Table Of Contents
- What Is EN 1090 Certification?
- Who Needs EN 1090 Certification?
- EN 1090-1 vs EN 1090-2 vs EN 1090-3
- Why EN 1090 Requirements Matter
- List ItEN 1090 Certification Requirements: 15-Point Checklistem
- Documents Manufacturers Should Review
- Common EN 1090 Preparation Gaps
- EN 1090 Certification Process
- EN 1090 Requirements for Indian Manufacturers
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Final Pre-Certification Check
Key Takeaways
15-POINT CHECKLIST
FACTORY PRODUCTION CONTROL
WELDING REQUIREMENTS
CERTIFICATION READINESS
EN 1090 Certification Requirements: 15-Point Checklist for Structural Steel & Aluminium Manufacturers
Skilled welders, approved WPS, qualified welding procedures, calibrated equipment and manufacturing experience are essential—but are they enough to achieve EN 1090 certification? Manufacturers frequently ask the following questions. What Execution Class applies? ISO 3834 is it required? Are the WPS/WPQR records sufficient? What should Factory Production Control (FPC) cover? How can Indian manufacturers get their products certified in Europe? EN 1090 compliance is not just about certificates. Manufacturers must be able to show that structural steel or aluminium elements are controlled and consistently manufactured against the specified requirements. For products within the scope of application, EN 1090-1 connects FPC, Declaration of Performance (DoP) and CE marking requirements under the Construction Products Regulation (CPR).
This 15-point checklist outlines the main things manufacturers should check before EN 1090 certification.
Who Needs EN 1090 Certification?
EN 1090 certification can be applied to the manufacturers of structural steel and aluminium components for construction, depending on the product’s intended use, structural function and applicable technical specification. Typical products are steel frames, beams, columns, trusses, platforms, stairways, bridges, towers, load-bearing elements and structural aluminium elements . Main idea Not every product made from steel or aluminium is automatically subject to EN 1090-1. The requirements of EN 1090 are determined by the function of the product, its intended use and the applicable specification.
EN 1090-1 vs EN 1090-2 vs EN 1090-3
One of the easiest ways to get to grips with the EN 1090 family is:
Standard Primary Goal
- EN 1090 – 1 Structural components – Conformity assessment requirements
- EN 1090 – 2 Technical requirements for the erection of steel structures
- EN 1090 – 3 Technical requirements for the execution of aluminium structures.
Hence, a manufacturer should not consider EN 1090-1 as the complete technical fabrication specification. For a steel fabricator EN 1090-1 and relevant provisions of EN 1090-2 usually go hand in hand. EN 1090-3 becomes applicable to the execution requirements for aluminium structural fabrication.
| Standard | Main focus | Relevant to |
|---|---|---|
| EN 1090-1 | Conformity assessment requirements for structural components | Manufacturers placing applicable structural steel or aluminium components on the market |
| EN 1090-2 | Technical requirements for execution of steel structures | Structural steel fabrication and execution |
| EN 1090-3 | Technical requirements for execution of aluminium structures | Structural aluminium fabrication and execution |
Why EN 1090 Requirements Matter
It may look OK as a structural component but to be compliant with EN 1090 you need to have documented evidence of controlled production. Manufacturers need to demonstrate material traceability, valid WPS and welder qualifications, calibrated equipment, inspection records and effective Factory Production Control (FPC).
Key point: EN 1090 is about consistent, controlled and traceable manufacturing – not just visual quality.
EN 1090 Certification Requirements: 15-Point Checklist
Use this EN 1090 checklist to review your manufacturing system before certification.
1. Confirm EN 1090-1 Applicability
Verify the product’s structural function, intended use, material, applicable specification and market requirements before determining whether EN 1090-1 applies.
2. Determine the Execution Class
Establish the applicable EXC1, EXC2, EXC3 or EXC4 from relevant project and technical requirements. The Execution Class influences manufacturing, welding and inspection controls.
3. Establish Factory Production Control (FPC)
Maintain an effective FPC system covering responsibilities, production, inspection, records, traceability, nonconformities and corrective actions.
4. Control Incoming Materials
Verify the grade, specification, dimensions, identification, condition and required inspection documents of incoming materials and relevant constituent products.
5. Maintain Material Traceability
Ensure required traceability from material certificates and incoming identification through fabrication to the finished structural component.
6. Control Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS)
Ensure the correct, controlled WPS is available and followed during welding.
7. Verify Welding Procedure Qualifications
Confirm the supporting WPQR/procedure qualification covers the actual welding process, materials, thicknesses, joints and applicable ranges.
8. Verify Welder Qualifications
Ensure welder and welding operator qualifications are valid and cover the production work being performed.
9. Establish Welding Coordination
Assign competent welding coordination personnel with clearly defined responsibilities for welding-related activities and controls.
