EN 1090: Well prepared with MicroStep

From the small firm to the large enterprise: since the beginning of July, companies that manufacture and weld load-bearing components are obligated in accordance with the European Construction Product Directive to bring exclusively building products with a CE-mark onto the market in the member states of the EU. The necessary requirement for the CE-mark is the certification of the manufacturing company to EN1090 and thus the proof of a factory production control (FPC).

Successful certification with MicroStep technology

Some manufacturers that use MicroStep cutting machines in their production have already successfully completed the occasionally complex certification process and have integrated the measures required according to EN 1090 into their operational procedures. One of them is Finger Schlosserei und Baustahl GmbH in Breitenthal, Bavaria. Amongst other things the company manufactures steel structures for industrial and public sector clients – from bridges and halls to components for roller coasters or for the maintenance of aircraft. One of the machines used for cutting components to size and preparing welding seams is an MG plasma cutting plant from MicroStep that meets all the requirements for successful certification. Dr. Alexander Varga, head of development at the MicroStep Group, can confirm that: “In principle all of our new-generation cutting systems equipped with fine-plasma current sources can cut with the quality demanded by EN 1090 – and that also includes the cutting of seams in preparation for welding.” He says that this refers, for example, to the execution classes EXC2 and EXC3, perpendicularity tolerance “u” and averaged surface roughness “Rz5” in accordance with EN ISO 9013 Area 4, or the execution class EXC4, perpendicularity tolerance “u” and averaged surface roughness “Rz5” in accordance with EN ISO 9013 Area 3.

Facilitated documentation for the factory production control

At the same time, according to Dr. Varga, all CNC plants from MicroStep are generally capable of outputting the parameters used for cutting for documentation purposes. That is a decisive criterion for Finger Schlosserei und Stahlbau GmbH: “The bottom line is that, in comparison with manual documentation with pen and paper, this saves us a great deal of work”, says CEO Alexander Finger.

“The values demanded by EN 1090, for example for perpendicularity or the properties of cut edges and surfaces, are reliably complied with by our MicroStep plasma cutting plant”, says welding engineer Gereon Müller, head of quality management at Seitz Stahl- u. Metallgestaltung GmbH & Co. KG. The company from the town of Speicher in the southern Eifel region of Germany is known above all for the construction of turnkey production halls and other steel structures such as those used for car showrooms. Amongst others, a MicroStep plasma cutting plant from the MG series is used for production at Seitz. The company has just recently been certified to EN1090 and Müller says that the importance of this standard should not be underestimated: “Serious punishment threatens those that don't comply with the new regulations.”

A lack of certification can be detrimental to business

CEO Alexander Finger, whose company currently employs over 35 people, also underlines the far-reaching importance of the subject for his company: “A large portion of our business would have been endangered without this certification.” Huge problems can occur in the construction industry without perfect and complete certification – in an extreme case the acceptance of the already completed system can be completely refused by the respective client. The contractor is then at least left with the costs or must subsequently attempt to furnish suitable proof. And the latter is in many cases either impossible or extremely complicated and uneconomical.


Related references: Mauchle Metalbau AG (Switzerland), Finger Schlosserei und Stahlbau GmbH (Germany)