With the introduction of EN 1090, a series of standards has been created which regulates the manufacturing and placement on the market of structures made out of steel and/or aluminium at European level in three parts. It is oriented on execution and counterpart to the design rules of EN1990ff (Eurocode) and is part of a series of product standards which have a legal character via the Construction Products Ordinance when placed on the market of the Union (more precisely: EEA).
Who is affected?
EN 1090-1 regulates the conformity verification procedure for load-bearing components made of steel and/or aluminium. This is not about the manufacturing of these structures themselves, but about the necessity of certification of the WPK (“werkseigene Produktionskontrolle”, which means “factory intern production control” (FPC)) by a recognized certification body, the correct intervals of inspection and the documents “CE-mark” and “declaration of performance” required for a placing on the market. This part of the standard is relevant for organizations that:
- Manufacture construction products (including kits) and place them on the market of the union under their own name
- Let others create construction products (including kits) and place them on the market of the union under their own name
- Modify already existing products in ways that (could) change their characteristic of performance
The situation is slightly different for the design standards EN 1090-2 for steel and EN 1090-3 for aluminium and their amendments for thin-walled and cold-formed applications (EN 1090-4 and EN 1090-5). These standards represent the current state of the art. Therefore, they have to be used not only when components are created which will later be marked according to EN 1090, but also when:
- Single production steps of these products (cutting, modelling, welding, coating) are executed
- Load-bearing structures are built
- Already existing load-bearing structures are repaired
The need to comply with the design standards EN1090-2 and -3 does not imply that the organization has to be certified according to standard EN 1090-1. These criteria only apply to products meant for the installation within the EEA, even though other countries might also contractually require the execution according to EN 1090-1, -2, -3, -4 and -5.
You may contact us with questions regarding the classification of your company!
What does the way to a certification according to EN 1090-1 look like?
As a certification body, we are obliged to independency and cannot take on advisory tasks, but the following options are available:
- You create your own system of “factory intern production control” (FPC)
- You consult an advisor who will assist you with the creation of the manual and other technical questions.
- - We execute an audit in two steps, whereas the pre-audit carries out a stocktaking.
Professional handling by SystemCERT:
In addition to certification according to EN 1090-1 we can offer a wide range of services that are directly related to the standard requirements due to our comprehensive activities in the field of welding technology:
- Certification of your organization by SystemCERT, an accredited and notified body
- Auditing in Austria by a regionally well distributed network of auditors
- Auditing within the EU and other external countries in German or English
- Combined audits with other standards (EN ISO 3834, ISO 900, etc.) are possible
- Competent partner for other related services:
- Evaluation of procedures which cannot be covered by a certification (static calculations, thermal cutting, etc.)
- Welder’s examinations according to EN ISO 9606-1 or -2, etc
- Non-destructive testing methods
- Welders' examinations according to EN ISO 9606-1/-2 can be taken within the scope of certification audits.
- Transparent and fair prices
What does the way to a certification according to EN 1090-1 look like?
The first steps are the acquisition of the relevant regulations and the creation of a factory intern production control (FPC). The effort of documentation is directly related to the selected level of certification (design classes 1-4). The company now approaches SystemCERT to request an offer. If the offer is accepted and the certification assigned, SystemCERT sets up a team of auditors and a date for the audit. During the first audit, it is checked whether the factory intern production control is effectively implemented and whether the internal specifications are implemented in the daily work. The results are documented in the audit checklist and the audit report. If the results are positive, the certificate is issued. The certificate is valid as long as the surveillance audits are successfully performed and there are no greater changes within the organization (e.g. chance of welding supervisor, introduction of new welding processes, etc.). The surveillance intervals depend on the design class of the producer.
What is the price of the certification?
The effort of the audit and its costs for a certification according to EN 1090-1 depend on the following factors:
- The size of the company and the number of employees
- Already existing certificates (EN ISO 3834-2,-3,-4; ISO 9001, etc.)
- Design class
Gladly we create you an individual offer! !
Individual and personal support are a matter of course for us! Due to many years of experience in the field of certification, we are the optimal contact for the series of standards EN 1090.