Approvals & certifications

RoHS compliant products

The EU Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS)

This EU directive, also called "RoHS Recast" or "RoHS II", regulates the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment in the EU member states. It replaces Directive 2002/95/EC. The aim of the amendment is to further restrict hazardous substances and pollutants in electrical and electronic equipment. The protection of people and the environment is the top priority.

The revised version (RoHS Recast) implements the findings of the previous RoHS Directive 2002/95/EC and adapts the provisions.The main changes of the RoHS Recast are the extension of the scope to a further category 11 and the time limit of the exemptions. The existing substance bans were not supplemented.

Large-scale stationary industrial tools and large-scale stationary installations continue to be exempted. In addition, equipment that is "specifically designed and intended to be installed as part of another type of equipment exempted from or outside the scope of this Directive" is also excluded from the scope. Our products are designed for process and factory automation and are therefore an integral part of fixed large-scale plants or large-scale industrial tools.

After RoHS 2002/95/EC came into force in July 2006, Festo AG & Co. KG began to convert its product range to RoHS conformity.Today, with the exception of a small contingent, the majority of our products are RoHS-compliant.

REACh= Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation of ChemicalsRegistration, Evaluation and Authorisation of ChemicalsWith these building blocks, a comprehensive restructuring of chemicals policy was undertaken. REACh has been in force since June 2007 and regulates chemicals law in Europe. The aim is to protect people and the environment and to centrally record all information on chemical substances in Europe.For the first time, chemicals legislation also covers substances in products. As a manufacturer of articles, Festo is therefore obliged to inform if substances of very high concern (SVHC) are a component of Festo products.After the REACh regulation came into force in June 2006, Festo AG & Co. KG started to regularly check its product range for SVHC. Should a substance on the candidate list be present in one of our products in excess of 0.1m%, we will immediately comply with our duty to inform in accordance with Article 33 of the REACh Regulation.Information on SVHC (Substances of Very High Concern) in articlesOn 10 September 2015, the European Court of Justice clarified the definition of an article under the REACh Regulation. If the threshold value of 0.1m% of a substance of very high concern (SVHC) is exceeded in an incorporated sub-product, information must be provided in accordance with Art. 33 (1) of the REACH Regulation - irrespective of the m% content in the overall product.

No, there is no law that makes UL certification mandatory.In the USA, all electrically controlled devices or systems must be approved. The legal basis in the USA is, for example, the provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA Article 29 CFR 1910.xxx; CFR: Code of Federal Regulations) and the regulations of the National Electric Code (NEC), in Canada the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and the regulations of the Canadian Electric Code (CEC).As a result of the federal systems of the USA and Canada, different levels of the NEC or CEC with individual supplements must be complied with in the individual states and provinces. This depends, among other things, on the climatic conditions in the individual states.Compliance with national safety regulations can be verified by so-called listing/labelling. In the case of listing/labelling, a qualified Certification Organisation (CO) confirms, after appropriate testing, that the equipment/system complies with the relevant safety standards or is suitable for the specific purpose by issuing a label (trademark, "UL mark") which the manufacturer can use. In the USA, qualified COs are test laboratories recognised by OSHA: Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL). In Canada, so-called Certified bodies (CB) are mandated by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC).One of these NRTL and probably the most recognised is UL. UL stands for Underwriters Laboratories and means as much as the testing laboratories of the insurance companies. UL tests according to UL standards, which have national standards as an integral part. Ultimately, the aim is to minimise the liability risks for insurance companies caused by equipment and the associated hazards (electric shock, fire and mechanical injury). In the USA, it can quickly come to existence-threatening compensation sums for manufacturers, sellers and users (companies).Who pays attention to the test mark?The necessary measures leading to compliance with national safety regulations depend on the respective application. Electrical systems and equipment are tested on site. The "Authority Having Jurisdiction" (AHJ) is the person carrying out the test. The UL mark enables a simplified acceptance by the local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). Delays in commissioning the system and high costs due to changes to installations can be avoided.According to which UL standards are Festo products certified?Electrical products are tested with regard to their electrical and mechanical hazards. For fire protection tests, for example, the housing materials and insulation materials are also evaluated. In the case of valves, a burst pressure test is also carried out at 5 times the nominal pressure. UL conducts production inspections at regular intervals. This ensures that the products correspond to their originally assessed design.Do connection cables have to be UL certified?
Many Festo devices are certified as devices for "Class 2 Circuits" because of their intended use. "Class 2 Circuits" are energy-limited circuits with a max. voltage of 30 V AC or 42 V DC, max. current of 5 A and a max. power of 100 VA. Here, according to UL definition, there is neither the danger of electric shock nor the danger of fire. Thus, there is no UL rating for plugs and cables. For devices not rated for "Class 2 Circuit", an approval for the cables is required.What do the UL marks on Festo products mean?UL is authorised to certify according to US (NEC) as well as Canadian (CEC) safety regulations. This is represented by the respective UL mark. The C-UL-US or C-UR-US mark replaces a CSA certification for Canada.

For machines and components in food processing, special requirements apply to design, material, traceability and cleanability:

Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC

lays down the basic requirements for machine safety.

Standard EN 1672 / ISO 14159

describes the applicable safety and hygiene requirements in detail.

Regulation (EC) No. 1935/2004 and Regulation (EC) No. 2023/2006
Regulations for materials and articles in direct contact with food.

Festo automation components suitable for the food industry are marked "suitable for use with food". The corresponding application possibility is derived from the accompanying document:

• Products for direct contact with food have a declaration of conformity in accordance with VO (EC) No. 1935/2004. Specific fields of application are described therein.
• Products with extended material information are not intended for direct contact with food without further measures. Here, only the raw materials are evaluated via positive lists. The information supports the user in his risk assessment.