Robot Certifications Explained

CE marking is the maker's own declaration

For most robots sold in the European Union, nobody hands the maker a CE certificate. Your Europe, the EU's official business portal, explains that manufacturers draw up the technical documentation and an EU declaration of conformity, then affix the CE marking themselves, and must keep those documents for 10 years after the product is placed on the market. Importers are expected to check that this work has been done before goods enter the EU. That makes the declaration, not the logo, the document to ask for. Check that it names your exact model, lists the EU laws applied and is signed by someone at the maker. If the maker says an independent body was involved, ask for that body's name and certificate number too.

UL and other North American safety listings

In the United States, safety listings come from private test laboratories rather than from the government. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recognizes such organizations as Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories, which certify products against the electrical requirements of its workplace standards and then authorize the maker to apply a registered certification mark. UL is one such laboratory, and there are others. OSHA recognizes each laboratory only for a defined scope of test standards, so a mark means most when the standard used falls inside that lab's scope. Ask which laboratory listed the robot or its controller, which standard it was tested to, and whether the listing covers the complete machine or only a power supply inside it.

Radio approvals behind the FCC label

A robot with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular or other radios also needs radio approval. The Federal Communications Commission's equipment authorization guide states that radio frequency devices must be authorized under 47 CFR part 2 before they are marketed or imported into the United States. It describes two routes, Certification and the Supplier's Declaration of Conformity, with Telecommunication Certification Bodies reviewing test results and issuing grants under the first. Ask the maker which route applies, then look up the grant or declaration for the exact radio module and model number. If the robot relies on a pre-approved radio module, ask whether the finished robot was assessed as well, because the module's grant alone may not cover every installation.

Matching each mark to your market

Marks rarely travel across borders on their own. A CE marking is not a US safety listing, and a US listing does not replace an EU declaration of conformity. Other countries run their own schemes, India's Bureau of Indian Standards among them, and some require local registration or testing for items such as chargers and radios. Before you sign, send the maker a list of every country where the robot will be used and ask for the certificate or declaration that applies in each one. Check that model numbers, voltage ratings and radio bands match the unit you are buying, since a variant built for another market can carry different paperwork. File the documents with the purchase order, not in a sales email thread.

Sources and further reading

• Product compliance — Your Europe, European Union.
  EU portal on maker and importer duties: CE marking, declarations of conformity and keeping records for 10 years.
• Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory Program — Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
  How OSHA recognizes private labs to certify workplace products, and what their certification marks signify.
• Equipment Authorization: Approval Guide — Federal Communications Commission.
  FCC overview of authorizing radio devices before sale or import, by Certification or Supplier's Declaration of Conformity.

Common questions

Is CE marking the same as a safety certificate?

Usually not. In most cases it is a declaration the maker makes after assessing its own product against EU rules. Treat it as a statement you can check, by asking for the declaration of conformity and, where relevant, the reports from any test labs the maker used.

How can I check a robot's FCC approval?

Find the FCC ID or grantee code on the label or in the manual, then search the Commission's equipment authorization records for it. The record should show the applicant, the frequency bands covered and supporting exhibits. If nothing matches the exact model, ask the maker to explain why.