CE marking for your device without test-lab surprises

Your device works on the bench, and the first client wants ten units. The next question is whether you can legally place it on the market. CE marking requires more than a label. You need a technical file, the relevant tests, and a declaration for which you are responsible. We guide you through that work without letting it become a year-long project.

What CE actually requires

CE is not a quality mark issued by an authority. As the manufacturer, you declare that the device meets the applicable European directives. Most electronic devices fall under the EMC Directive. Mains voltage can bring in the Low Voltage Directive. Radio equipment using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or LoRa falls under the stricter Radio Equipment Directive. Moving parts and circuit-board materials may add machinery and RoHS requirements.

We first identify the relevant directives and their standards. This determines which tests are required. A wrong assessment can create an unnecessary test or leave a gap that a client or regulator finds later.

EMC starts on the circuit board

Electromagnetic compatibility covers emissions and immunity. Both depend on design choices such as ground planes, cable routing, power filtering, and processor switching edges. The laboratory only measures the result.

We review the design and test the prototype first. Near-field probes and a spectrum analyzer can reveal emissions at the workbench. These are not official results, but they show whether the device is ready for the laboratory or whether the design needs work first. A day in an accredited EMC laboratory is expensive, and a second day because the first one produced a list of failures is more expensive still. If the pre-compliance measurement shows that the board needs work, we address it through PCB and electronics design before you book a test slot.

A technical file you can still use later

You must be able to produce the technical file for ten years after the final unit is supplied. It contains the risk assessment, standards, schematics, circuit-board layout, bill of materials, reports, and user instructions. It is the evidence behind your signature.

We build the file as the product develops, not afterward from loose emails and old versions. Design files, firmware versions, and measurements get a fixed place, so three years from now you still know exactly which board revision was tested. If a component changes later because the old one is no longer available, you see right away whether that requires a new measurement. The file belongs to you and stays in your systems, not with us.

What we do and what you sign

We identify the directives, review the design, run pre-compliance measurements, compile the file, and support the accredited test. We also resolve findings and measure again. We do not sign the declaration. The manufacturer must do that, and you are the manufacturer.

If your device requires a notified body, as some radio and medical products do, we will tell you immediately and help you find one. During the free intake, you show us the device. We explain the work and its scope before your first client asks for those ten units.