Customer application package Included in this package are the following documents. Customer application form European Type Approval for Automotive Systems and Components Setting out some of the basics of type approval. An introduction to Conformity of Production (CoP) Note that these documents are also available separately on the VCA website
Customer Application Form This form to be used by all VCA customers applying for Type Approval Certification work. 1. Contact Details Name Full Address (including postcode) Telephone Fax Email Nature of business, e.g. vehicle manufacturer; OEM supplier Name Full Address (including postcode) Telephone Fax Email
Invoice address (the account will be opened in this name and address) Company name Full address including postcode (if different from the main address) Company VAT number Company registration number Contact name Invoicing address Telephone number Fax number Email Yes Is a Purchase Order required? No Any additional information Reference 1 - contact details Name and address Contact name Telephone number Fax number Email Company name Company registration number Mandatory field PCAD-029 Revision: 1 - February 2014
Reference 2 - contact details Name and address Contact name Telephone number Fax number Email Company name Company registration number 2. Conformity of Production Please provide the contact details for Conformity of production matters (if different from before) COP telephone number COP fax number COP Email address COP company Full Address (including postcode) List of plants at which the products are manufactured and their VCA Conformity of Production (CoP) clearance reference Plant name Reference Plant name Reference Plant name Reference Plant name Reference If your company is based outside of the European Union (EU), please provide details of a representative within the EU Mandatory field PCAD-029 Revision: 1 - February 2014
3. Monitoring Can you please tell us where you first heard about VCA: VCA Publication Confirm acceptance Please print form and sign below to confirm acceptance that payment or invoices will be made within 30 days of the invoice date. Name Job title / position Print form Save Signature When complete, please print out and send to the following address: Admin Officer - Operations Branch Room 1.1 1 The Eastgate Office Centre Eastgate Road Bristol BS5 6XX You may also send this document to us as an Email attachment, but please be aware that Email is not a secure medium, and as such, VCA cannot be held responsible for any loss of the data or subsequent misuse by a third party. Mandatory field For VCA use only: Credit limit required: PCAD-029 Revision: 1 - February 2014
European Type Approval for Automotive Systems and Components VCA004 Page 1 of 5 Revision No 11
About VCA The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) is an Executive Agency of the United Kingdom Department for Transport, charged with operating the system of automotive type approval in the UK. VCA is the designated UK Approval Authority and a Technical Service for all type approvals to automotive EC Directives and most United Nations (UN) Regulations. VCA is accredited also, by UKAS for the issuing of ISO 9001 quality management systems certification, ISO 14001 environmental management systems certification, OHSAS 18001 health and safety certification, and EMAS verification. Additionally, VCA is recognised by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) through the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Limited (SMMT) for ISO/TS 16949. 1. Introduction Many industrial sectors are subject to some form of approval or certification system but road vehicles are a special case, because of their importance to and impact upon society, and have been subject to specific technical standards almost from their first invention. Within Europe, two systems of type approval have been in existence for over 20 years. One is based around EC Directives and Regulations, and provides for the approval of whole vehicles, vehicle systems, and separate components. The other is based around UN Regulations and provides for approval of vehicle systems and separate components, but not whole vehicles. 2. What is Automotive Type Approval? Put simply, type approval is the confirmation that production samples of a design will meet specified performance standards. The specification of the product is recorded and only that specification is approved. Automotive EC Directives and UN Regulations require third party approval - testing, certification and production conformity assessment by an independent body. Each Member State is required to appoint an Approval Authority to issue the approvals and a Technical Service to carry out the testing to the EC Directives and Regulations. An approval issued by one Authority will be accepted in all the Member States. A similar situation exists for UN regulations where Contracting Parties have similar role to the EC Member States. In the UK, the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) is both Approval Authority and Technical Service. (Note: automotive Directives are "old approach" in terms of requiring third party testing and approval. "New approach" Directives follow a different format and place more obligation on the manufacturer to make sure that the product meets appropriate requirements. EU Member States have agreed that the new approach is not appropriate for road vehicles.) 2.1. Whole Vehicle Type Approval EC approval of most road vehicles is based around a "Whole Vehicle" framework Directive 2007/46/EC (as amended) and this specifies the range of aspects of the vehicle that must be approved to separate technical Directives. Hence, in order to gain EC whole vehicle approval, a vehicle first will have to be approved for various systems, e.g. brakes, emissions, noise, etc. The issue of the whole vehicle approval does not in itself involve testing, but a production VCA004 Page 2 of 5 Revision No 11
sample of the complete vehicle is inspected to check that its specification matches the specifications contained in all the separate Directive approvals. Broadly, the Whole Vehicle framework document covers any vehicle with 4 or more wheels and their trailers intended for use on roads, except agricultural or forestry tractors, mobile machinery, and vehicles with a design maximum speed of less than 25kph. There is a separate framework Directive, 2002/24/EC (as amended), that covers 2 and 3 wheeled vehicles and 4-wheeled quadricycles. Agricultural or forestry tractors are covered under a further framework directive - 2003/37/EC (as amended). Both of these follow the same principles and processes as the car framework directive. 2.2 System or Component Approval The separate technical Directives and Regulations allow (or require) the approval of individual systems as part of a type of vehicle and some allow for the approval of separate devices. A separate device may be approved either as a Separate Technical Unit (STU), in which case the vehicle to which it is to be fitted must be declared, or as a Component if it can be fitted to any vehicle. System and component approval requires that a sample of the type to be approved is tested by the Technical Service to the requirements of the relevant Directive. Its technical specification is documented and that specification forms part of the approval. 