CE marking - on the safe side?

The CE marking is mandatory when placing an agitator or any other product on the market in the EU. It is intended to give the purchaser the assurance that the product complies with the relevant regulations and that a so-called conformity assessment procedure has been carried out. This is intended to protect the purchaser from buying an unsafe product that could cause damage. So far so good.

Now we want to lean back and relax when the CE marking is emblazoned on the product we have just purchased. Unfortunately, it's not quite that easy. And ignorance can also be expensive. Why? We'll tell you using the example of a stand mixer:

The case study

A stand mixer, also known as a suspended mixer, is a mixing station consisting of a lifting device and a permanently mounted mixer. The agitator is raised and lowered via the lifting device using an automatic control.

The stand mixer therefore consists of several assembled parts: Lifting device, agitator, cover, agitator shaft, agitating element, etc. These components are purchased individually as so-called „partly completed machinery“. However, when combined, i.e. assembled into a stand agitator, they are to be assessed as „complete machinery“ within the meaning of the Machinery Directive.

Liability lies with the operator

And this is where we come up against the problem: many products, some of which consist of several components from different manufacturers, have CE markings. What the buyer does not and cannot recognize is whether the CE marking refers to the „complete machine“, i.e. to all installed components, or only to one of the components. Many manufacturers do not take this very seriously or exploit the buyer's ignorance to their own advantage. Because: In the event of an accident during operation, the operator is fully and solely liable for the incorrect CE marking of the machine and the resulting lack of conformity assessment, not the manufacturer.

How to protect yourself

With PTM mechatronics products, you can be 100%ig sure that they comply with the applicable regulations as „complete machines“. With other manufacturers, it is better to ask specifically what the CE marking refers to. To be on the safe side, ask for proof that the conformity assessment has been carried out. If the manufacturer fails to provide explanations and evidence, it is better not to take any risks and refrain from purchasing the product.

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