Does your plant conform to the PED?

Is there any need for CE marking of an assembled pressure assembly on site if all the individual components comply with the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED)?

One of the most frequently asked questions by contractors putting up plant with pressure equipment is whether there is any need for CE marking of the assembly as a whole if all the individual components comply with the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED).

To fully address this issue, there is a need to clearly understand what the term pressure assembly means.

According to the Pressure Equipment Directive 97/23/EC, pressure assemblies are several pieces of pressure equipment assembled to constitute an integrated and functional whole.

Typical examples of pressure assemblies are a refrigeration plant or a steam raising plant constituting of a steam boiler, associated pipe work, safety equipment and other ancillaries.

Conformity assessment of pressure assemblies starts with the assessment of each item in the assembly according to its category.

Each piece of pressure equipment is then subsequently assessed using a conformity assessment module.

In practice, most pressure equipment is already assessed and is CE marked to demonstrate compliance with the Pressure Equipment Directive by the time it is purchased by the contractor, who will eventually put up the pressure equipment assembly.

Such equipment should demonstrate compliance by a Declaration of Conformity issued by the manufacturer.

If an assessing Notified body was involved in the conformity assessment of the equipment, then the Notified Body needs to issue a Conformity Certificate to confirm that the equipment complies to the Pressure Equipment Directive.

The onus is on the contractor to ensure that each individual piece of pressure equipment that constitutes the pressure assembly actually complies with the PED.

The next stage is to assess the integration of the components of the assembly against Essential Safety Requirements (ESR).

All foreseeable risks as a result of operation of the equipment should be adequately addressed.

Particular attention is paid to safety equipment that prevents the assembly from exceeding the design pressure of the assembly.

The quality of the workmanship during assembly should also be taken into account.

This is particularly pertinent if there is permanent jointing that is undertaken in situ.

After taking into consideration of all the above issues, the contractor can then choose the appropriate conformity assessment module for the whole assembly.

In most instances, this will entail the involvement of a Notified Body.

TUV International UK, part of the TUV Rheinland Group, offers a range of services for products, manufacturers and contractors putting up pressure equipment assemblies.

As a Notified Body, TUV Rheinland has been involved in the conformity assessment of various pressure equipment plants as diverse as steam generating plants, de-burring machines and refrigeration plants.

TUV International UK can meet all its client requirements by drawing from the knowledge base of its competent and experienced specialists who have a solid engineering background.

Why not give them a call?.

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