EN 13479 Certification by ATC International.
EN 13479 is a general product standard covering welding consumables – filler metals and fluxes for fusion welding of metallic materials. This standard details quality control, test methods and manufacturing processes to ensure that products comply with their declared performance. It ensures that manufacturers carry out the necessary tests and evaluations before placing their products on the market and ensure continuity of performance.
Why is EN 13479 Important?
It ensures that manufacturers verify their products meet specific quality and safety requirements. This standard covers the following key areas:
1.Product Type and Performance Declaration: Manufacturers are required to declare the performance of their products based on their core characteristics. The standard mandates that these performances be tested and documented.
2.Factory Production Control (FPC): Manufacturers are required to establish an FPC system to ensure effective quality control of their products. This system involves continuous monitoring and inspection throughout the product’s manufacturing process.
3.Shared Product Type Results: In some cases, manufacturers may declare product performance by using previously obtained test results. This standard provides clear provisions on how these shared results can be used.
Assessment and Verification of Constancy of Performance – AVCP
The compliance of filler materials and fluxes with the requirements of this standard and with the
performances declared by the manufacturer in the DoP shall be demonstrated by:
— determination of the product type; — factory production control by the manufacturer, including product assessment.
Type Testing
All performances related to the characteristics included in EN 13479 shall be determined when the manufacturer intends to declare the relevant performances, but may be declared if the standard contains provisions for declarations without testing.
For the purposes of assessment, the manufacturer’s products may be divided into groups where the results for any characteristic in one or more products forming a family are considered representative for all products in that family for the same characteristic.
NOTE 1: Products may be grouped into different families for different characteristics.
NOTE 2: Reference should be made to the standards for the assessment method to ensure that a suitably representative sample is selected.
The number of samples of filler materials or fluxes to be tested/assessed given in Table1.
Table 1 — Number of samples to be tested and compliance criteria
| Characteristic | Requirement | Assessment Method | No. of Samples | Compliance Criteria |
| Chemical composition | EN 13479 Clause 4 | EN 13479 Clause 5 | Rods/wires and/or strips: 1 fluxes: 1 covered electrodes, tubular cored wires: 1 | EN 13479 Clause 4 |
The results for determining the product type must be documented in test reports. All test reports must be kept by the manufacturer for at least 10 years from the last production date of the relevant filling material or powder.
Factory Production Control System (FPC)
The manufacturer shall establish and continuously implement a Factory Production Control System (FPC System) in accordance with the EN 13479 standard. This system ensures that products undergo quality control at every stage. The Factory Production Control System surveillance audit is carried out once a year.
The FPC system shall include procedures, regular inspections and tests and/or evaluations and the use of these results to control raw materials and other incoming materials, as well as components, equipment, the production process and the product. All elements, requirements and provisions accepted by the manufacturer shall be systematically documented in the form of written policies and procedures. The factory production control system documentation shall provide a common understanding of the assessment of performance continuity and shall enable the achievement of the required product performances and the effective operation of the production control system. Therefore, it is a system that brings together all the necessary measures to maintain and control the conformity of operational techniques and the basic characteristics of the product with the declared performances.
The EN 13479 standard is in conformity with the Construction Products Directive (305/2011/EU) under the AVCP System 2+ approval level for CE marking. You can apply to ATC International for certification.
Trustuble partner for sustainable future