Machinery Directive

Although it’s the thing that gets talked about the most, PS Partnerships do more than compliance for medical devices and plastic products.

Our projects span everything from industrial machinery to complex automated systems.

And if there is one thing we’ve learned from working across a wide range of sites, industries and countries, compliance is often misunderstood when it comes to machinery assemblies.

If every component in your machinery assembly is UKCA/CE marked, does that mean its compliant? Surely it must be?

In reality, the moment you integrate machines, such as an injection moulding machine, a robot and a conveyor, into one functioning unit, you’ve created a new machine assembly. And that changes everything.

Under the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 that means new responsibilities for the assembler.

Even if each machine is CE or UKCA marked, that doesn’t make the assembly compliant. Integration introduces new risks, for example pinch points, emergency stop coordination, guarding gaps, and those risks need to be assessed and controlled.

The assembler becomes the legal ‘manufacturer’ of the assembly. That means responsibility for ensuring the whole system meets essential health and safety requirements.

But what does compliance look like?

· It covers the interactions between machines, not just each machine in isolation.

· Includes design details, risk assessments and evidence of compliance with relevant standards in the technical file for the assembly.

· New Declaration of Conformity for the assembly as a whole and not just the individual machines.

· The correct marking. CE for the EU and UKCA for GB. And if you sell in both markets, dual marking is best practice. CE is still recognised in GB … but UKCA is the official standard and future-proofing matters.

Non-compliance can lead to fines, reputational damage or unsafe equipment in operation. Getting it right builds trust, ensures safety and keeps your business competitive.

At PS Partnerships we’ve helped machinery suppliers and manufacturers navigate this process, turning complex regulations into practical steps.

If you’re integrating machinery and want to make sure your assemblies are safe, compliant and market ready … get in touch at suzanne@ps-partnerships.com or give me a call on 01743 612050.

Or if you’re at Southern Manufacturing next month, pop along to stand K265 to talk more.