Exporting machinery to Canada made easy
To support Italian OEMs in complying with the regulatory standards required for exporting to Canada, AC&E has obtained, for both its Italian and U.S. offices, SCC accreditation as a Competent Body for certifications according to SPE-1000, “Model Code for the field evaluation of electrical equipment”.
With a turnover of around 6 billion euros in 2020, the Canadian market is certainly of interest to Italian exporters of industrial machinery. However, exporting to this country can be particularly complex, as the equipment to be installed in Canada must meet specific regulatory standards.
In the most populous and industrialized Canadian province, Ontario, there is a local law (Ontario Regulation 851) that requires foreign companies wishing to install machinery and electrical equipment in this province to obtain certification, issued by an accredited notified body (Competent Body), attesting to their safety, according to the local electrical standard SPE-1000.
The same applies in the provinces of Manitoba, British Columbia and Alberta (for Quebec, the legislation is in the process of being implemented). This year AC&E North America Inc. obtained SCC accreditation, both for the American and Italian offices - the only one in Europe to offer this service, outside the native Canadian laboratories - which authorizes it as a Competent Body to carry out the certifications according to SPE-1000 - “Model Code for the field evaluation of electrical equipment” - necessary for the approval and installation of machinery in the North American country. For European companies, the accreditation can therefore be performed directly by the Italian office, while for non-EU companies through the American branch.
Compliance also for electrical panels
The SPE-1000 accreditation of AC&E North America also covers the installation of electrical panels and power distribution (Power Center and Motor Control Center) that power industrial machinery, with the possibility of covering an electrical distribution up to 46kV.
A strategic requirement, as highlighted by Matteo Marconi (AC&E CEO and AC&E North America certification manager) and Francesco Corraini (AC&E North America deputy technical manager): «It happens more and more often that the final customer who has to install machinery in Canada, turns to the Italian supplier both to have the machines certified and to install the entire electrical distribution system, especially if the installation has to take place in a new building.
The electrical accreditation carried out by AC&E therefore completes the package of certifications required for export to Canada».
We would also like to remind you that, since 2018, the AC&E North America Inc. laboratory is FEB-112 (Field Evaluation Body), accredited by the IAS, to perform Field Evaluation of electrical panels, power centers, MCCs, machines and industrial plants installed in both ordinary and classified environment (Hazardous Location) for the USA.
