The CE marking of the machinery is a legal requirement. However, the individual devices constituting the electrical equipment are not necessarily required to bear CE marking themselves. Nonetheless, opting for components with CE marking can facilitate the overall conformity assessment of the machinery, that is, the CE marking process of the assembled unit. A CE-marked component is accompanied by a declaration of conformity issued by the manufacturer, certifying compliance with the applicable EU directives and regulations. An assembly composed of CE-marked components generally requires fewer measures by the machinery manufacturer to fulfil the essential health and safety requirements.

The machinery manufacturer should strictly observe the installation limits and instructions provided for each individual component. Failure to comply may invalidate the CE marking, effectively rendering void the declaration of conformity issued by the component manufacturer.

The main standards of reference for designing electrical equipment are:

• EN IEC 61439-1 Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear assemblies – Part 1: General rules
• EN IEC 61439-2 Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear assemblies – Part 2: Power switchgear and controlgear assemblies
• EN 60204-1 Safety of machinery – Electrical equipment of machines – Part 1: General requirements
• EN IEC 60204-11 Safety of machinery – Electrical equipment of machines – Part 11: Requirements for equipment for voltages above 1 000 V AC or 1 500 V DC and not exceeding 36 kV

The EN IEC 61439 series primarily applies to electrical cabinets considered as stand-alone units and is generally followed by those responsible solely for the design or construction of the low-voltage switchgear and controlgear assembly, not of the entire machinery.

EN 60204-1 is the harmonised standard most widely observed by designers of low-voltage industrial machinery. It defines the principal requirements for electrical design in machinery.