Trying to figure out if your product is covered by Machinery Directive (MD) 2006/42/EC? In this article, we list E-bikes, electronic gym machinery, electronic gym machines and other products that fall within the scope of Machinery Directive.
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What is the Machinery Directive (MD) 2006/42/EC?
The Machinery Directive regulates the safety aspects of machinery manufactured or imported to the European Union. Further, all products covered by the Machinery Directive must also be CE marked, and the legal manufacturer (either an EU-based manufacturer or importer) must issue the following documents:
- Declaration of Conformity (DoC)
- Technical file
- User manual
E-bikes
The Machinery Directive applies to all E-bikes sold in the EU market. It sets mandatory safety requirements for E-bikes that importers must comply with before importing to the EU.
In addition, the voluntary EN 15194 standard has been recently harmonized under the Machinery Directive specifically for E-bike.
EN Standards
- EN 15194 – E-bike safety standard
Examples
- Speed pedelec electric bikes
- Pedal-assisted electric bikes
- Throttle electric bikes
- Hub motor electric bikes
Electronic Gym Machinery
The Machinery Directive applies to a wide range of products, including some gym machinery that isn’t exclusively powered by human force. EN Standard 957 specifies the safety requirements and test methods for stationary training equipment in 10 parts, covering also gym machinery such as treadmills.
EN Standards
- EN 957 – General safety requirements and test methods for stationary training equipment.
Examples
- Treadmills
- Electronic ski machines
Commercial Dishwashers and Washing Machines
The Machinery Directive establishes a framework for the safety and measuring requirements of many non-household types of machinery. As such, non-household washing machines and dishwashers would fall into the scope of the Machinery Directive.
For instance, energy consumption, water consumption, washing performance, and other relevant information, shall be labeled on the machine. The standardized measurement method can refer to harmonized EN standards such as EN 50593.
EN Standards
- EN 50593 – Electric dishwashers for commercial use – Test methods for measuring the performance
Examples
- Laundry dishwashers
- Laundry washing machines
- Industrial washing machines
- Industrial dishwashers
Injection Molding Machinery
Injection molding machine usually contains parts of interchangeable equipment, safety component, and lifting accessory, therefore, they are covered under the scope of the Machinery Directive.
With that said, the Machinery Directive is also applicable to spindle molding machinery, plastics-molding machinery, and rubber-molding.
EN Standards
- EN 201 – Injection molding machines
- EN 289 – Compression and transfer molding presses
- EN 422 – Blow molding machines
Examples
- Thermoplastic injection molding machinery
- Hot runner molding machinery
- Cold runner molding machinery
- Over machinery
- Insert molding machinery
Presses
The same principle applies to Presses products as well, as they usually contain the parts of lifting accessory and safety component (e.g emergency stop). Therefore, presses must comply with the Machinery Directive to ensure safety requirements and performances.
For instance, the Machinery Directive requires that presses including press-brakes may have travels exceeding 6mm and a speed exceeding 30mm/s for cold working of metals. Depending on the presses’ application, you can refer to the applicable EN standards to ensure compliance.
EN Standards
- EN 16092 – General safety requirements for presses
- EN 693 – Hydraulic presses
- EN 12622 – Hydraulic press brakes
Examples
- Hydraulic presses
- Inclined press
- Gap presses
- Arch presses
- Straight-side presses
Woodworking Machines
Since the Machinery Directive covers all machinery with a drive system other than directly applied human effort, therefore, most woodworking machines need to comply with the directives.
Many different types of machines are used for woodworking. For example, wood surface planers are widely used for finishing flat wooden surfaces. In addition, partly completed machinery that cannot perform a specific application by themself are also covered by the Machinery Directive.
EN Standards
- EN 1807 -Safety of woodworking machines – band sawing machines
- EN 1870 -Safety of woodworking machines – circular-sawing machines
- EN 12750 – Safety of woodworking machines – four-sided molding machines
Examples
- Bandsawing machines
- Circular-sawing machines
- Four-sided molding machines
Sawing Machinery
The Machinery Directive defines interchangeable equipment as a device that is assembled with the machinery and can be replaced to change its function or attribute a new function. In that case, sawing machinery is considered as interchangeable equipment, therefore, it must comply with the Machinery Directive.
The requirements can be applied to portable sawing machinery such as a hand-held circular saw and coping saw. In addition, portable sawing machinery is subject to specific requirements under the Directive. For example, the start control device must be designed in a hold-to-run type to avoid fatigue during use.
EN Standards
- EN 12267 – Safety and hygiene requirements for circular saw machines used for food processing
- EN 12268 – Safety and hygiene requirements for bandsaw machines used for food processing
- EN 11681 – Safety requirements for portable chain-saw machines
Examples
- Portable sawing machinery
- Hand saw machinery
- Backsaw machinery
- Bow saw machinery
- Circular saw machinery
- Bandsaw machinery
Wheel Loaders
A wheel loader is capable to perform many tasks due to its large capacity. For example, it can be used to load loose materials with the bucket, and build roads during construction. Wheel loaders are considered as machinery under the Machinery Directive, thus, they must be compliant with the essential requirements.
Wheel loaders placed on the EU market must have information about the designation of the machinery, the weight of the machine, the engine power, and the contact information of the manufacturer. In addition, noise emissions, protective instruction, and engine exhaust emission shall be properly labeled on the machine as well.
EN Standards
- EN 16831 – Tractors and machinery for agriculture and forestry
- EN 12525 – Safety requirements for front loaders for agricultural machinery
- EN 12312 – Specific requirements for loaders used for aircraft ground support
Examples
- Backhoe wheel loaders
- Dozer wheel loaders
- Skid steer wheel loaders
Products Exempted from the Machinery Directives
Certain types of machinery are exempted from the scope of the Machinery Directive, often because they are covered by other CE directives. Here we provide some examples:
- Household appliances for domestic use
- Ordinary office machines (e.g. printers)
- Electric motors
- Transportation vehicles
- Specific equipment for use in amusement parks
- High-voltage electrical equipment such as switchgear and transformers
Note that additional regulations apply to all electronic products, such as the Low Voltage Directive (LVD) and the EMC Directive.
Additional Resources
1. The European Union Machinery Directive
2. CE Marking and Product Lab Testing
Thank you for such a great information.