Certification body for measuring instruments

According to the current German metrology and verification act a measuring instrument subject to legal control may only be placed on the market and put into use if the manufacturer has gained the approval for the instrument type and each individual serial instrument has been verified. Within the next two years MID will be put into national legislation by a new metrology act. Then a manufacturer will have the choice between different conformity assessment procedures. The role of the state as testing and certifying body will be taken over by notified bodies. The latter will be appointed by the responsible national ministries for certification of instruments and assessment of quality management systems.

PTB is preparing itself to act as a notified body for conformity assessment according to modules B (type examination), D (quality assurance in production) and H1 (design examination and quality assurance in development and production) for all kinds of measuring instruments concerned by MID.

In order to comply with the normative requirements of the notification – in particular, to separate testing and certification – PTB has installed a central certification body for measuring instruments. Technical tests will continue to be carried out in de-centralised manner. Certification, including issuing the type approval certificate will be carried out by independent certification representatives. The representatives will be professionally competent and experienced and will act temporarily in the certification body.

Since the beginning of this year the certification body is already issuing type approval certificates according to the applicable metrology and verification act. As soon as the internal procedures are routine the aforementioned conformity assessment procedures will be introduced, so that manufacturers can obtain the necessary certificates from PTB well in time to place on the market new products as soon as MID has been implemented into national law