PED 2014/68/EU Explained for Buyers of Pressure Castings

What is the Pressure Equipment Directive?

The Pressure Equipment Directive 2014/68/EU (PED) is the European Union regulation governing the design, manufacture and conformity assessment of pressure equipment and assemblies with a maximum allowable pressure above 0.5 bar. It applies to vessels, piping, safety accessories and pressure accessories — including the castings and machined components used to build them.

PED sets out the Essential Safety Requirements (ESRs) that pressure equipment must meet before it can be placed on the EU market with a CE mark. For manufacturers of pumps, valves, heat exchangers, pipework systems and similar equipment, PED compliance is not optional — it is a legal requirement for selling into the EU, and it flows down the supply chain to every component that forms part of a pressure boundary.

Does PED apply to castings?

PED applies to finished pressure equipment and assemblies, not to individual castings as standalone products. However, castings used as pressure-bearing components — valve bodies, pump casings, manifolds, pipe fittings — must be produced in a way that allows the equipment manufacturer to demonstrate compliance with the ESRs.

In practice this means the foundry producing the casting must operate under a quality system and conformity assessment scheme that gives the equipment manufacturer confidence in the material properties, dimensional accuracy and soundness of the casting. Foundries that have been assessed and approved under a PED conformity assessment module are referred to as PED-certified foundries. Using a non-certified foundry for pressure-bearing castings forces the equipment manufacturer to carry out additional verification that is usually more expensive and less reliable than foundry-level certification.

Risk categories under PED

PED classifies pressure equipment into four risk categories (I through IV) based on the fluid type, maximum allowable pressure, volume or nominal size, and whether the fluid is gas or liquid. Category I is the lowest risk; Category IV is the highest. The category determines which conformity assessment modules apply.

• Category I — lowest risk; manufacturer self-declares conformity (Module A). No notified body involvement required.
• Category II — moderate risk; quality assurance module required (Module A2, D1 or E1). Notified body audits the quality system.
• Category III — higher risk; more rigorous conformity assessment required (Module B+D, B+F, B+E, H or G). Notified body involvement in production or product verification.
• Category IV — highest risk; Module B+D, B+F, G or H1 required. Full notified body involvement including design examination and production surveillance.

The category of the finished equipment determines the level of documentation and third-party oversight needed for the castings within it. For Category III and IV equipment, EN 10204 3.2 certificates with notified-body witness are typically required for pressure-bearing castings.

Conformity assessment modules relevant to castings

The most common modules used for PED-compliant castings are:

• Module B (EU-type examination) — the notified body examines the design and issues an EU type-examination certificate. Used in combination with Module D or F for production.
• Module D (production quality assurance) — the manufacturer operates a quality system approved by a notified body covering production, final inspection and testing. Most PED-certified foundries operate under Module D or an equivalent.
• Module H (full quality assurance) — the manufacturer operates a comprehensive quality system covering design, production and inspection, approved by a notified body.
• Module G (EU unit verification) — each individual item is examined and certified by a notified body. Used for one-off or very small series production of high-risk equipment.

What PED-certified foundry approval means in practice

A foundry described as PED-certified has been assessed by a notified body and approved to produce castings for use in pressure equipment. This approval covers:

• The quality management system governing production, inspection and testing
• The alloy grades and product forms within the scope of approval
• The testing and certification procedures — chemical analysis, mechanical testing, NDT, heat treatment, traceability
• The maximum casting weight or size within the approval scope

Our partner foundry holds PED approval for precision stainless steel castings up to 60 kg under TÜV Rheinland (Notified Body ID-No. 0035, certificate no. 01 202 CHN/Q-16 0588), assessed against Directive 2014/68/EU Annex I §4.3 and AD 2000-Merkblatt W0. The approval covers valve parts in EN grades 1.4308, 1.4408, 1.4309, 1.4409 and 1.4469 to DIN EN10213, and ASTM grades CF3, CF3M, CF8 and CF8M to ASTM A351. Castings produced within this scope ship with the foundry's TÜV Rheinland-approved quality certificate, which equipment manufacturers can reference in their PED technical file.

Post-Brexit: PED vs UKCA and PSSR

Since the UK left the EU, two separate regulatory frameworks apply depending on where the finished equipment is placed on the market:

• EU market: PED 2014/68/EU applies. CE marking required. Notified bodies must be EU-recognised.
• UK market: The Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 (PSSR) govern the safe use of pressure systems. For new equipment placed on the UK market, UKCA marking has replaced CE marking, although CE marking was accepted on a transitional basis — check current UKAS guidance for the latest position.

For buyers sourcing castings for equipment sold into both markets, PED-certified foundries with EU notified-body approval remain the most practical choice. PED certification satisfies the technical requirements for both EU CE marking and UK UKCA marking for pressure equipment.

What documentation should a PED casting shipment include?

A complete documentation package for PED-compliant pressure castings should contain:

• EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2 material certificate with chemical and mechanical test results traceable to the specific heat and casting batch
• Heat treatment record (temperature, soak time, cooling method and resulting hardness or mechanical properties)
• NDT reports where dye penetrant, radiographic or ultrasonic testing was performed
• Dimensional inspection report or CMM report for critical features
• Pressure test certificate where hydrostatic or pneumatic testing was carried out
• Reference to the foundry's PED approval certificate and notified body (e.g. BV certificate number)
• Declaration of compliance with the applicable material standard (EN 10283, ASTM A351 or equivalent)

We compile and ship this complete documentation package with every pressure casting order. Digital copies are provided on dispatch; originals are included in the shipment.