CE marking under the Machinery Directive for machines and lifting equipment

What machinery CE marking includes

Machinery placed on the EU market must meet the essential health and safety requirements of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. From 20 January 2027 the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 replaces it. The directive covers machines, interchangeable equipment, safety components, lifting accessories, chains, ropes and webbing, removable mechanical transmission devices and partly completed machinery.

Lifting equipment gets particular attention because of its risk. Cranes, hoists, lifting accessories and machines that lift people carry specific essential requirements, such as working coefficients, static and dynamic test coefficients, and marking of the maximum working load.

The core of machinery CE marking is the risk assessment. The manufacturer must identify every hazard the machine presents through its life, from transport and installation to use, cleaning, maintenance and dismantling, then reduce each risk in the right order: inherently safe design first, then guards and protective devices, then information for users.

• Classification: machine, partly completed machinery, lifting accessory or safety component
• Risk assessment to EN ISO 12100 and the relevant type C standards
• Review of safety functions and control systems
• Electrical equipment check to EN 60204-1 where it applies
• Technical file, instructions, EU Declaration of Conformity or Declaration of Incorporation
• Notified body involvement for annex-listed machines where required

The options: self-declaration, notified body or partly completed machinery

Most machinery is CE marked through internal checks by the manufacturer. Machines listed in the annex of high-risk categories, such as certain woodworking machines, presses, vehicle lifts or devices for lifting persons with a risk of falling, follow a stricter route. If they are built fully to harmonised standards, the manufacturer may still self-declare in many cases; if not, a notified body must take part through type examination or a full quality assurance assessment.

Partly completed machinery, meaning equipment that cannot perform a specific application on its own and is meant to be built into a larger machine, does not carry the CE mark under the Machinery Directive. Instead the manufacturer issues a Declaration of Incorporation and assembly instructions. Getting this classification wrong is one of the most frequent errors we see.

Under the new Machinery Regulation the list of high-risk machinery changes and some categories, such as certain safety components with self-evolving behaviour, will need a third-party assessment. If your machine will be placed on the market after 20 January 2027, plan for the regulation now.

What decides the price

Machinery CE packages start at $800, including notified body fees where your machine needs a notified body.

• Machine size and complexity, from a single workstation to a production line
• High-risk annex listing and the conformity route
• Safety functions to validate, such as light curtains, interlocks and emergency stops
• Other legislation in scope, such as EMC, ATEX or outdoor noise
• Lifting functions that need load testing evidence
• Documentation available: drawings, schematics and manuals

We confirm the price after reviewing the machine description, layout drawings and control schematics, and list everything in a written quote.

Instructions are often underestimated. A machinery manual must cover transport, installation, commissioning, normal use, cleaning, maintenance, residual risks and the protective equipment users need, and writing it well takes time. We review it against the essential requirements so it supports the risk assessment rather than contradicting it.