The new EU Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC came into effect on December 29, 2009, and the old Machinery Directive 98/37/EC was abolished. Any machinery that meets the definition of the Machinery Directive must fulfill all the requirements of the directive in order to be able to circulate in the European market. Food machinery also falls within the scope of mechanical products, so if one wants to conduct trade in the EU, they need to obtain the EU CE certification in order to be able to sell and distribute in the European market.

　　With the continuous development of the food machinery production industry, the export volume of food machinery has been steadily increasing. The countries where food machinery is exported have also expanded from the original Southeast Asia and Middle East regions to developed countries and regions such as Europe and the United States. In order to better cope with trade technical barriers and expand the international market share of our country's food machinery, many food machinery enterprises have launched safety certifications such as CE and UL.

　　The CE certification for food machinery is based on three major certification directives:

　　1. Mechanical Directive 2006/42/EC Machinery Directive

　　2. Low Voltage Directive 2006/95/EC

　　3. Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive 2004/108/EC

　　The mechanical directive 2006/42/EC clearly stipulates the seven types of products to which this directive applies:

　　1. Machinery

　　A machine refers to a device composed of several components that is either powered by non-human or other animal forces, is equipped with or designed to accommodate a driving system, and has at least one component that can move. It is specifically designed to perform a certain function. (99% of the production and processing equipment used in factories fall under this definition of a machine)

　　2. Replaceable Equipment

　　Replaceable equipment refers to devices that can be installed on mechanical equipment and are used to modify or enhance the mechanical functions. Tools do not fall under the category of replaceable equipment as defined here.

　　3. Safety Components

　　Safety components refer to those purely designed to achieve safety functions. These components do not affect the functionality of the machinery. If such components fail, they will pose a significant threat to the safety of operators. Such components can be sold independently in the market.

　　4. Upgrade equipment accessories

　　The lifting equipment accessories refer to the independent devices installed between the lifting equipment and the lifted equipment. The lifting slings and their components fall under the category of lifting equipment accessories.

　　5. Chains, ropes, wire meshes

　　Chains, ropes and wire meshes refer to the components installed on the lifting equipment or its accessories, which are mainly used for lifting purposes.

　　6. Removable mechanical transmission device

　　The detachable mechanical transmission device refers to the transmission device installed between the power source and the driven equipment. If the equipment has a protective device, the protective device and the device should be regarded as a single entity and cannot be separated.

　　7. Semi-finished machinery

　　A semi-finished mechanical device refers to a piece of equipment that is about to be assembled into a complete machine, but it does not have any functionality on its own. An independent drive system is an example of a semi-finished mechanical device.

　　Compliance with the mechanical directive 2006/42/EC, for any machinery, the CE compliance process should include the following steps, to be carried out by the manufacturer:

　　Ensure that the product meets all the basic health and safety requirements applicable to it.

　　2. Carry out all necessary procedures required for evaluating the product's conformity.

　　3. Possess technical documents as well as all the documents related to product compliance

　　4. Prepare the conformity declaration and ensure that it is attached to the product.

　　5. Attach the CE mark to the product.

　　However, for partially completed machines, the above process may differ. In such cases, the manufacturer needs to:

　　Prepare all the technical documents as described in Part B of this instruction.

　　2. Prepare the assembly instructions as defined in Appendix VI of the instructions.

　　3. In accordance with the provisions of Part B of Section 1 of Annex II, formulate the company's establishment declaration.

　　4. Ensure that partially completed machines are accompanied by assembly instructions and company statements.

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