As many are aware across the industry, CE marking became a mandatory requirement in the rest of the European Union in August 2007. Although not compulsory in the UK and Ireland at this stage, for companies that wish to maintain a presence in Europe, this is a critical issue that manufacturers should seriously consider.
Of course a major change like this doesn’t come without its challenges. Adopting the CE mark involves much more than following a set of new guidelines; businesses embracing this transition must pioneer the process of obtaining approvals and CE marks for existing products with no previous examples or experience to fall back on.
For many products, such as our field, timber to timber connectors, there is no existing national standard, but in putting them through the CE marking process, manufacturers are ensuring products are certified consistently and transparently using recognised European assessment methods. This can only lead to an increased level of trust with the end user in that CE marking provides a tangible indicator that the quality is of a proven, internationally recognised standard.
Achievement of CE marking through the ETA (European Technical Approval) process requires good project planning and management together with development of close working relationships with the approval bodies to ensure objectives are achieved. It is not a simple process and involves co-ordination of many aspects including design, testing and factory production control systems.
For those businesses prepared to take this bold step and make this investment, their products’ CE marks will be living certifications, frequently revised and updated to reflect the highest levels of product development activity.
As we have found, the benefits have far outweighed the challenges, from demonstrating commitment to pioneer the latest industry standards to maintaining integrity as a manufacturer.
