Type approval
Encyclopedia
Type Approval is granted to a product that meets a minimum set of regulatory, technical and safety requirements. Generally, type approval is required before a product is allowed to be sold in a particular country, so the requirements for a given product will vary around the world. Processes and certifications known as Type Approval in English are generally called Homologation
, or some cognate expression, in other European languages.
Compliance
to type-approval requirements is often denoted by a marking on the back of the product. The familiar CE mark
found on the back of many electronic devices, for example, means that the product has obtained Type Approval in the European Union
. On the other hand, in China
type approval is denoted by the CCC mark
.
Type Approval is not a term confined to a particular industry
. Type Approval requirements exist for products as diverse as marine equipment, mobile phones, automotive industry
, or medical equipment. Type approval simply means that the product is certified to meet certain requirements for its type, whatever that may be.
(Directive 2007/46/EC establishing a framework for the approval of motor vehicle
s and their trailer
s, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles) rules the approval schemes of the new motor vehicles and their trailers in the European Union
:
A COC or EC Certificate of Conformity is a equal to a declaration of the conformity with the type approval of EC. It is produce to ensure the free movement of cars within the European Union, specifically for those cars that are subject to homologation or registration.
A COC is a producer’s declaration car or motorcycles comply with the given approved type. This document contains information about the vehicle and its producer’s identification, type approval number, other technical specifications. The content of a COC is defined by the European regulation (Amendment IX, Regulation 92/53). Vehicles which do not apply with the EU specification (as vehicle manufactured for the U.S. or Japanese market) and older vehicles that have not been given the type approval of the EC yet, cannot have an existing COC. Similarly, it is not possible to issue a COC for converted vehicles; in this case another technical document might help register your car. Only car and motorcycles are eligible.
History and legislation
Certificate of Conformity have been defined in EU’s Single Internal Market and Type Approval Directive (EC-92). EU’s single internal market became official on 1 January 1993. Part of the “EC-92” effort was to remove the technical barriers preventing the free movement of products within the EU market. The greatest impact of this effort has been in the area of standards in the automotive sector. The EU Commission is seeking to harmonise the automotive, technical and environmental standards between all the member states. EU legislation defines the standards in the areas of noise, particle emissions and safety. In addition, the EU’s directive on Type Approval (EU Council Directive 92/53) eliminates the need for national type approval requirements by establishing one set of rules for automobiles and their components throughout the EU. This directive aims at the clarification of the type approval procedure for motor vehicles, separate technical units (i.e., trailers), and components.
It simplifies the documentation, designates the type approval number of a separate technical unit by a certificate of conformity, and defines the vehicles, individual technical unit(s), and component(s). Certificates of Conformity, as specified in Annex IX of EU Directive 92/53, will be required for an automobile to enter into service. For component approvals, an endorsement that is issued under the relevant regulations by the U.N. Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is recognised as equivalent to an approval granted under comparable EU legislation. In March 1992, the EU Council formally adopted the few remaining pieces of component-related legislation that are necessary to make the whole-vehicle type approval a reality for passenger cars. In June 1992, EU member state officials approved the adoption of EU legislation creating a single system for the certification of passenger cars, in turn defining the safety, and other technical, requirements. Legislation established an EU type approval system to replace the national schemes of the twelve member states. In 1996, the EU type approval system became mandatory.
Vehicles with an EU type approval can be marketed anywhere in the European Community. Therefore, a vehicle only needs to receive the type approval certification in one EU country in order to be accepted in all of the other member countries. To receive a type approval, products may either be brought to a testing facility or manufacturers may opt to maintain their own testing equipment. Nevertheless, US and EU automobiles still must be certified to this single set of rules by an authorised member state agency. A similar system was adopted for the type approval of two and three wheeled vehicles, which became effective on 1 January 1994.
Homologation
Homologation is a technical term, derived from the Greek homologeo for "to agree", which is generally used in English to signify the granting of approval by an official authority...
, or some cognate expression, in other European languages.
Compliance
Compliance (regulation)
In general, compliance means conforming to a rule, such as a specification, policy, standard or law. Regulatory compliance describes the goal that corporations or public agencies aspire to in their efforts to ensure that personnel are aware of and take steps to comply with relevant laws and...
to type-approval requirements is often denoted by a marking on the back of the product. The familiar CE mark
CE mark
CE marking is a mandatory conformity mark for products placed on the market in the European Economic Area . With the CE marking on a product the manufacturer ensures that the product conforms with the essential requirements of the applicable EC directives...
found on the back of many electronic devices, for example, means that the product has obtained Type Approval in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. On the other hand, in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
type approval is denoted by the CCC mark
China Compulsory Certificate
The China Compulsory Certificate mark, commonly known as CCC Mark, is a compulsory safety mark for many products sold on the Chinese market. It became effective on May 1, 2002...
.
Type Approval is not a term confined to a particular industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
. Type Approval requirements exist for products as diverse as marine equipment, mobile phones, automotive industry
Automotive industry
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
, or medical equipment. Type approval simply means that the product is certified to meet certain requirements for its type, whatever that may be.
In the automotive industry
The new Framework DirectiveFramework Directive
A Framework Directive establishes a framework or template for subsequent legislation in an area. "The" Framework Directive may refer to a number of European Union directives that put in place legislative frameworks, including -...
