Where to begin? BS/DIN EN 10204:1991/2004

[insomnai]

Ok, a bit of background first, Hi, nice to meet you all... I hope you gents/ladies can help as I am about as stuck as you could be.

Firstly, I am very very new to this field, I recently switched jobs from computer repair (very over-saturated market) and am now an employee of a gasket cutting company, been there for a couple of months performing light CAD duties (recreating drawings from customers that our machine can cut from) through to inputting sales orders for various gaskets. I have noticed an increasing trend of people asking for things like 'please include 2.1 certification', or '2.2', '3.1' and finally '3.2'. Now the company I work for is going through a growth spurt which needs them to improve standards and traceability, which leads me onto my next set of questions.

After doing some research and please, bear in mind I know absolutely nothing about this industry, I have come across this EN 10204:1991 superseded by 2004 which covers the very basics in certificate requirements, but it doesn't really tell me what these are.

When I order components from other suppliers, they always seem to have 'EN 10204 2.1' simply written onto their despatch/advice note, which I suppose makes sense if there is nothing really required in 2.1, but what are the requirements for 2.2? What 'should' be included in one? Reading this 14 page PDF I bought tells 'the new guy' nothing. i.e. 'none specific testing'? How none specific? Would this be a sheet of paper that I include with goods that states 'yes, this white gasket is in fact white!'? What 'non-specific testing' should be performed exactly? I mean, for all I know, it could be how many flushes it takes before it disappears down the loo, but i'm certain it doesn't quite mean that!

Any help at all would be very much appreciated.

Thanks for your time and patience

insomnai

 

[SJones]

What is wrong with Clause 2 - Terms and definitions? What gets tested or measured, and how it gets tested or measured, is stated in the 'product specification.' Non-specific inspection is clear - the manufacturer can use their own inspection procedures, not necessarily in accordance with the product specification, and the products inspected are not necessarily the products actually supplied.

If you are really, really interested, and want to spend some more money, you may wish to acquire EN 10168 Steel products - Inspection documents - List of information and description, along with ISO/IEC 17050 Parts 1 & 2, but I don't recommend it.

Steve Jones
Corrosion Management Consultant

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/8/83b/b04

All answers are personal opinions only and are in no way connected with any employer.

 

[micalbrch]

You have to know that EN 10204 is - from reading the words - valid for metal products but can be used for plastics, too. It is a standard which describes what kind of material certificates can be issued, by whom and what basic information they must contain. But that is very general. The specific tests for certain materials are specified somewhere else (see Steve's post). Nowadays many (even very famous) companies for any kind of equipment, machines etc. refer to EN 10204 on their test certificates although this standard was never made for that.

 

[insomnai]

This could be where I am going wrong. The 14 page document that refers to EN 10204 doesn't actually state what needs testing or how... It seems to be more of a reference guide than anything else.

Any help you can afford is greatly appreciated!

insomnai

 

[SJones]

What '14 page document' is that, specifically?

Steve Jones
Corrosion Management Consultant

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/8/83b/b04

All answers are personal opinions only and are in no way connected with any employer.

 

[EdStainless]

The specifics are in a product specifications some where, "white plastic gasket stuff".
All 10204 tells you is what needs to be reported.
There used to be 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3. But as I recall now it is either 2 or 3.
2 basically just requires a statement saying that it is the right stuff.
3 requires you to report the values that are required in the material specification.
On its own 10204 means nothing, you need a specific material specification to know what to do.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Plymouth Tube

 

[OSIRIS7]

Have look at the PED guidelines. Probably they answer some if not all of your questions:

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/pressure-and-gas/documents/ped/guidelines/index_en.htm

With regard to EN 10204, you couls interprete 2.1 as "we have delivered the items you asked for", like a standard gasket. Or if the customer asks for some kind of extra test for example, a 2.2 certificate is added which can be interpreted "I have delivered what you requested, and include the results of the extra demands in this certificate".

Kind regards,
Kelly

 

[tamal1475]

EN 10204 describes the types of inspection documents that are prepared for metallic materials. One can probably use the same for non metals also. Table A.1 gives the meaning of different types inspection documents. In simple terms what OSIRIS7 has stated is very appropriate. Additionally 3.1 or 3.2 are differentiated by who certifies the test results to give more assurance to the customers regarding their authenticity,