New Machinery Ordinance vs. old Machinery Directive

Do you know the feeling of being constantly overwhelmed by new regulations and legislative changes? There is currently the Machinery Directive, which applies to machinery and partly completed machinery placed on the market in the EU. Its requirements affect everyone who has anything to do with machinery: Designers, developers, manufacturers, planners, but also importers, sellers, lessors and those placing machinery on the market.

As the EU is very diligent in issuing new sensible and sometimes less sensible regulations, the current Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC will be replaced by the new Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 from 20.1.2027, i.e. in about 3 years' time. This is a (binary) cut-off date regulation. The relevant date is the date on which a product is placed on the market. In other words, if you are a manufacturer working on a complex project that will not be placed on the market until after January 20, 2027, you should already apply the new MVO; in all other cases, the Machinery Directive still applies. In other words: All machines that are delivered before January 20, 2027 will receive a declaration of conformity in accordance with the Machinery Directive, all products after this date will receive a declaration of conformity in accordance with the Machinery Ordinance.

Of course, manufacturers can already fulfill additional requirements (e.g. with regard to security). A mixture of formal requirements (such as conformity assessment procedures) is not envisaged.

Well, as with all new regulations, it doesn't get any easier.

The EU's new Machinery Regulation introduces a number of changes aimed at increasing the safety of machinery while simplifying compliance with standards. One of the most notable changes is the increased emphasis on risk assessment and risk reduction in the development and operation of machinery. This means that manufacturers are now obliged to carry out and document more extensive safety assessments.

The demands on safety and documentation have increased. More emphasis is being placed on the transparency of the materials used, the operating software and the potential sources of danger. Manufacturers are now more responsible for ensuring that their products meet the highest safety standards.

We can provide you with crucial support in this context. With our specialized expertise in FEM and CFD simulations, Merkle CAE Solutions can help simulate and improve the safety and performance of machines, even in critical situations such as fire or explosion scenarios. Precise calculations and analyses allow potential risks to be identified and eliminated at an early stage. At the same time, you can use the reports from Merkle CAE Solutions as evidence for documentation.

The time for developing machines can become tighter due to the new requirements. However, with the support of Merkle CAE Solutions' simulations, this pressure can be reduced, as simulations and tests can be carried out virtually and therefore faster than with physical prototypes.

Let's take the development of an electrolyzer as an example. Under the old Machinery Directive, standard tests for mechanical stress would be sufficient. Under the new regulation, the risk must now also be assessed if leaks, e.g. cracks in the membrane, can lead to local explosions. The DAU (stupidest assumed user) should also be taken into account.

Merkle CAE Solutions supports you in determining and simulating critical scenarios and helps you to quickly find suitable solutions.

In summary, the new EU Machinery Regulation raises the bar for safety and quality. We help you to master these new challenges and bring your innovations to market safely and efficiently. So that you are off the track in good time before the train arrives.

PS: You can download the new Machinery Ordinance here:https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32023R1230