Overview

Legal metrology

Legal metrology covers all the regulations applied by the national or European authorities to guarantee the quality of measuring instruments used in:

• commercial transactions (eg. weight-price scales for retail stores, petrol pumps, water meters, etc.)
• operations concerning public health or safety (eg. gas analysers, tachographs, radar speed detectors, Breathalysers, etc.).

These instruments are inspected and validated at several stages:

• design (EC type examination, national type examination, design approval, verification of installation)
• manufacture (initial verification)
• use (control of instruments in service).

LNE's activities

LNE provides services at national, European and international level.

European level: LNE is a notified body for: conformity assessment of measuring instruments covered by Directive 2004/22/EC (MID) (most modules: EC type examination, unit EC verification, quality assurance of the production process, full quality assurance for manufacturers, etc.) conformity assessment of non-automatic weighing instruments (NAWI), in accordance with Directive 2009/23/EC modified (EC type examination, unit EC verification, approval of manufacturers' quality management systems).

 

National level: In accordance with French law (Décret of 3 May 2001), LNE is designated by the French Ministry of Industry to: examine applications and issue type examination certificates, design approval certificates and installation verification certificates approve and monitor quality management systems for companies that manufacture, repair or install measuring instruments.

 

International level: LNE is authorized to issue OIML certificates of conformity for 21 categories of measuring instruments.

Type examination

Type examination comprises validation of the design of a measuring instrument on the basis of information supplied in an application file and - if required - examinations and tests performed on one or more samples of the instrument type. Following type examination, LNE issues a certificate stating that the instrument meets the requirements for its category. If applicable, the certificate will specify conditions for verification or use of the instrument.

How to apply for type examination

To apply for type examination, you need to send LNE:

• a full description of your instrument, by completing our application form (pdf - 29 kB)
• a technical file containing the documents listed in the file guidelines for the type of instrument concerned:
  • - Instruments for measuring fluids and energy - [guidelines]
  • - Measuring instruments for weighing industries - [guidelines]
  • - Measuring instruments for safety, vehicles, agri-food industries and dimensional measurement - [guidelines]

Note: If your application is for an instrument with integrated software, please complete the technical file as indicated in the software file guidelines - [software guidelines] (pdf - 97 kB)

Transfer or extension of a certificate

If you wish to transfer or extend a type examination certificate, please fill in the form (french version only - pdf)

 

Statutory quality system approval

How to apply for approval of your quality system

Read our [guidelines] on the approval procedure (pdf - 415 kB) and then complete and send us the [application form] (pdf - 85 kB) and the [application file] (pdf - 73 kB)

 

LNE ISO 9001 certification Companies applying for quality system approval may also apply for ISO 9001 certification of their quality management system. This certification is extremely useful both for SMEs and for large companies whose certification needs concern different parties (buyers, local authorities, subcontractors, etc.). LNE provides a one-stop service optimizing both the time and the cost of the certification process. > LNE ISO 9001 certification (french pdf - 860 kB)

OIML certificates

LNE is authorized to issue OIML certificates of conformity for more than 20 categories of measuring instruments. It is also a signatory of a Mutual Acceptance Agreement covering load cells (OIML recommendation R60) and non-automatic weighing instruments (OIML recommendation R76).

The OIML international recommendations for which LNE may issue OIML certificates are listed on the OIML website.

How to apply for OIML certificates

Send LNE a full description of your instrument, by completing our application form (pdf - 29 kB)

Contacts

For any new application for certification of measuring instruments, contact our customer service

General questions about legal metrology

Links

French Ministry of Industry (Metrology department)
OIML (International Organization of Legal Metrology)
WELMEC (European Cooperation in Legal Metrology)