(Directive 2007/46/EC establishing a framework for the approval of motor vehicle
Motor vehicle
A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...
s and their trailer
Trailer (vehicle)
A trailer is generally an unpowered vehicle pulled by a powered vehicle. Commonly, the term trailer refers to such vehicles used for transport of goods and materials....
s, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles) rules the approval schemes of the new motor vehicles and their trailers in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
:
- European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA), that is applied to applies to passenger carsAutomobileAn automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
. Over the next few years, ECWVTA will be extended to cover all new road vehicles and trailers. - United Nations Economic Commission for EuropeUnited Nations Economic Commission for EuropeThe United Nations Economic Commission for Europe was established in 1947 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. It is one of five regional commissions under the administrative direction of United Nations headquarters. It has 56 member states, and reports to the UN Economic and...
(UNECE) regulations. - National Small Series Type Approval (NSSTA) - the key advantages of this scheme are that some technical requirements may be reduced in comparison with ECWVTA; however, the number of vehicles that can be manufactured are limited.
- Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA)
In telecommunications
Each jurisdiction that regulates communications requires all types of equipment, and especially radiocommuncations equipment, that are not specifically exempted (by reason of low power output, for instance) to be tested for conformance to local regulations before it is approved for use in that jurisdiction. Such conformance might include power and noise characteristics, use of permitted frequencies only, frequency stability, and various other electrical parameters.American Commerce
A certificate of conformance is defined in American commerce as a document certified by a competent authority that the supplied good or service meets the required specifications.American nuclear business
A C of C may be required of vendors of goods to nuclear generating stations to get the vendor to legally commit to stating compliance with applicable laws and regulations.A COC or EC Certificate of Conformity is a equal to a declaration of the conformity with the type approval of EC. It is produce to ensure the free movement of cars within the European Union, specifically for those cars that are subject to homologation or registration.
A COC is a producer’s declaration car or motorcycles comply with the given approved type. This document contains information about the vehicle and its producer’s identification, type approval number, other technical specifications. The content of a COC is defined by the European regulation (Amendment IX, Regulation 92/53). Vehicles which do not apply with the EU specification (as vehicle manufactured for the U.S. or Japanese market) and older vehicles that have not been given the type approval of the EC yet, cannot have an existing COC. Similarly, it is not possible to issue a COC for converted vehicles; in this case another technical document might help register your car. Only car and motorcycles are eligible.
History and legislation
Certificate of Conformity have been defined in EU’s Single Internal Market and Type Approval Directive (EC-92). EU’s single internal market became official on 1 January 1993. Part of the “EC-92” effort was to remove the technical barriers preventing the free movement of products within the EU market. The greatest impact of this effort has been in the area of standards in the automotive sector. The EU Commission is seeking to harmonise the automotive, technical and environmental standards between all the member states. EU legislation defines the standards in the areas of noise, particle emissions and safety. In addition, the EU’s directive on Type Approval (EU Council Directive 92/53) eliminates the need for national type approval requirements by establishing one set of rules for automobiles and their components throughout the EU. This directive aims at the clarification of the type approval procedure for motor vehicles, separate technical units (i.e., trailers), and components.
It simplifies the documentation, designates the type approval number of a separate technical unit by a certificate of conformity, and defines the vehicles, individual technical unit(s), and component(s). Certificates of Conformity, as specified in Annex IX of EU Directive 92/53, will be required for an automobile to enter into service. For component approvals, an endorsement that is issued under the relevant regulations by the U.N. Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is recognised as equivalent to an approval granted under comparable EU legislation. In March 1992, the EU Council formally adopted the few remaining pieces of component-related legislation that are necessary to make the whole-vehicle type approval a reality for passenger cars. In June 1992, EU member state officials approved the adoption of EU legislation creating a single system for the certification of passenger cars, in turn defining the safety, and other technical, requirements. Legislation established an EU type approval system to replace the national schemes of the twelve member states. In 1996, the EU type approval system became mandatory.
Vehicles with an EU type approval can be marketed anywhere in the European Community. Therefore, a vehicle only needs to receive the type approval certification in one EU country in order to be accepted in all of the other member countries. To receive a type approval, products may either be brought to a testing facility or manufacturers may opt to maintain their own testing equipment. Nevertheless, US and EU automobiles still must be certified to this single set of rules by an authorised member state agency. A similar system was adopted for the type approval of two and three wheeled vehicles, which became effective on 1 January 1994.
See also
- American Bureau of ShippingAmerican Bureau of ShippingThe American Bureau of Shipping is a classification society, with a mission to promote the security of life, property and the natural environment, primarily through the development and verification of standards for the design, construction and operational maintenance of marine-related facilities...
- Aftermarket kit
- EuroNCAPEuroNCAPThe European New Car Assessment Programme is a European car safety performance assessment programme based in Brussels and founded in 1997 by the Transport Research Laboratory for the UK Department for Transport and backed by several European governments.-History and activities:Euro NCAP is a...
- HomologationHomologationHomologation is a technical term, derived from the Greek homologeo for "to agree", which is generally used in English to signify the granting of approval by an official authority...
- National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationNational Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, part of the Department of Transportation...
- Type certificateType certificateA Type Certificate, is awarded by aviation regulating bodies to aerospace manufacturers after it has been established that the particular design of a civil aircraft, engine, or propeller has fulfilled the regulating bodies' current prevailing airworthiness requirements for the safe conduct of...
- for aerospace craft - Vehicle registrationVehicle registrationVehicle registration is the compulsory registration of a vehicle with a government authority. Vehicle registration's purpose is to establish clear ownership and to tax motorists or vehicle owners....
External links
- What is Type Approval? - a Malaysian opinion from PaulTan.org
- Type Approval for companies worldwide
- Official Website European Certificate of Conformity