PED Material Compliance for Buttweld Fittings: Harmonised Standard, EAM or PMA?

Where fittings sit under the PED

The PED defines piping as piping components intended for the transport of fluids when connected together for integration into a pressure system, and it names fittings among those components. Piping is classified into categories using the tables for piping in Annex II, based on the fluid group, the maximum allowable pressure and the nominal size. Small or low-pressure lines may fall under sound engineering practice (Article 4(3)) rather than a category.

In normal practice, plain elbows, tees, reducers and caps bought loose are not CE-marked on their own. They are components that the piping manufacturer, often the fabricator or EPC contractor, builds into a piping assembly. The conformity assessment and CE marking apply to that assembly. The fitting supplier's job is to provide the material evidence that shows the materials meet Annex I. In borderline cases, such as fittings sold within a prefabricated spool, check the Commission's PED guidelines with your notified body.

The three material routes in Annex I

Section 4 of Annex I sets the essential safety requirements for materials. The equipment manufacturer must show compliance with the material requirements in one of three ways.

Route 1: harmonised standards

This is the simplest route and the one EN 10253-2 and EN 10253-4 were written for. Both are the parts of EN 10253 with specific inspection requirements, intended for pressure purposes. Two cautions apply. First, the presumption of conformity covers only the clauses listed in the standard's Annex ZA, and only for the edition whose reference is cited in the Official Journal; check that the edition on your order is the one your notified body accepts. Second, the presumption applies to the grades the standard lists. A grade that is not in the standard's tables is not covered just because the fitting is otherwise made "to EN 10253-2".

Route 2: European approval for materials

An EAM covers a material used repeatedly in pressure equipment but not in a harmonised standard. For buttweld fittings it is less common, because most fitting grades used in Europe are already in EN 10253-2 or EN 10253-4.

Route 3: particular material appraisal

A PMA is the route for everything else. The most frequent case in practice is an EU plant built to an ASME-based piping specification, using ASTM A234, A420 or A403 fittings. ASTM and ASME material specifications are not harmonised standards under the PED, so the equipment manufacturer must show, material by material, that the requirements of Annex I are met. For equipment in categories III and IV, the PMA must be specifically assessed by the notified body in charge of the conformity assessment.

A PMA typically has to deal with the design values at temperature, toughness, weldability and the manufacturing and testing route of the product. In Germany, AD 2000 W-sheets and VdTÜV material data sheets are often used as the basis for an appraisal. The practical message for buyers is timing: the PMA needs data from the fitting supplier, and the notified body may ask for tests that are not in the ASTM specification. Settle this before the order is placed, not after the fittings arrive.

Toughness: the Annex I check that catches ASTM grades

Section 7.5 of Annex I sets a default ductility and toughness requirement for steels: elongation after rupture of at least 14%, and impact energy measured on an ISO V test piece of at least 27 J at a temperature not greater than 20 °C, and not higher than the lowest scheduled operating temperature. EN 10253-2 grades come with specified impact values. Several ASTM fitting grades, such as A234 WPB, do not require impact testing as standard. If you buy ASTM fittings for PED equipment, put the impact test and its temperature on the order, so the certificate shows the evidence the PMA will need.

Certificates: what section 4.3 asks for

Section 4.3 of Annex I requires the equipment manufacturer to obtain documentation from the material manufacturer affirming compliance with the specification for all materials. For the main pressure-bearing parts of equipment in categories II, III and IV, that documentation must be a certificate of specific product control, which in practice means an EN 10204 3.1 inspection certificate based on tests on the delivered product.

Section 4.3 also says that where the material manufacturer has an appropriate quality-assurance system, certified by a competent body established in the Union and specifically assessed for materials, its certificates are presumed to certify conformity. This is what a "PED material manufacturer" certificate issued by a notified body demonstrates, and it is worth asking any non-EU fitting supplier to send a copy with the quotation. EN 764-5 gives further guidance on material documentation for pressure equipment.

A 3.2 certificate, countersigned by an independent inspector, is used when the specification, the end user or the notified body requires it. Our guide to reading an EN 10204 3.1 certificate explains what to check on the document itself.

Type A and Type B are a design question, not a material route

Buyers sometimes treat "EN 10253-2 Type B" as if it settled PED compliance. It does not. Type A and Type B describe how the fitting's pressure capacity relates to the connecting pipe, which matters for the EN 13480-3 design. The material route is a separate question. A Type B fitting in a grade listed in EN 10253-2, ordered to the cited edition with the required inspection, satisfies both. See EN 10253 Type A and Type B fittings for the design side.

What to write on the purchase order

1. The route. For example: "Materials to comply with PED 2014/68/EU Annex I via harmonised standard EN 10253-2", or "Material route: PMA by purchaser; supplier to provide data listed in attachment".
2. The standard and edition, the grade name and material number, and Type A or Type B.
3. The PED category of the piping, if known, so the supplier understands which section 4.3 requirements apply.
4. The certificate: EN 10204 3.1, or 3.2 with the named inspection body.
5. Impact testing: the test temperature, where it must be lower than the standard default or where an ASTM grade does not include it.
6. A copy of the supplier's PED material manufacturer certificate with the order acknowledgement.
7. Marking and traceability: heat number on every piece, matching the certificate.

Our purchase-order template for EN 10253-2 Type B fittings gives full clause wording.

Common pitfalls

• "Dual-certified" without the tests. A certificate that names both an ASTM and an EN grade must show results that meet both, including impact tests where either requires them.
• Edition mismatch. The order cites one edition, the certificate another, and the notified body accepts a third.
• Re-certified stock. A stockist's certificate that replaces the manufacturer's breaks the link section 4.3 relies on. Ask for the original manufacturer's certificate.
• Grades outside the tables. A grade made "to EN 10253-2" that the standard does not list still needs an EAM or a PMA.

Supply from Arshya

We supply buttweld fittings to EN 10253-2 and EN 10253-4 in Type A and Type B, and to ASME B16.9 in ASTM grades with the extra tests a PMA calls for. Fittings are manufactured at our group manufacturing facility, which holds ISO, PED (TÜV), AD 2000, IBR and ASME approvals. The facility is Arshya Engineers & Fabrications Pvt Ltd at Village Dundsa, Palwal, Haryana. You can download the approval certificates, including the PED material manufacturer certificate, from our quality page. Every order comes with EN 10204 3.1 certificates, or 3.2 with TÜV, Lloyd's Register, BV, DNV or SGS on request.

Frequently asked questions