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MACHINERY & MACHINE SAFETY W
hile EMC is a machinery safety issue that many find complex, there can be no doubt about the need for it. For example, if the control system of a machine
experiences electromagnetic interference it may malfunction and create a dangerous situation. Conversely, if the electrical and electronic systems fitted to a machine generate a high level of interference, they may also cause other equipment nearby to malfunction. It is therefore vital that machinery end-users understand how those manufacturing and supplying their machines are required to ensure their products meet EMC requirements. To comply with the UK’s Supply of Machinery
(Safety) Regulations 2008, any machine that includes electrical or electronic components, must also meet the Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 2016. These Regulations set out the requirements that must be met before products can be placed on the Great Britain (GB) market, with some requirements differing for the Northern Ireland market. For example, qualifying Northern Ireland goods can be placed on the GB market with the European Union’s CE and CE UKNI conformity marking. Machinery manufacturers are responsible for ensuring EMC compliance. Before placing apparatus on the GB market, they must ensure that it has been designed and manufactured in accordance with the essential requirements in Schedule 1 of the 2016 Regulations.
The essential requirements state that:
a) equipment must be designed and manufactured to ensure that the electromagnetic disturbance generated does not exceed the level above which radio and telecommunications equipment or other equipment cannot operate as intended, and
b) the equipment has a level of immunity to the electromagnetic disturbance to be expected in its intended use which allows it to operate without unacceptable degradation of its intended use.
EMC TESTING Not only does EMC testing ensure that products meet regulatory requirements, it reduces the risk of costly non-compliance. Third-party EMC tests and conformity assessments help to ensure that a product maintains its desirable features when exposed to adverse conditions (immunity test) and does not cause undue interference (emission test). For immunity testing there are three
performance criteria A, B and C that are specified in the EMC standards and each immunity test has one criteria specified. Criteria A requires the product to continue operating as
UNDERSTANDING YOUR MACHINERY MANUFACTURER’S EMC OBLIGATIONS
40 MARCH 2024 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
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