Engineering Resource
A material certificate is what turns a claim about a part's material into evidence. Not all certificates are equal, and knowing the difference prevents an audit surprise.
What EN 10204 covers
- 2.1: a declaration of compliance with the order — no test results.
- 2.2: a test report with results from the manufacturer's own testing.
- 3.1: an inspection certificate issued by the manufacturer's authorised inspection representative, independent of production.
- 3.2: an inspection certificate issued by an inspection representative independent of both the manufacturer and the purchaser.
Why 3.1 is the common request
For precision and regulated components, EN 10204 3.1 is the usual requirement: it gives the chemical composition and mechanical properties of the material with traceability to the heat, signed off independently of production. It is what lets you demonstrate, months later, what a part was actually made from.
Verification in practice
A certificate describes the material as it was supplied. On critical batches we also verify the grade in-house by spectrometer, so the material on the machine is confirmed rather than assumed. The two together — certificate and verification — give the strongest position in an audit or an investigation.
What to request with your order
State the certificate type (typically 3.1), whether you need in-house verification, and the traceability level your quality system requires. Agreeing this at order entry is what makes it possible — certificates and measurements cannot be retro-fitted to parts already shipped.