Interlinked machinery

We speak of interlinked plant or machinery, for example, when machines are joined to form a complete system or when another machine is added to an existing machine.

To assess whether it is an interlinked plant, the following questions must be answered:

• Is there a functional connection? Do the plant sections work together as a whole and form a unit?
• Is there a control-related connection? Are the plant sections operated as a whole?
• Is a safety-related connection required? Do the plant sections function as a whole in terms of safety?

If the interlinking of several subsections can be expected to have functional, control-related and safety-related effects on the overall plant, then the conformity assessment procedure must also be carried out for the overall plant.

In this case it means that the whole process must be carried out for the relevant plant sections (examination of interfaces) in accordance with the Machinery Directive, from the risk assessment through to attaching the CE mark.