The European Lifts Directive is clear: safety components and new technologies that deviate from the standard must in any case be certified by a Notified Body. Third party certification, however, is not always mandatory for other systems and installations developed and marketed by manufacturers within the standard. According to Liftinstituut managing director John van Vliet, it is precisely those products that should also be reviewed by an external certifying body. According to him, the knife cuts both ways.
Focus on LIFTS and vertical transport
As the only Notified Body that focuses specifically on the inspection and certification of lifts and vertical transport, globally active Liftinstituut knows what is going on in the field of legislation and regulations and lift innovations. Van Vliet: “We have seen lift revolutions like the machineroomless lift firsthand, and we are still at the forefront of new product development and new standards.”
Globally accepted LIFTS and LIFT components
Every year, Liftinstituut certifies hundreds of components, systems and installations. “It is not just the major brands that ask us. Medium-sized and smaller manufacturers are also increasingly opting for our certification process. We may not be the easiest of certifiers - some call us strict - but if your product or technology ultimately carries our certification, you can be pretty sure that your product will be accepted and trusted around the world.”
Third party certification limits liability risks
Van Vliet cannot emphasize enough how valuable third party certification is, even when it is not legally required in some situations: “No matter how focused your own people are, or how watertight your own quality system is - having an external certification partner assess your product puts you in a stronger position as a manufacturer when it comes to liability issues. With a certificate from an independent and objective Notified Body such as Liftinstituut, you demonstrate that you have done everything possible to prevent problems and shortcomings.”
From guidance to certification
Van Vliet understands that manufacturers of lifts and lift components would like to enter the market with their latest products as quickly as possible. Third party certification is not necessarily an obstacle in achieving this, he says. “If your certification partner joins the process as early as the design phase, you won’t be faced with any surprises later on in the process.”
Cheaper than certification afterwards
“How exactly do these regulations work? How should you view new technology? And what do the certification specialists consider during the certification process? At Liftinstituut, we work together with the manufacturer from the outset. Such a guidance process may seem costly, but it is usually cheaper than retrospective certification. Because if your product does not pass the certification process, you need to take a step back in product development, and the product introduction will be delayed. And that is exactly what our certification specialists want to prevent.”
Would you like more information about third party certification? Give Dennis Lindeboom (+31 6 520 84 107) or Albert Jan van Ommen (+31 6 512 43 395) a call, or complete the contact form.