FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the CE Certificate?

It is a certification established by the European Union to ensure that aluminum fabricators meet the technical specifications and processes established by the manufacturer (EUROPA) in accordance with Regulation 305/11. This certification aligns with standard EN 14351-1, specifically for the fabrication of aluminum doors and windows.

Purpose: The purpose of the CE Marking is transparency in terms of the performance of the frames to protect both the end-user and the fabricator, ensuring that the fabricator understands what they produce and sell and that buyers know what they are purchasing.

Supporting Documents to be Provided by the Aluminum Fabricator:

• CE Declaration of Performance (DoP): A declaration by the fabricator that their products fully comply with EU Directive 89/106/EEC and relevant reference standards for “Air Permeability,” “Water Tightness,” and “Wind Resistance.” You can download a sample CE Declaration of Performance here
• Product Specifications: Accompanying table detailing each frame’s specifications.
• Warranty: Document specifying the warranty for the proper operation of the frames.
• User and Maintenance Instructions: Document with instructions for proper use and maintenance.

Responsibility of the Fabricator:

The responsibility for the proper application of the CE Marking lies solely with the fabricator, who must provide the end-user with the CE compliance statement and relevant usage and maintenance instructions. If the fabricator is not also the installer, they must prepare and provide instructions for proper installation to the installation team.

Detailed Information

What is the CE Certificate?

The CE Marking indicates that a product complies with EU legislation and can therefore circulate freely within the European market. By placing the CE Mark on a product, the manufacturer declares, under their responsibility, that the product meets all legal requirements, allowing it to be sold across the European Economic Area (EEA) (EU’s 28 member states and the countries in the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), i.e., Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein). The same applies to products manufactured in other countries and sold in the EEA.

CE Marking is not required for all products but only for those categories specified in EU directives regarding CE marking. The CE Marking does not indicate that a product was made in the EEA; it simply indicates that the product has been assessed before entering the market and meets the applicable legislative requirements (e.g., a harmonized level of safety), allowing its sale in this market. CE Marking is not an origin or quality mark; it is a declaration of compliance with minimum performance levels as stated by the fabricator.

Specifically, CE Marking means that the manufacturer:

• Has verified the product’s compliance with all relevant essential requirements as set forth in the applicable directives, and
• Ensured that it has been examined by an independent conformity assessment body if required by the applicable directives.

The manufacturer is responsible for the conformity assessment, preparing the technical documentation, issuing a declaration of conformity, and affixing the CE Marking to a product. Distributors must verify that the product bears the CE Marking and that the required documentation has been submitted. If the product is imported from a country outside the EEA, the importer must verify that the manufacturer has completed the necessary steps and that the required documentation is available upon request.

Validity: All aluminum systems manufactured and sold within the European Union must have the CE Marking as of February 1, 2010.

Application: CE Marking applies to both external and internal doors and windows according to the following reference standards:

• EN 14351-1: Windows and doors – Product standard, performance characteristics – Part 1: Windows and external pedestrian door sets without fire resistance and/or smoke control characteristics.
• Components: EN 14351-1 allows for the use of components other than those used in the initial type testing without retesting, provided they perform at least as well as the original components (“functional equivalence” principle).

This standard will be completed with parts 2 and 3, which are in the final stages of development (PR EN 14351-2: Internal pedestrian door sets without fire resistance and/or smoke control characteristics, and PR EN 14351-3: Windows and pedestrian door sets with fire resistance and/or smoke control characteristics). Currently, only reference standard EN 14351-1 applies. Thus, a CE-marked frame complies with the Construction Products Directive CEE 89/106 (CPD) and the relevant Guidance Document M and meets the specifications of reference standard EN 14351-1.

Reference Standard Requirements

General Mandatory Requirements:

• Wind Resistance (ELOT EN 12211)
• Water Tightness (ELOT EN 1027)
• Air Permeability (ELOT EN 1026)
• Sound Insulation (ELOT EN 14351)
• Thermal Insulation (ELOT EN 12412.02, ELOT EN ISO 10077.02)
• Optical and thermal properties of glass panes
• Load-bearing capacity of safety devices (EN 14609/EN 948 or by calculation)

Frames must not contain substances and materials potentially harmful to health. The aforementioned standards classify testing methods and result categories.

Specific Mandatory Requirements:

• Snow load resistance (skylights, roof windows)
• Impact resistance (where required by national legislation)

General Optional Requirements:

• Burglary resistance
• Bullet resistance
• Blast resistance
• Mechanical strength
• Mechanical durability
• Handling stress

Specific Optional Requirements:

• Ventilation (if ventilation devices are present)
• Flatness of panes

CE Marking / Label on Frames:

• The “label” must display the manufacturer’s information (e.g., U954) and the product’s performance as specified in EN 14351-1, confirming that the final product meets predefined requirements with specific declared performance, for which the fabricator is fully responsible.
  Labels may be affixed to the frame, packaging, or as an accompanying document. Besides the label, the fabricator must provide the end-user with the Declaration of Performance, stating that the frame complies with reference standards and directives.

REQUIREMENTS FOR OBTAINING CE CERTIFICATE

For the right to use the CE Marking, the fabricator must have:

Initial Type Testing (ITT): Results of tests (test report) conducted on a sample frame at a notified laboratory, declaring the frame’s performance characteristics.
The fabricator can obtain ITT reports in three ways:

• Conducting their own tests at a notified laboratory, selecting the typology and dimensions of the sample frame.
• Using cascading ITT results.
• Using shared ITT results.

Factory Production Control (FPC): FPC is a system in which the fabricator declares and ensures production uniformity and maintains the performance of the tested sample over time. The FPC is the sole responsibility of the fabricator, with no external verification required, and must include:

• Documents showing ITT results (measurement reports).
• Documents accompanying the contract between the supplier and the fabricator if using cascading ITT rights.
• A written description of material control processes, machine and tool condition inspections, and maintenance at intervals determined by the fabricator.
• Written procedures for managing non-compliant products.
• Documentation retention for five years for delivered orders and for ITT reports until the typologies of frames covered by the reports are produced.

If the fabricator holds an ISO 9000 or later certification or a SEKA – Q.SYSTEM certification from an official body, the FPC will be compliant with CE Marking requirements.