RE: Certification to BS EN 1090 EXC3 and Future Opportunities

 

JDS Engineering are currently undergoing an expansion in order to meet the high demands of our industry and the growing needs of our Clients.

 

Fundamental to this expansion is that JDS Engineering Ltd have commenced the process of obtaining certification to ISO 3834 Part 2 in order to fabricate steel structures to Execution Class 3 (EXC3) and have appointed a Responsible Welding Co-ordinator (RWC) to our team.

 

The standard we will be working to, BS EN 1090, is split into 3 distinct parts as summarised below:

 

• BS EN 1090-1: Part one of the standard describes the measures and controls required for conformity assessment in structural steel CE Marking. It specifies how fabricators should demonstrate that the components they produce meet the performance characteristics that are declared, making them fit for use.

 

• BS EN 1090-2: Part two of the standard details the technical requirements for the design and manufacture of structural steel, including welding consumables and preparation. It determines requirements that ensure adequate levels of stability, resistance, serviceability and durability are met. These become the performance characteristics that are declared, as required under Part 1 of the standard.

 

• BS EN 1090-3: Part three of the standard details the technical requirements for the design and manufacture of structural aluminium, including welding consumables and preparation. As above, it determines requirements that ensure adequate levels of stability, resistance, serviceability and durability are met. These become the performance characteristics that are declared, as required under Part 1 of the EN 1090 standard.

 

BS EN 1090-2 sets out the technical requirements necessary for CE Marking fabricated steel, to ensure steel structures and components meet adequate levels of mechanical resistance, stability, serviceability and durability. The standard then defines four Execution Classes (EXCs), based on the intended use of the structure and the severity of potential impact if it were to fail; they range from EXC1-EXC4, with EXC1 being the least stringent and EXC4 being the most.  The level of checks and controls that must be adhered to increase as the EXC increases.

 

EXC1: EN ISO 3834-4 – Elementary quality requirements

 

EXC2: EN ISO 3834-3 – Standard quality requirement

 

EXC3: EN ISO 3834-2 – Comprehensive quality requirements – JDS currently working towards.

 

EXC4: EN ISO 3834-2 Comprehensive quality requirements 

 

 

In order for JDS engineering Ltd to meet the requirements of CE Marking for structural steelwork, we have had to implement a robust Factory Production Control (FPC) and Welding Quality Management System (WQMS), which we introduced in the second quarter of this year.

 

The FPC is a system of documented procedures, flowcharts, assessment, inspection and test records, which are used to control and fully document the manufacturing process, ensuring consistency and full traceability. This is effectively the factory’s quality management system; it is similar to and shares a number of elements with the ISO 9001 standard for Quality Management Systems.

 

The documented WQMS that has been implemented and now being maintained in accordance with the Part 2 of BS EN ISO 3834, will allow JDS Engineering Ltd to be certify / CE Mark fabricated steel to EXC3.  This will allow us to produce work at and below EXC3, ie EXC2 and 1, with the most common being EXC2 within the industry.

 

It is anticipated that we will achieve the standard by the beginning of September and would ask if we could be included on tenders for works that require EXC2 or EXC3 moving forward.

 

We look forward to receiving future enquiries from yourselves.

 

Should you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact us.