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Every company has a responsibility to protect people and the environment from harmful substances and materials. At Festo, we therefore comply with the environmental and material-specific requirements resulting from the applicable laws, standards and directives. In the interests of our customers and markets, we constantly track changes in the regulations and implement them accordingly. This page provides the greatest possible transparency regarding the materials used in our products and demonstrates our appropriate handling of hazardous substances and responsible procurement of raw materials.
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.
Declaration by Festo on RoHS
REACh EC Regulation 1907/2006/EC
REACh= Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation of Chemicals
Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals
With 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 articles
On 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.
Therefore we have re-evaluated our products and inform you here about SVHC in incorporated sub-products.
Current candidate list
ATEX
The ATEX Product Directive 2014/34/EU sets out the rules for placing products on the market that are used in potentially explosive atmospheres.
Festo standard 940106: Prohibition/declaration of ingredients
Festo standard N 940106 defines specifications for prohibited and declarable ingredients in materials and serves to implement legal requirements. Requirements on the part of Festo customers are also represented in this standard.
UL
The Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is an American organisation for testing and certifying products and their safety. The UL standards are for the USA what the DIN EN and IEC standards are in Europe or in Germany.
UL standards for the certification of Festo products:
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.
C UL US Listed
Ready-to-connect devices certified according to US and Canadian regulations e.g. limit switches with cable and plug.
C UL
Ready-to-connect devices certified according to Canadian regulations, e.g. limit switches with cable and plug.
UL
Ready-to-connect devices certified according to US regulations, e.g. limit switch with cable and plug.
RU
Devices intended for installation, certified according to US regulations e.g. valve terminals.
C RU
Devices intended for installation, certified according to Canadian regulations e.g. valve terminals.
C RU US
Equipment intended for installation, certified according to US and Canadian regulations, e.g. valve terminals.
Food suitability
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:
Compliance with material-specific requirements in line with globally applicable laws and industry-specific regulations is becoming increasingly complex. Material compliance requirements are evolving dynamically and are an important part of overall product safety. If you are looking for answers to these questions:
In our Application note, you will find an overview of these questions and further information on material compliance issues that could affect Festo products.
Declarations of conformity (CE, food safety, etc.) and product-related certificates (UL, CCC, etc.) can be found on the respective product detail pages under Support/Downloads. For more information, please contact technical support.
Paint-wetting impairment substances (PWIS) are substances that cause small concave indentations at various points in the paint layer when surfaces are painted. Silicones, fluoric materials, certain oils and greases may contain this type of substances. Components used in the automotive industry, and especially in painting systems, must not emit paint-wetting impairment substances into the environment. To prevent paint defects caused by paint-wetting impairment substances in production, car manufacturers have long been implementing their own test instructions and standards.
VDMA Specification 24364, a cross-company set of rules, is available and describes requirements for testing, classification and identification. Festo supports this initiative with an appropriate classification of its products.
You, too, will benefit from this: In future you will be able to select our products even more precisely for your application using the VDMA identification system.
The VDMA specifications can also be downloaded free of charge from the members' area of the VDMA homepage by VDMA member companies for internal use. They can be found there in the Database for Technical Rules (DATeR). The accompanying practical guide is available to download at ot.vdma.org.
Thinking in terms of generations and responsible, long-term management are deeply rooted in the corporate DNA of the family-owned company Festo. This is reflected in our corporate responsibility and sustainability management. Our contribution to sustainable development is set out in the Sustainability Strategy 2020+. This is based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations and was adopted by our Management Board in 2020. Festo attaches great importance to promoting transparency.
More information on sustainability activities and relevant key figures can be found in Corporate responsibility and our Sustainability Report. In addition, Festo SE & Co. KG is continuously assessed by independent third parties. To gain insight into Festo’s sustainability performance, you can submit a request to us on the EcoVadis or NQC SupplierAssurance rating platforms.