10. Address ISO 3834 Requirements
Establish applicable welding quality requirements using the relevant level of EN ISO 3834-2, ISO 3834-3 or ISO 3834-4, as required.
11. Control Welding Consumables
Control the purchase, identification, storage, handling and issue of welding consumables according to applicable requirements.
12. Control Production Equipment
Maintain appropriate maintenance, calibration or verification controls for equipment that can affect product conformity.
13. Implement Inspection and Testing
Plan and document required dimensional inspection, welding inspection, visual testing, NDT and final inspection, as applicable.
14. Control Nonconforming Products
Ensure nonconformities are identified, recorded, evaluated, corrected or otherwise dispositioned, and verified as appropriate.
15. Maintain Conformity & CE Marking Documentation
Where applicable, maintain the records required for conformity, including the Declaration of Performance (DoP) and CE marking information.
Final Check: Can you demonstrate a clear chain from product → material → fabrication → welding → inspection → declared performance → CE marking information? If yes, your EN 1090 documentation and production controls are on a strong foundation.
Scope & Requirements
✓ Product applicability
✓ Applicable EN 1090 requirements
✓ Execution Class
Factory Production Control
✓ FPC system
✓ Defined responsibilities
✓ Controlled procedures and records
Welding Control
✓ Welding coordination
✓ Qualified welding procedures
✓ Qualified welding personnel
Materials & Production
✓ Material identification
✓ Traceability
✓ Controlled fabrication activities
Certification
✓ Inspection & testing
✓ Equipment control
✓ NC control
✓ Documentation and records
EN 1090 Certification Process: Simple Overview
For manufacturers wondering what happens after preparation, the process can broadly be understood as:
1.Determine applicability and requirements
Identify the relevant product scope, technical specifications and Execution Class.
2.Establish Factory Production Control
Create and implement the manufacturing controls required for consistent conformity.
3.Establish applicable welding controls
Where welding is involved, ensure procedures, qualifications, personnel, coordination and quality requirements are appropriately controlled.
4.Prepare technical and quality evidence
Organise traceability, inspection, equipment and manufacturing records.
5.FPC assessment
The manufacturer’s Factory Production Control is assessed against applicable EN 1090-1 requirements.
6.Address identified nonconformities
Where findings occur, appropriate corrective action and evidence may be required.
7.Certification decision
Following successful completion of the applicable conformity assessment requirements, certification of FPC may be issued.
8.Maintain the system
Certification is not the end of FPC. The manufacturer needs to maintain conformity and applicable surveillance requirements.
EN 1090 Requirements for Indian Structural Steel & Aluminium Manufacturers
A common misconception is that EN 1090 certification is only relevant to manufacturers physically located in Europe.
For an Indian manufacturer, the important question is usually the product and target market, not simply the location of the factory.
If structural steel or aluminium components manufactured in India are intended for the European market and fall within the applicable EN 1090-1/CPR framework, the relevant conformity requirements need to be considered before placing those products on that market.
This is especially important for Indian manufacturers involved in:
- Export fabrication
- Structural steel projects
- Infrastructure components
- Industrial structures
- Aluminium structural fabrication
- European customer contracts
For exporters, preparing the manufacturing controls early can prevent compliance requirements from becoming a last-minute issue after production is already underway.
Final Pre-Certification Check
Before asking whether your company is ready for EN 1090 certification, try one exercise.
Choose one completed structural component from your workshop.
Then trace it backwards.
Can you identify:
- Its specification?
- Its material records?
- Its material identification?
- Who fabricated and welded it?
- Which welding procedure was used?
- Whether the qualifications were applicable?
- Which equipment and inspection controls were relevant?
- What inspection evidence exists?
- Whether any nonconformity occurred?
- What conformity documentation belongs to the finished product?
If your organisation can answer those questions with controlled, retrievable evidence, you are already thinking about EN 1090 in the right way.
If the answers depend on one employee remembering what happened, there is a control gap worth investigating.
EN 1090 compliance is ultimately about something simple:
Can your manufacturing system repeatedly demonstrate that structural components are produced under controlled conditions according to the applicable requirements?
That is a much stronger question than:
“Do we have all the certificates?”
EN 1090 Certification – PRVÁ ZVÁRAČSKÁ, a. s.
PRVÁ ZVÁRAČSKÁ, a. s. provides certification for manufacturers working with structural steel and aluminium components within the applicable EN 1090 certification scope.
Manufacturers preparing for certification should establish and maintain the applicable Factory Production Control, welding, traceability, inspection and documentation requirements relevant to their manufacturing scope and Execution Class.
Planning EN 1090 certification for your manufacturing facility?
For information about the EN 1090 certification process, manufacturers may contact PRVÁ ZVÁRAČSKÁ, a. s .