Two kinds of document come up in marine valve orders. An inspection document to EN 10204 reports test results on a delivered product. A classification society type approval certifies that a product model complies with the society's rules. One does not replace the other.
EN 10204: four types of inspection document
EN 10204:2004, Metallic products — Types of inspection documents, defines what the manufacturer supplies to the purchaser. It applies to metallic products and can also be used for other materials.
| Type | Document and inspection | Validated by |
|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Declaration of compliance with the order, no test results | The manufacturer |
| 2.2 | Test report: non-specific inspection (regular production) | The manufacturer |
| 3.1 | Inspection certificate: specific inspection of the delivered product | The manufacturer's inspection representative, independent of production |
| 3.2 | Inspection certificate: specific inspection of the delivered product | The same representative, plus the purchaser's representative or the inspector designated by official regulations |
"Specific" means that the tests are carried out on the delivered products themselves, not on comparable production. The certificate gives the results required by the product specification and the order: a test that was not requested will not appear.
What about "3.1.B"?
It comes from the previous edition of the standard. The foreword of the 2004 edition says so: type 3.1 replaces 3.1.B; type 3.2 replaces the former 3.1.A, 3.1.C and inspection report 3.2; type 2.3 has been deleted.
3.1 or 3.2: the difference is the signature
The technical content is the same. What changes is who validates it:
- the 3.1 is validated by the manufacturer's inspection department, independent of production, not by an outside body;
- the 3.2 adds the signature of an inspector from outside the manufacturer. In shipbuilding, this inspector may be a classification society surveyor. ABS, for example, describes its surveyors' work: identifying the material, visual and dimensional checks, tracing back to the heat analysis, witnessing additional tests and reviewing the documents.
A 3.2 must therefore be planned when ordering: the inspector must be able to witness or verify the tests. On this site, products whose page shows a 3.1 certificate or a 3.2 certificate are grouped on one page each.
Type approval: an approved product model
A classification society can approve a product in two ways. DNV sums it up: type approval verifies the design of a series-produced model; product certification verifies the product delivered. A type approval certificate has an expiry date and can be checked in the society's online register: Approval Finder at DNV, LR Approvals at Lloyd's Register.
IACS, the International Association of Classification Societies, has twelve members: ABS, Bureau Veritas, China Classification Society, Croatian Register of Shipping, DNV, Indian Register of Shipping, Korean Register, Lloyd's Register, Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, Polish Register of Shipping, RINA and Türk Loydu. DNV GL has been called DNV since 1 March 2021.
What the catalogue's product pages show
The "Certificate" attribute on product pages covers several kinds of document:
- EN 10204 certificates: 3.1 and 3.2;
- classification societies: Lloyd's, RINA, Bureau Veritas, DNV and ABS;
- type approval: for example butterfly valves whose description reads "type approval Lloyd's";
- ACS: the French sanitary conformity certificate (attestation de conformité sanitaire) required for materials and fittings with an organic component in contact with drinking water. It has nothing to do with classification or EN 10204.
A society's name on a product page does not by itself say whether it refers to a type approval or a product certificate: the data sheet or the certificate itself does.
What to specify on the purchase order
- The EN 10204 document required (3.1 or 3.2) and the material standard.
- For a 3.2, who signs: the ship's classification society or the purchaser's inspector.
- For a type approval, the society and, if possible, the certificate number, to be checked in its register.
- Traceability: the marking on the part (heat, batch) must refer to the certificate.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 3.1 certificate issued by an independent body?
No. It is validated by the manufacturer's inspection department, independent of production. An outside inspector is what characterises the 3.2.
Does a 3.2 certificate replace a Lloyd's or DNV type approval?
No. The 3.2 reports tests on the delivered product; type approval certifies that the model complies with the society's rules. They are two different proofs: the specification or the ship's classification society says which is required.
How long is a type approval valid?
Until the date shown on the certificate, subject to the periodic assessments required by the society. Check its validity in the online register before ordering.
DNV GL or DNV?
They are the same society: DNV GL took the name DNV on 1 March 2021. A certificate issued before that date may bear the name DNV GL.
Sources
- EN 10204:2004, Metallic products — Types of inspection documents (edition summary on evs.ee, foreword reproduced on ndls.org.cn).
- Werner Sölken, "EN 10204 Certificate Types", Explore the World of Piping: wermac.org.
- ABS, "EN 10204 Type 3.2 Certification": eagle.org.
- DNV, "Certification of materials and components": dnv.com; Approval Finder register.
- Lloyd's Register, "LR Approvals": lr.org.
- IACS, "IACS Members": iacs.org.uk.
- DNV GL renamed DNV on 1 March 2021: shipandoffshore.net.
- French National Assembly, ministerial answer on the sanitary conformity certificate (order of 29 May 1997 as amended): assemblee-nationale.fr.