Why is it important that Topciment products have the CE Marking

The decorative systems and products that we manufacture and that require the CE Marking, have it. A badge that legitimises that we do and sell what we assert we do and sell. A seal without which we could not market our products with full guarantees within the European territory.

A badge that blends in with the ISO 9001:2015 certificateand that has been recently delivered to us by the same company that has ratified the required documents and tests to obtain the CE Marking. Next, we explain what this symbol consists of, what its purpose and use are, the mechanism to obtain it as well as the Topciment® products that have it.

What is CE Marking and what is it used for

The CE Marking is a symbol that certifies that the marketed product, or that is going to be marketed in the future, has passed a thorough evaluation procedure and meets a series of requirements around manufacturing, design, safety and health included in a safety regulation imposed by the European Union.

Some conditions that the European Union sets for certain products in the construction field, not all, and without compliance with them, the distribution of these is totally illicit. Therefore, obtaining the CE Marking is essential before the commercialisation and commissioning of these products. A regulation that not all companies satisfy and that, the Topciment® systems do. This is the best guarantee for customers that we only develop and sell products of the highest performance and that meet the criteria stipulated by the EU. A seal that is complemented by the ISO 9001:2015 certificate, because one cannot be given without the other and, therefore, we can proudly say that we hold both.

A badge that must be visible to the product recipient or customer at all times. It must be present on the product or on a label attached to it; sometimes it can also be on the package itself or in the documents that accompany it. As for the information that the CE Marking must reveal, beyond data about the manufacturer and the product itself, there is the reference number of the DdP, the ENh or the DEE that has been applied.

Which products carry CE Marking?

Not all products are obliged to meet the demands of the European Union and obtain the CE Marking, only those that are affected in one way or another by a specific regulation or directive. The responsibility to check whether the product in question has to adhere to the CE Marking or not falls exclusively on the manufacturer. In this regard, at Topciment® we are fully aware of this competence and we assume and exercise it as such.

It is important to note that, in the hypothetical case of a product made up of several components or individual pieces that have their own CE Marking, a global CE Marking is not automatically acquired. For this, it will be necessary to go through the relevant evaluation process by the manufacturer or laboratory that is accredited and can corroborate that the product complies with European safety regulations. An analysis that will be much faster when dealing with products that have previously passed this examination.

How to obtain the CE Marking: procedure to follow

Sometimes, there are several regulations and options that the manufacturer can adhere to in order to acquire one type of CE Marking or another. Once the type of CE Marking has been chosen, the product or products must undergo an evaluation procedure by an external company qualified for it.

Said company, which is competent to do so as stipulated by the European Commission, carries out all relevant tests and checks. Afterwards, another equally competent body authorised by European institutions, certifies whether the requirements for obtaining the CE Marking are met or not.

Types of CE Marking in the field of construction

Since the past 1st of July 2013 it was stipulated the obligation, by manufacturers and importers, to apply the CE Marking on products in the construction sector that were covered by any of the following standards: either by a harmonised standard (ENH) drawn up by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) or have a European Technical Assessment (ETA) in charge of the authorised bodies for this task.

A requirement set out in the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) No. 305/2011. A regulation whose purpose is to eliminate any technical obstacle to the marketing of construction products, ensuring that the available and public information about their performance is entirely viable.

1. Declaration of Performance (DoP)

The Declaration of Performance is a document in which the manufacturer of the construction product in question assures, thus assuming their responsibility, that the declared performances about the product are truthful. A document that provides transparency and is essential to be able to introduce the product into the market, since the CE Marking can only be affixed on those products on which such a declaration of performance has been issued in accordance with articles 4 and 6 of the Construction Regulation No. 305/2011. That is, if the DoP is not presented, the CE marking cannot be affixed.

It's important to note that there are some exceptions to the compliance with the DdP and the CE Marking:

When it comes to a unique product, not mass-produced, for a specific project and is subject to national laws and regulations.

When the product has been manufactured at the same location where it is going to be applied.

When the construction product does not require an industrial procedure to be manufactured and, therefore, does not risk the conservation of heritage.

2. European Technical Assessment (ETA)

On the other hand, there is the European Technical Assessment (ETA). A document that informs about the performance of a construction product, linked to its main characteristics. The ETA can be issued in either of these two cases: if the product is not, or at least not entirely, covered by a harmonised European standard (ENh); and when the evaluation mechanisms and criteria are already reflected in the European Assessment Document (EAD).

The certification of the performance of a construction product can be of up to four types:

1. System 1+: manufacturer and certification and control body verify the product and each batch.

2. System 1: the same as the previous one but the certified body will not carry out tests by sampling samples taken before the product is introduced into the market.

3. System 2+: like the previous one but without the determination of the product type based on type tests (including sampling), type calculations, descriptive product documentation, etc.

4. System 3: it will be the manufacturer who carries out a control of the production in their facilities and the test laboratory will proceed to the determination of the product type based on tests of this type. That is, based on samples of the product manufactured by the manufacturer.

5. System 4: the same as the previous one with a variation; the validation tests will be carried out by the manufacturer itself and not by a notified external laboratory.

In the case of Topciment®, our CE Marking and DdP are carried out according to System 3. Tecnalia, a leading Research and Technological Development Centre in Europe, has been the company responsible for carrying out the relevant tests with samples of our products in their laboratories. Tests with satisfactory results that Bureau Veritas, leaders in testing, inspection and certification services, have validated by granting the CE marking to the decorative systems and related products we manufacture.

CE Marking: the best quality guarantee of Topciment products

Very few companies can demonstrate that they are an innovative SME, that their products have the CE Marking and that all the internal processes they execute meet the standards set by the ISO 9001:2015. We can, that's the best guarantee of the quality of our products.

Due to the particularity of the decorative systems we manufacture, and as there is no specific standard to adhere to, we classify them within the framework of the Standard 1504-2:2005 as it is the one that best fits the application process of our continuous decorative coatings.

A Standard that details the preparation of a series of mandatory tests to determine their performance, specifically for the protection of concrete:

Water vapour permeability (UNE EN ISO 7783:2019)

Permeability to liquid water (UNE EN 1062-3:2008)

CO2 Permeability (UNE EN 1062-6:2003)

Direct Traction Adhesion (UNE EN 1542:2000)

Abrasion resistance (UNE EN ISO 5470-1-2017)

Impact resistance (UNE EN ISO 6272-1:2012)

As an extra, other tests can be carried out on compression, bending, fire resistance, etc. Tests that are not mandatory as they are outside the application standard but contribute to giving an added credibility and guarantees of the product or system.

At Topciment® we have fully tested the decorative systems, obtaining the CE Marking for Sttandard, Efectto Quartz, Evoluttion; Industtrial and Natture, the last two additions, are being analysed at this moment to follow the trail of the previous ones. Likewise, other related products such as Presealer, Topsealer, Acricem or Primapox, among others, also have it.