Architects and specifiers look to glass industry to meet new CE Marking regulations

Architects and specifiers will be looking to glass manufacturers and suppliers to ensure there are no interruptions or delays to the CE Marking of their products from this month, according to a leading independent testing specialist.

Glass Technology Services Ltd (GTS) – one of only a few specialised providers to hold Notified Testing Laboratory status for CE Marking glass construction products – said the industry was prepared for the impact of the new Construction Products Regulation (CPR, Regulation (EU) 305/2011) which became compulsory on July 1.

GTS Technical Director Dr Nick Kirk said: “We have been working with glass and glazing system manufacturers across the supply chain to ensure that there are no interruptions or delays to the certification of their products.

“The CPR has now fully replaced the Construction Products Directive (CPD, Council Directive 89/106/EEC) and means that glass used in construction or road markings within the European Economic Area, must now be performance assessed (initial type tested) by a legally and technically independent notified testing laboratory.

“It is enforceable across the European Union and applies to all construction products that are covered by a harmonised European Standard (hEN). Previously, manufacturers and processors were able to self-certify or simply opt out, but now legal action can be taken against manufacturers, their agents and notified bodies if a product does not have the appropriate declaration of conformity for its intended use and the CE mark.”

How CE marking will be applied and who will police it is still a matter of debate in the industry. Garry Smith, GTS Principal Consultant, adds: “The aim of the CPR is to level the playing field. Many global manufacturers have been CE marking since the European Standards were set two years ago, but others are catching up to meet this summer’s deadline.  

“Every time a product is sold (placed on the market) to an end user, or a customer in the supply chain, the product must have the relevant CE documentation when the product is the subject of a hEN.”

GTS is a Notified Body (number 2461) under the CPR for Initial Type Testing (ITT) of glass construction products under Attestation of Conformity (AoC) System 3. The independent specialists assess pendulum body impact resistance, thermal properties, radiation properties and a range of other performance characteristics of glass in accordance with European Norms (EN 12600, EN 410, EN 673 and EN 12898).

Working across the glass supply chain providing laboratory and on-site testing and analysis for glass manufacturers, processors and manipulators, fillers, brand owners, retailers, architects, building contractors and consulting engineers, GTS has an international client base drawn from a wide range of markets including architectural, automotive, food and drink, pharmaceutical and technical, defence, photonics and biomedical.