Exporting equipment: CE marking requirements
What is needed for CE marking of food equipment for export: EU directives, technical documentation, risk assessment and the declaration.
To place a conveyor or a process line on the EU market, the equipment must carry CE marking. This is not a “sticker” and not a third-party certificate — it is the manufacturer’s declaration of conformity with EU directives, backed by a technical file. The article covers what exactly needs to be done for CE marking of food equipment.
What CE marking means
CE is not a quality mark but a confirmation that the product complies with all applicable EU directives and may circulate freely on the single market. For conveyor and food equipment the responsibility for the marking lies with the manufacturer: it assesses the risks, compiles the documentation and signs the declaration itself. For most of our machines the involvement of a notified body is not mandatory — a self-assessment of conformity procedure applies.
Which directives apply
For a conveyor system several directives usually apply at the same time:
- 2006/42/EC — Machinery Directive. The basic document for any conveyor: safety, guards, emergency stop.
- 2014/30/EU — Electromagnetic Compatibility. Concerns drives, VFDs, control systems.
- 2014/35/EU — Low Voltage Directive. For electrical equipment in the 50–1000 V voltage range.
- EU 1935/2004 — Food-contact materials. For all surfaces that touch the product.
The technical file: what is included
The core of CE marking is the technical file, which the manufacturer keeps for 10 years and provides on request from a supervisory body. The basic content:
| Document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| General machine description | Identification, purpose, parameters |
| Drawings and diagrams | Assembly, electrical, pneumatic |
| Risk assessment | List of hazards and measures taken |
| Calculations | Strength, drive, loads |
| Operating manual | In the language of the supply country |
| Declaration of conformity | Signed by an authorised person |
Risk assessment — the key stage
The heart of the technical file is the risk assessment to EN ISO 12100. For each hazard — entanglement in components, cuts on sharp edges, electric shock, overheating — the engineer defines a risk-reduction measure: a guard, an emergency switch, a warning sign. All this is recorded in the document and verified on the finished machine.
We work by the Machinery Directive’s “three-step” principle: first eliminate the hazard by design (for example, enclose the nip point in a housing), then add safeguards (guards, interlocks, pull-cord switches of category 3 to EN ISO 13849-1), and only last — inform the operator with signs and the manual. A design solution is always more reliable than “stick a label on”, because it does not depend on a person’s attention. Each assessment step is documented with a reference to a specific machine component.
Hygienic design for food lines
For a conveyor in contact with the product, CE alone is not enough — EU 1935/2004 and the EHEDG hygienic design principles additionally apply. This means: no dead zones where product stagnates; continuous, polished welds; radiused rather than square corners so dirt does not accumulate; all surfaces accessible for cleaning without disassembly. Steel for food zones is AISI 304, and for aggressive media with salt or acid — AISI 316 with a higher molybdenum content. Material certificates are part of the technical file on a par with the drawings.
Engineer’s tip. Build the CE requirements into the design from the very start, do not “catch up” with them on a finished machine. A guard or emergency button added after the fact often spoils the ergonomics and costs more than a solution thought through at the drawing stage.
Manual and marking
The finished machine is accompanied by a manual in the language of the supply country and a nameplate with the manufacturer’s data, the model, the year of manufacture and the CE mark. The manual must describe safe installation, operation, maintenance and disposal. Without a correct manual, CE marking is considered incomplete, even if the machine itself is flawless.
Typical mistakes in preparing for export
Over years of export supplies we have seen the same slips. The first — the manual is machine-translated without technical proofreading, and the supervisory body rejects the document. The second — the risk assessment is done “for show”, copying a template with no reference to the real machine. The third — residual risks are forgotten: even a guarded zone needs a description of the safe maintenance procedure. The fourth — the CE nameplate is fixed to a removable panel that is easily lost; it should be placed on a load-bearing frame element in an indelible way.
How we prepare equipment for export
On export projects we keep the technical file in parallel with manufacturing: the risk assessment at the design stage, the test reports at handover. This is part of our engineering and design consultations. Special attention goes to the materials in contact with the product and the certificates for them. More on standards is in the articles tagged certification.
Conclusion
CE marking is not a formality but systematic work: the right directives, a complete technical file, an honest risk assessment and a correct manual. The cheapest way is to build these requirements in already at the design stage. Planning an equipment export? Get in touch — we will support the project from risk assessment to declaration of conformity.
