Directive 2014/68/EU PED for pressure equipment
Directive 2014/68/EU PED for pressure equipment
Vessels, piping, valves, heat exchangers and other pressure components are found in a great many industrial plants. When they operate beyond certain limits, however, they cannot be regarded as mere “mechanical parts”: they must be designed, manufactured and verified in accordance with precise requirements.
This is where the Directive 2014/68/EU PED comes in, the European benchmark for the safety of pressure equipment.
Understanding its scope, the risk categories and the conformity routes helps to grasp what lies behind a correctly certified supply and why the choice of manufacturer is decisive.
Let us therefore look at which equipment falls under the Directive, how the risk level is determined and what changes when several items are integrated into a single industrial solution.
What is the Pressure Equipment Directive?
PED stands for Pressure Equipment Directive. The Directive governs the design, manufacture and conformity assessment of pressure equipment and assemblies intended for the European Union market, where the maximum allowable pressure, denoted by the abbreviation PS, is greater than 0.5 bar.
Its aim is twofold:
•to ensure a high level of health and safety protection;
•to allow the free movement of conforming equipment within the European market.
To achieve this, it lays down essential requirements relating, among other things, to design, materials, permanent joints, inspections, final assessment, CE marking and technical documentation.
The expression “PED certification” is often used to indicate the entire conformity assessment route. In practice, the procedures and the parties involved vary according to the characteristics of the equipment and the associated level of risk.
Which equipment does the Directive apply to?
The Directive covers vessels, piping, safety accessories and pressure accessories. Its scope therefore includes numerous items of equipment used in industrial plants: tanks, separators, filters, valves, piping systems and, depending on their configuration, heat exchangers.
The PED also applies to “assemblies”, that is, several items of pressure equipment assembled by a manufacturer to form an integrated and functional whole. This is an important point for integrated supplies and for skid-mounted plants, in which vessels, piping, accessories and safety devices can be placed on the market as a single functional unit.
However, not every plant assembled on site is automatically a PED assembly. Assembly carried out on site by the user, under their own responsibility, follows a different logic. Correctly defining the scope of the supply is therefore the first step in identifying obligations, procedures and responsibilities.
The PED risk categories, from I to IV, and the conformity modules
PED classification follows a criterion of increasing hazard, from category I to category IV. The level is determined by considering several parameters: the type of equipment, the maximum allowable pressure, the volume or nominal diameter and the nature of the fluid contained.
Fluids are divided into two groups: group 1 comprises the substances and mixtures classified as hazardous according to the criteria referred to in the Directive, while group 2 comprises those not included in the first.
Equipment that remains below the prescribed thresholds does not fall into categories I to IV, but must nonetheless be designed and manufactured in accordance with sound engineering practice, often referred to by the abbreviation SEP.
Specific assessment modules correspond to each category. Category I provides for module A, based on internal production control. In the subsequent categories, the level of the checks and the involvement of the notified body increase:
•category II provides, among the options, for modules A2, D1 and E1;
•category III comprises various combinations of module B with D, F, E or C2, as well as module H;
•category IV provides for the routes B+D, B+F, G or H1.
The logic is proportional: the greater the risk, the more rigorous the conformity assessment process becomes.
From the individual item to the integrated plant: PED conformity in Baglioni solutions
When several pressure components form an “assembly”, conformity does not concern only the individual items. Their integration and the systems intended to prevent the allowable limits from being exceeded must also be assessed. This aspect is central to the development of skid-mounted plants and integrated supplies.
At Baglioni we design and manufacture standard and special vessels, separators, filters, air treatment equipment, heat exchangers and other industrial solutions for different applications and markets.
We work in accordance with the applicable European directives and the main international standards, so as to produce equipment intended for different markets, sectors and operating conditions.
Within Europe we operate under the PED Directive 2014/68/EU and Directive 2014/29/EU, which covers simple pressure vessels.
For the North American market we hold ASME Section VIII Division 1 and Division 2 authorisations, National Board registrations and the Canadian Registration Number (CRN).
Our portfolio also includes specific references and approvals for numerous international markets, including the Australian standard AS 1210, the MOM Singapore, DOSH Malaysia and MHLW Japan regulations, the Manufacture License of Special Equipment for the People’s Republic of China and EAC conformity under CU TR 032 for the Eurasian Economic Union.
For marine and offshore applications, we can operate in accordance with the requirements of the main classification societies, including ABS, DNV, Bureau Veritas, Lloyd’s Register, CCS and RINA.
These qualifications are complemented by management system certifications under ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, and by qualifications relating to the quality of welding processes under UNI EN ISO 3834.
Discover all the certifications of Gruppo Baglioni.
For those developing industrial plants, relying on a certified partner means being able to manage, in a coordinated way, the classification of the equipment, the choice of materials, the welding procedures, the inspections and the required documentation. At Baglioni we integrate these aspects into the design and production process, maintaining consistency between regulatory requirements, manufacturing and final inspections. [link the words “final inspections” to the periodic inspections article]
Do you need support in developing an industrial solution compliant with the PED Directive? Contact us.
FAQ
What is the PED Directive 2014/68/EU?
The PED (Pressure Equipment Directive) is the European benchmark for the safety of pressure equipment. It governs the design, manufacture and conformity assessment of equipment and assemblies with a maximum allowable pressure (PS) greater than 0.5 bar intended for the European Union market.
Which equipment does the PED Directive apply to?
The PED applies to vessels, piping, safety accessories and pressure accessories (tanks, separators, filters, valves, piping systems) and, depending on the configuration, heat exchangers. It also applies to “assemblies”, several items of equipment assembled by a manufacturer to form a functional unit.
What are the PED risk categories?
The PED Directive provides for four risk categories, from I to IV, of increasing hazard. The level depends on the type of equipment, the maximum allowable pressure, the volume or nominal diameter and the fluid group. Below the prescribed thresholds, sound engineering practice (SEP) applies.
What is an “assembly” under the PED Directive?
An assembly consists of several items of pressure equipment assembled by a manufacturer to form an integrated and functional whole. It is relevant for integrated supplies and skid-mounted plants: vessels, piping and accessories can be placed on the market as a single certified unit.
