A request to “certify the electrical project” must first be separated into three different deliverables: design documentation, conformity of the constructed electrical equipment, and conformity of the completed machine. The evidence supports no standardized form for certifying this machine-electrical project. Responsibility instead follows the work actually commissioned, designed, built, and accepted.
Define the Requested Declaration
Ask the client to identify the exact object of the declaration. A designer can document that a named project, issued on a stated date, was prepared according to accepted engineering practice and the client’s supplied requirements. That statement does not certify equipment built by another party and does not establish that construction followed the design.
| Deliverable | Supported responsibility boundary | Required evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Project statement | The designer addresses the content actually included in the commissioned design. | Contract or formal appointment, identified drawings, issue dates, design basis, and client requirements. |
| Constructed-equipment declaration | The party making the declaration must be able to verify component selection, sizing, assembly, and deviations. | As-built documentation, component data, inspections, and test results. |
| Machine conformity | The manufacturer applying the CE marking remains responsible for the completed product. | Applicable conformity documentation for the completed machine. |
Set the Designer’s Documentation Boundary
A schematic alone may not define a buildable and verifiable electrical design. Where relevant to the commissioned scope, the documentation must communicate the choices needed to preserve safety and function: component selection and sizing, conductor installation, enclosure arrangement, sensor position, clearances, views, single-line drawings, and other construction details. The designer remains responsible for the specified design content even if no separate certificate is issued.
The evidence states that machine electrical-equipment design does not require professional-register enrollment merely because it is such a design. It also identifies the applicable directives, including machinery, low-voltage, and electromagnetic-compatibility requirements, plus Italian Law 186/68. Applicability must still be established for the specific machine; EN 61439 is mentioned only as a component-selection and sizing consideration, not as an automatically applicable certification route.
Issue a Limited Project Statement
If the client needs a written record, use a project-specific statement rather than a declaration covering the finished installation. Keep its scope explicit and avoid claiming inspection, construction control, testing, or CE responsibility that the designer did not perform.
Project statement
The undersigned states that the electrical project for [identified equipment],
issued on [project date] and defined by [drawing/document identifiers], was
prepared according to accepted engineering practice and the requirements
provided by the client.
This statement applies only to the identified design documents. It does not
certify construction, installation, testing, as-built conformity, or the
completed machine.Verify Before Signing
- Confirm that the contract or other records show a formal design assignment and define its limits.
- List every drawing and document covered by identifier, revision, and issue date.
- Record the client requirements and design basis supporting the declared work.
- Exclude fabrication, installation, testing, and machine conformity unless those activities were actually commissioned, controlled, and documented.
- Require the manufacturer or builder to resolve deviations and produce the conformity documentation for the equipment or completed machine within its own responsibility.
FAQ
Can an electrical designer certify equipment built by someone else?
Not on design authorship alone. The designer can make a limited statement about identified project documents, while conformity of the constructed equipment requires evidence of component selection, assembly, deviations, inspections, and tests.
Is there a standard form for an industrial machine electrical project certificate?
The evidence identifies no standardized form. Use a project-specific statement that names the equipment, document identifiers, revisions, issue date, design basis, and explicit exclusions.
Who is responsible for CE conformity when design and construction are outsourced?
The manufacturer applying the CE marking remains responsible for the completed product. The manufacturer may later pursue the designer if a proven design error resulted from incompetence, negligence, or imprudence, but that does not transfer the manufacturer’s responsibility to buyers.
