Press

The new EC machine directive 2006/42 signifies not only obligation but also a chance. The justified chance, to take seriously care of the machine operator’s safety; an obligation in the sense that responsible enterprises have always met all relevant rules.

On December 29th, 2009, the new EC machine directive 2006/42 will become effective. With this change, the fundamental safety standard EN954-1 becomes invalid. Questions will, of course, arise thereof, so, for example, what will happen to machines manufactured in 2009 but not yet delivered. On the one side, the struggle of the European authorities for regulations often puts forth curious blossoms. On the other side, it is the mere necessity to avoid wild growth and deficiencies in machine safety and/or in the representation of safety. Fact is that the new machine directive has distinctly more volume than the former version: 29 articles and 12 annexes instead of the former 16 articles and 9 annexes. Among others, the “Requirements for partly completed machines” have been newly settled; in future, the manufacturer will be obliged to deliver together with the machine a „Declaration of incorporation“. The running time of a machine is now limited to 20 years. Thereafter the machine must be subject to a general overhaul or completely “taken out of service“.

For Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Pfeiffer, manager of the medium-sized company TOX PRESSOTECHNIK GmbH & Co. KG, D-88250 Weingarten, this will not evoke any special changes in business: „As technology enterprise we have always observed not only the relevant regulations, but have always planned for the future even before the introduction of the first European machine directive in 1993. TOX PRESSOTECHNIK has, for example, early changed the switching of inductive loads so that utmost safety in combination with the longevity of the switches was achieved – now a basic requirement of the new standard. So TOX awaits the reforms in calm as they are such formalities for us. The application area of the standards is now clearly defined and the contents are unequivocally described. The complex subject Safety is in the limelight, the technical realization is, however, up to the respective manufacturer“.

As soon as the new EC machine directive 2006/42 will become effective on December 29th, 2009, standard EN ISO 14121 will then apply to the estimation of the risk analysis, and standard EN ISO 13489 to the safety of machines. According to Dr.-Ing. Pfeiffer, it is not quite clear whether the last named standard with its often cited „performance levels“ will really become effective to the end of the year 2009. Also VDMA has doubts, as due to the economic crises many enterprises have serious problems with delayed deliveries of machines still manufactured in conformity with the hitherto valid EC standard 98/37.

This problem does not really touch TOX® PRESSOTECHNIK: „in compliance with our own demands we – as one of the first manufacturers – have delivered manual working places using press technique with equipment coming up to the highest safety category 4 (EN 954-1) (acknowledged and documented with usability approval by the Berufsgenossenschaft (professional association) Düsseldorf. Up to now and in future we stick to this consequent proceeding. So we have, for example, already supplied a great number of pressing/pressing-in systems with the mechatronic servo drive cylinder EPMK, equipped with safety brake and control 04-007-000, including a safety light grid. This equipment fully meets the latest technical requirements of the highest „performance level e“. Only the documentation accompanying the machine must be changed till the fixed date. Thus we are already best prepared no matter when the complete directive will become effective. And customers using our products are in any case on the safe side“ Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Pfeiffer finally points out.