For the designers, managers and installers who work for manufacturers of equipment supplied only to specific fixed installations (sometimes called custom-engineered equipment) — and may also be of interest to people responsible for the EMC compliance of Fixed Installations

This Directive applies to every new design of custom-engineered equipment supplied in Europe from 1st July 2007.

Agenda

1. The requirements of 2004/108/EC for Fixed Installations – 1 hr
2. Discussion of particular cases – ½ hr
3. CE + CE does not achieve compliance – what to do instead – 1 hr
4. Good EMC practices in the design and assembly of equipment – 4 hrs

Presented by: EurIng Keith Armstrong C.Eng, MIEE, MIEEE, ACGI

2004/108/EC, Fixed Installations, and equipment intended for them

2004/108/EC is the 2nd Edition of the EMC Directive, and one of its major differences from the first edition 89/336/EEC is that it includes specific requirements for what it calls “Fixed Installations”, and for equipment that is sold directly for them (and not available to just anyone).

Fixed installations are defined in 2004/108 as: “A particular combination of several types of apparatus and, where applicable, other devices, which are assembled, installed and intended to be used permanently at a predefined location.” This covers all installations from the smallest residential electrical installations through hotels, public buildings, entertainment venues and factories to national infrastructure (e.g. electrical, telephone, road and railway networks) and includes all commercial and industrial installations.

People create all sorts of installations for their own use, for example domestic multi-media installations in private houses. But if they are not doing it professionally, and if they only use apparatus that is compliant with the EMC Directive and use it as intended by its suppliers – then 2004/108 requires no further conformity assessment or other EMC actions.

However, the EC expects professional installers to be competent in all areas that concern compliance with the applicable Directives. If you create your own fixed electrical installation for producing goods, energy, or services – or if you supply equipment for use in a named fixed installation – then it must comply with the specific requirements in 2004/108/EC from 1st July 2007, and be documented accordingly.

The national laws implementing 2004/108/EC in each EU member state define who is the “Responsible Person” for each fixed installation. This person is responsible for ensuring that the installation complies with the Directive, and that good EMC engineering practices are used in its construction. They must also document how they have ensured EMC compliance, and keep those documents ready for inspection by the EMC enforcing authorities.

Relying solely on purchasing products that are CE marked will not achieve ‘due diligence’ in compliance with 2004/108/EC, either for equipment manufacturers or for the people responsible for fixed installations.
In all fixed installations, it will be necessary to assess the electromagnetic environment, ensure that the EMC characteristics of the purchased equipment are appropriate for that environment, and then to follow the supplier’s EMC installation, operation and maintenance instructions.

2004/108/EC does not require custom-engineered equipment to pass any EMC tests, or be CE marked for EMC compliance – however, it does require all such equipment to be provided to their end-users with documents that:

• Identify the fixed installations they are intended for
• Give their manufacturers’ names and addresses (or that of their agents or EU importers)
• Uniquely identify them (e.g. type no., batch no., serial no.)
• Identify the EMC characteristics of the fixed installations they are intended for
• Indicate the precautions to be taken for incorporating them into the fixed installations so as not to compromise the conformity of those installations with the Protection Requirements

This training course is specifically designed to provide practical guidance on compliance with the new EMC Directive 2004/108/EC, for the designers of equipment intended to be supplied to named fixed installations, and also to their assembly personnel and managers.

Expanded Agenda:

1. The requirements of 2004/108/EC for Fixed Installations

• Background to 2004/108 and its Guide
• Apparatus
• Fixed Installations
• Good EMC Engineering Practices
• The “Responsible Person” for a fixed installation
• What a Responsible Person needs to know about EMC
• Modifications to fixed installations
• Large machines
• Mobile and moveable installations
• Equipment supplied only to specified fixed installations
• Systems
• Supply chain issues
• Some useful references

2. Discussion of particular cases

• An unscripted discussion for 30 minutes

3. CE + CE does not achieve compliance – what to do instead

• Why the ‘CE+CE’ approach cannot achieve EMC compliance
• Determining purchasing specifications for the EMC performance required
• Judging suppliers' evidence of EMC performance and EMC Instructions
• Some useful references

4. Good EMC practices in the design and assembly of equipment

• Buying electrical/electronic units
• Following the manufacturer's sensible EMC instructions
• Following good EMC practices
• The problem with wires is that they are all antennae now
• Route send/return current paths together
• Creating an RF reference plane
• Routing conductors close to the ‘RF reference plane’
• RF bonding techniques for metalwork
• Don’t confuse the reference plane with safety earthing
• RF bonding techniques for units and PCBs
• RF bonding techniques for cable screens
• Choosing and using filters
• Enclosure shielding and how not to ruin it
• Choosing and using EMC gaskets
• Preventing galvanic corrosion
• Cable classes, segregation, and routing
• Segregation of units
• Maintaining compliance in maintenance, repair, and upgrading
• Information in user manuals
• Some useful references