CE marking on industrial rating plates

What CE marking is

CE marking is the manufacturer's declaration that the product meets the applicable essential health and safety requirements under harmonised European legislation. It is not a quality mark: it is a legally binding declaration of conformity. Without CE marking, a machine cannot be lawfully placed on the market in the European Economic Area.

On industrial machinery, CE marking is based mainly on the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, which establishes the essential requirements and the procedure for the manufacturer to declare conformity. The marking is physically embodied on the machine's rating plate, the permanent carrier of that declaration throughout the equipment's service life.

The rating plate is not a cosmetic detail: it is permanent, regulatory technical documentation. Any inspection, audit or incident investigation starts from the data on that plate. Manufacturing it with appropriate materials and processes is part of the machine manufacturer's legal compliance.

Applicable directives and their effect on the plate

Directive 2006/42/EC (Machinery) is the usual basis for CE marking on industrial machinery. It defines the essential safety requirements and the minimum data the plate must contain.

When the machine involves other risks covered by additional directives, those directives also apply and may add data to the plate or require complementary plates. The common ones: LVD 2014/35/EU for low voltage, EMC 2014/30/EU for electromagnetic compatibility, ATEX 2014/34/EU for explosive atmospheres, PED 2014/68/EU for pressure equipment, RED 2014/53/EU for radio equipment.

In all cases, the responsibility for declaring conformity correctly lies with the manufacturer. The plate is the physical carrier of that declaration: errors or omissions on the plate can translate into legal liability for the manufacturer in the event of an incident.

Mandatory data and optional data

Mandatory data comes from the applicable directive. Optional data is added as good practice by the manufacturer or at the client's request.

Mandatory · Machinery Directive

• Name or registered name of the manufacturer.
• Full address of the manufacturer (or authorised EU representative).
• Designation of the machine (model, commercial name).
• CE marking in accordance with the regulatory dimensions and proportions.
• Year of manufacture.
• Serial number (S/N) unique to each unit.
• Electrical technical data where applicable (voltage, frequency, power).

Optional · common in industry

• Weight of the machine when relevant for handling or transport.
• IP protection rating where applicable.
• Standardised warning symbols (high voltage, crushing hazard, etc.).
• Reference to the harmonised standards followed in the design.
• Manufacturer's corporate logo (does not replace the regulatory data).

Plate location and fixing

The plate must be visible, legible and permanently fixed in an area of the equipment where it is not hidden by accessories, covers or normal operation. Common locations: the side of the electrical cabinet, the front of the frame near the operator, the side panel of the machine with direct access during maintenance.

The fixing must ensure the plate stays legible throughout the equipment's service life, which on industrial machinery can easily exceed two decades. The usual options are mechanical fixing (blind rivets, countersunk screws with thread-locking adhesive) or industrial adhesive qualified for regulatory use in stable conditions. For environments with vibration, fluid exposure or temperature, mechanical fixing is usually preferable.

When the machine is exposed to aggressive environments (continuous weathering, abrasion, chemicals), the choice of substrate and marking technique is as critical as the fixing: a perfectly fixed plate printed with an unsuitable technique can lose its data before the fixing fails.

Recommended materials and techniques

Anodised aluminium with photo-anodising is the reference combination for long-life regulatory plates. The information is embedded beneath the anodic layer and has a service life equivalent to the metal itself: decades outdoors, resistance to UV, common chemicals and abrasion.

Aluminium with high-resistance UVI printing is a valid alternative for multicolour plates or plates with complex graphics. Real durability depends on the ink-substrate combination and the environment; for regulatory plates, the photo-anodised UVI variant (UVI on open anodising, subsequent sealing) is recommended in demanding environments.

Stainless steel with laser marking is the option for environments with corrosion, continuous abrasion or high temperatures. The laser physically alters the metal surface, with no ink or layers that could peel off.

Materials to avoid for regulatory plates: polyester stickers with conventional printing ink (they fade), untreated ABS plastic plates (they age poorly outdoors), mechanical engraving without a finish (it can disappear with intensive cleaning).

Expected durability of each technique

Photo-anodising on anodised aluminium: durability equivalent to the base material. The information does not fade under UV, does not peel and does not scratch with normal cleaning. It is the reference combination for long-life regulatory identification.

Photo-anodised UVI (UVI on open anodising, subsequent sealing): reinforced durability compared with standard UVI. Suitable for multicolour plates with an expected service life of decades in industrial and moderate outdoor environments.

Standard UVI on aluminium: good durability indoors and in moderate outdoor conditions. In especially demanding environments (continuous UV over decades, continuous abrasion, aggressive chemicals) it is recommended to combine it with photo-anodising or to accept maintenance.

Laser marking on stainless steel or anodised aluminium: permanent physical alteration of the material. No ink, no layers, no risk of peeling. Ideal for individual serialisation or when the environment is aggressive.

In all cases, real durability depends on the specific environment. For critical cases we ask the client for a description of the environment (UV, chemicals, abrasion, temperature) and propose the appropriate combination.

What we see fail in service

Errors we keep seeing on plates that arrive at our workshop for replacement.

• Fixing regulatory plates with adhesive on machines with a service life of decades: the adhesive degrades and the plate is lost.
• Leaving fields blank (S/N not completed, date not engraved): it invalidates the documentary conformity.
• Using typefaces or sizes that are not legible in the real conditions of use (operator far from the equipment, low lighting).
• Sizing the plate below the minimum needed for all the data to fit legibly.
• Manufacturing the plate only in the language of the country of origin when it is to be marketed in markets with other official languages.
• Not keeping traceability of the plate batch: it makes it impossible to reproduce an identical plate if it is damaged.