The Machinery Reg\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtion (MR) has a clear objec\u00adtive: machinery should not only be mechan\u00adi\u00adcally and func\u00adtion\u00adally safe, but should also meet the require\u00adments of an increas\u00adingly dig\u00adital world. Cyber\u00adse\u00adcu\u00adrity, dig\u00adital doc\u00adu\u00admen\u00adta\u00adtion and clear processes for soft\u00adware updates are no longer optional extras, but a legal oblig\u00ada\u00adtion. This is the EU\u2019s response to the increasing inter\u00adcon\u00adnec\u00adtivity of machinery and the asso\u00adci\u00adated risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The MR opens up new oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adties for man\u00adu\u00adfac\u00adturers to create modern doc\u00adu\u00admen\u00adta\u00adtion. In future, oper\u00adating man\u00aduals and dec\u00adla\u00adra\u00adtions of con\u00adfor\u00admity are to be made avail\u00adable dig\u00adi\u00adtally \u2013 for at least ten years. Anyone who has so far relied solely on paper will need to think again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reg\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtion also requires that Secu\u00adrity be taken into account as early as the devel\u00adop\u00adment process. Machinery must be pro\u00adtected from manip\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtion such as online cor\u00adrup\u00adtion or the defeat of safe\u00adguards. Man\u00adu\u00adfac\u00adturers must estab\u00adlish clear processes for secure soft\u00adware updates and remote access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlarly crit\u00adical: high-risk machinery. In addi\u00adtion to the con\u00adfor\u00admity assess\u00adment pro\u00adce\u00addure car\u00adried out by the man\u00adu\u00adfac\u00adturer, it must also undergo testing by a noti\u00adfied body. Man\u00adu\u00adfac\u00adturers must check whether their prod\u00aducts fall into this cat\u00ade\u00adgory \u2013 and take the nec\u00ades\u00adsary steps in good time. This can be achieved by com\u00adparing the machinery with the high-risk cat\u00ade\u00adgories defined in the MR and, in case of uncer\u00adtainty, involving noti\u00adfied bodies at an early stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oper\u00ada\u00adtors of machinery also have an oblig\u00ada\u00adtion. The MR rede\u00adfines the term \u201csub\u00adstan\u00adtial mod\u00adi\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtion\u201d. Anyone who con\u00adverts or retro\u00adfits machinery must check whether the con\u00adfor\u00admity must be assessed as a result. A con\u00adfor\u00admity assess\u00adment pro\u00adce\u00addure for machinery safety is required if a machine under\u00adgoes sub\u00adstan\u00adtial mod\u00adi\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtion or if changes are made that affect the machine\u2019s com\u00adpli\u00adance with the statu\u00adtory pro\u00advi\u00adsions for CE marking. If a sub\u00adstan\u00adtial mod\u00adi\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtion has taken place, the oper\u00adator becomes the man\u00adu\u00adfac\u00adturer \u2013 with all the oblig\u00ada\u00adtions that entails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cyber\u00adse\u00adcu\u00adrity is also a key issue for oper\u00ada\u00adtors. Manip\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtion, cor\u00adrup\u00adtion and cyber attacks are real risks. The reg\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtion there\u00adfore requires mea\u00adsures to be doc\u00adu\u00admented and employees to be trained. Anyone who is neg\u00adli\u00adgent in this regard not only risks secu\u00adrity gaps, but legal con\u00adse\u00adquences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addi\u00adtion to the dec\u00adla\u00adra\u00adtion of con\u00adfor\u00admity, tech\u00adnical doc\u00adu\u00admen\u00adta\u00adtion must be avail\u00adable at all times for all plant and machinery. For oper\u00ada\u00adtors, this means that processes must be designed in such a way that these doc\u00adu\u00adments are readily avail\u00adable \u2013 even years after com\u00admis\u00adsioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tech\u00adnical spec\u00adi\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtions are one thing, the people behind them are another. Employees in devel\u00adop\u00adment, quality assur\u00adance and ser\u00advice must be trained \u2013 par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlarly on cyber topics. This is the only way to avoid secu\u00adrity gaps and imple\u00adment the new spec\u00adi\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtions effi\u00adciently. Oper\u00ada\u00adtors should also ensure that their teams are made aware of safe oper\u00adating and main\u00adte\u00adnance processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Pilz Academy pro\u00advides spe\u00adcialised training to help com\u00adpa\u00adnies imple\u00adment the Machinery Reg\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n