Type approval and MED

Type approval is a procedure for the approval of the product design, including drawing appraisal and prototype test performance, for compliance with classification or Flag Administration requirements. It basically implies that the design of the product is assessed once and the approval is made valid for all subsequent products of identical design. 
In principle, type approval is applicable to all products, but it is particularly suitable for products of standard design and/or routinely manufactured such as diesel engines, reduction gears, flexible hoses, electric cables, transformers, safety valves for cargo tanks.

Type approval is compulsory for certain products and scopes:

• Classification purposes (e.g. diesel engines, electric cables and electric motors)
• Flag Administration requirements (e.g. marine products)
• European Directive (e.g. MED, Pleasure Craft Directive).

Type approval can also be requested on a voluntary basis by the manufacturer.

The list of type approval certificates for marine equipment can be found at the following link: RINA Type Approval.

The list of EC type approval certificates (Module B) in compliance with the MED Directive requirements can be found at the following link:  MED Directive.

Deliverables

RINA is an EU Recognised Organisation (EU RO) according to Regulation (EC) No. 391/2009 and may offer EU MR Type Approval Certificates according to Article 10 of such Regulation, which are mutually recognised by all the EU ROs for products to be installed on board ships classed by them.
The MR Certification Scheme applies to certain type approved products through the uniform application of MR Technical Requirements developed by the EU RO Mutual Recognition Group.
More details about the EU RO Mutual Recognition and the list of Technical Requirements developed so far are available to the EU RO Mutual Recognition Group website.

The type approval certification procedure consists of the following steps:

• manufacturer's application
• examination of technical documentation
• preliminary approval of drawings, when required by the rules
• definition of the test program
• identification of the testing laboratory
• execution of type tests
• review of the test reports
• issuance of RINA type approval certificate.

Why RINA?

RINA owns a Testing Laboratory providing services for fire protection material and equipment according to the national and international applicable standards.
The testing facility is recognized by:

• the International Maritime Organization, as a national reference testing facility for the tests required by the International Code for Application of Fire Test Procedures (FTP Code)
• the United States Coast Guard, for all the tests required by the IMO FTP Code
• the Italian Administration, as a notified company in application of the European Marine Equipment Directive (MED).

These accreditations enable RINA to offer fire test and certification services, recognized worldwide, which can be effectively used by manufacturers of plants and equipment for ships and by yards throughout the world.

Q&A

Once a product is type approved, does it need to be tested?
Depending on the products, further verifications and tests may be necessary to assess conformity of products to approved prototypes, e.g. by means of individual or alternative inspection schemes.

Does type approval of a product need to be renewed?
Yes, the validity of a type approval certificate is generally five years, after which the certificate needs to be renewed.

What is the renewal process of a type approval certificate?
A type approval certificate is renewed upon satisfactory outcome of the verification of the technical documentation provided by the manufacturer. In case of significant changes to the product made by the manufacturer, or in case of significant amendments of the reference standards, further testing activities may be required.