PED Certification for Pressure Equipment in Belgium

PED certification refers to the process of demonstrating that pressure equipment complies with the essential safety requirements of the European Pressure Equipment Directive 2014/68/EU (PED). This directive applies to the design, manufacture and conformity assessment of pressure equipment and assemblies with a maximum allowable pressure greater than 0.5 bar. It covers a wide range of equipment including pressure vessels, boilers, heat exchangers, piping systems, pressure accessories and safety devices. The PED classifies pressure equipment into categories (I to IV) based on the type of equipment, the group of fluids contained (Group 1: dangerous fluids; Group 2: all other fluids), the volume or nominal size and the maximum allowable pressure. The conformity assessment procedure becomes increasingly stringent with higher categories, ranging from internal production control (Module A) for Category I to full quality assurance with design examination and individual verification for Category IV. For categories II and above, the involvement of a Notified Body is required. LCNDTEST provides expert support throughout the PED certification process in Belgium and across Europe. As specialists in non-destructive testing and welding inspection, we assist manufacturers in meeting the essential safety requirements related to material selection and traceability, welding procedure and welder qualification, non-destructive testing of welded joints, pressure testing and final documentation. Our comprehensive understanding of the PED and its harmonised standards enables us to guide manufacturers through the certification process efficiently and effectively.

The PED certification process encompasses several key stages, beginning with the design phase and continuing through manufacture to final assessment. During the design phase, the equipment must be designed in accordance with the harmonised standards (EN 13445 for unfired pressure vessels, EN 13480 for metallic industrial piping, EN 12952 and EN 12953 for boilers) or, alternatively, a particular material appraisal and design calculation must be validated. The materials selected must comply with the harmonised material standards and be supplied with the appropriate level of inspection certification (typically EN 10204 Type 3.1 or 3.2). During the manufacturing phase, welding procedures must be qualified in accordance with EN ISO 15614, and welders must be qualified in accordance with EN ISO 9606 (manual and semi-automatic welding) or EN ISO 14732 (fully mechanised and automatic welding). All production welds on pressure-retaining joints must be subjected to non-destructive testing as specified by the applicable design code, with the extent and methods of NDT determined by the weld joint category, material group and equipment category. LCNDTEST performs all required NDT methods including visual testing, penetrant testing, magnetic particle testing, ultrasonic testing and radiographic testing on pressure equipment fabrications. The final assessment includes a review of the complete technical documentation (design calculations, material certificates, welding qualifications, NDT reports, dimensional records), a final visual inspection of the equipment in its finished state and the pressure test (hydrostatic or pneumatic). Upon successful completion of all conformity assessment activities, the manufacturer issues the EU Declaration of Conformity and affixes the CE marking to the equipment. The technical file and all supporting documentation must be retained for a minimum of 10 years.