NHE’s one-stop approach to quality confirmed with CE accreditation
With complete in-house quality control of all manufacturing processes, NHE has achieved accreditation under the requirements of BS EN 1090-2. This confirms that the company is fully compliant for CE marking as demanded by the Construction Product Regulations (CPR) 2013. The accreditation was approved by Lloyds Register and includes the approval of a Responsible Welding Co-ordinator (RWC).
Part of Norman Hay plc, NHE designs, manufactures and supplies process plant, non-destructive testing systems and process water treatment installations. Its customer base covers a wide range of industry sectors using processes from surface treatment and chemical processing to electroplating and testing.
The requirement for CE marking under CPR came into force on 1st July 2013 in the UK for the supply of all structural steel products placed in the market after that date. The CE marking indicates appropriateness for use in construction in the EU and applies to components designed to be incorporated into the vast majority of steel structures. To carry the CE mark, the structure has to be consistent with its Declaration of Performance (DoP) as made by the manufacture.
To achieve accreditation to EN 1090-s EXC2, the execution class for fabrication steelwork in buildings, NHE was required to operate an ISO 9001 system and have initial type testing and a Factory Production Control (FPC) system that includes the appointment of an RWC and implementation of Welding Quality Management System procedures.
With all materials sourced and verified in compliance with EN 1090-2, workmanship within NHE meets the standard with the appointment of Bob Hutchings as RWC, through coded welders for stainless and carbon steel. All welding procedures specifications are third-party audited and NHE’s welding equipment is calibrated externally by an accredited body.
Mike Priddle, Managing Director at NHE says: “Fundamental to CE marking is full traceability throughout the materials supply and manufacturing processes, which our systems are designed to demonstrate. We audit all of our suppliers on an annual basis to ensure that their ISO 9001 and FPC certificates are current and any new suppliers undergo a rigorous approval procedure. A major advantage that we can offer in terms of a quality guarantee is that we are a ‘one-stop-shop’ in terms of quality. We don’t use sub-contractors and of our structural steelwork manufacturing is carried out in-house, which gives us full control over the integrity of design and quality of manufacture of our products.”