work with it, that needs inter-connection, it should be considered as partly completed machinery. CE marking should not be applied, and a Declaration of Incorporation (DoI) and assembly instructions should be supplied. The equipment must not be used until the complex assembly of machines has been CE marked, and is safe.
...Article
Fonte: machinebuilding.net