3. System or Component Approval The Process 3.1. Application The manufacturer should apply to VCA in writing for the work to be done (addressed to Administration Supervisor, Product Certification Branch) which will set the process in motion. If one of VCA's independent Technical Service laboratories is to be used for the testing (see below), then contact with the laboratory can be made direct. Once the application is received, you will be sent notification of the VCA job number (which should be used in all future correspondence with VCA) and the name of a contact VCA test manager. 3.2. Worst Case Selection When you are ready to proceed you should contact the VCA test manager notified to you and arrange for a "worst case" meeting. VCA practises worst case selection prior to testing in order to reduce the amount of testing needed across the range of a product type. A meeting will be held between VCA and the manufacturer in order to consider the products to be tested, the tests to be carried out, and the date and venue for the testing. The manufacturer may present results of in house testing, and any other information, in order to assist the worst case selection. 3.3. Testing VCA is the UK automotive approval Authority and a Technical Service so has the responsibility for witnessing or carrying out the tests as well as issuing the approval certificates. Tests can be witnessed at any suitable facility anywhere in the world, whether they are owned by the manufacturer or hired by the manufacturer for the period. To enable us to offer our services VCA004 Page 3 of 5 Revision No 11
locally, VCA has resident staff at offices around the world, including the USA, Japan, Malaysia, Korea, Italy, Australia, India, Brazil and China. Any facility to be used must first be appraised by VCA to ensure that the equipment is appropriate for approval testing, and this can be arranged as a separate exercise or as a prelude to a test programme. VCA appraisal techniques follow established quality principles. If preferred by the manufacturer, VCA can provide a full service including the provision of instrumentation and test facilities. This would normally be done through our UK VCA Midlands Centre at Nuneaton, using MIRA facilities. For certain subjects, VCA has appointed independent laboratories to act as Technical Services (in addition to VCA): These can be found on the VCA website: http:///vehicletype/technical-services.asp 3.4. Documentation Prior to testing the manufacturer will be required to submit technical documentation that adequately specifies the product in terms of the elements of the design that are relevant to the legislative instrument concerned. These documents act as a check list for the sample of the product that is provided for testing and, after test, as the basis for the approval itself. If necessary, further, good quality final information documents may need to be supplied for attachment to the approval certificate. 3.5. The Manufacturer and Conformity of Production (CoP) For each approval it is necessary to declare a manufacturer for the product. This does not necessarily have to be the company that actually manufactures the product but it must be a company that can take, and prove, responsibility for the design and manufacture and hence can control conformity to type of production samples. It is unlikely that an independent importer could take on the role of manufacturer but it could be the appointed manufacturer's representative for the approval. Note, though, that a product can hold only one approval from one Authority, so an importer will need to ensure that it alone is acting for the manufacturer. Conformity of production requirements are based around established quality systems principles, and certification to ISO9001 may be acceptable as a basis, with appropriate control plans to deal with the specific approval aspects. It may be necessary for VCA assessors to visit the production facility and so it is important to involve VCA at an early stage. The COP process can run along side the testing process, in order to avoid delays, and will be triggered by the application letter to VCA. 3.6. Approval Issue Once all the technical documentation and test reports are complete, and conformity of production clearance has been given, VCA will complete the approval package by issuing an approval number, an approval certificate, and an index to the manufacturer's documents, and. Each month we notify all the other Approval Authorities of the approvals that we have issued so that they can check the number should the manufacturer wish to use the approval overseas. VCA004 Page 4 of 5 Revision No 11
3.7. Specification Changes The specification of the product is frozen in the approval. If the specification changes then the Approval Authority must be informed of the change. It should be noted however, that a change to the specification of a product does not necessarily mean more testing or a new approval. If the change is minor then we may be able to add it to the approval as a document review exercise. If the change affects information on the approval certificate then an extension certificate must be issued. If it affects only the information in the manufacturer's documents then we will issue a revised index of those documents, with no change to the approval certificate. 4. VCA Fees VCA fees for approval work are charged on the basis of the time taken to carry out the work, but we will endeavour to provide an estimate of the likely fee once the work content has been agreed. Note that different arrangements will apply if one of VCA s appointed technical Services is used. 5. Contact us For contact details around the world, go to: http:///world-map.asp VCA004 Page 5 of 5 Revision No 11
INTRODUCTION TO CONFORMITY OF PRODUCTION (CoP) VCA006 Page 1 of 3 Ver 1.1
VEHICLE CERTIFICATION AGENCY Systems Certification & Enforcement Introduction to Conformity of Production (CoP) In applying for an approval certificate to be issued by VCA, one important requirement in the Type Approval Regulations, which must be included in your planning, is Conformity of Production (CoP). CoP means the ability to produce series products in conformity with the specification, performance and marking requirements in the type approval. Whether you are a UK manufacture, or the UK agent applying for approvals on behalf of a manufacturer outside the UK, and whatever your product is, suitable CoP arrangements must be made. VCA has a specialist CoP group, whose function is to assess manufacturer s quality systems and procedures, in order to see that the two key conditions of most type approval standards are met:- To verify that before an approval is issued, there are robust controls in place to ensure that all products made conform to the approved type. To monitor periodically that the controls continue to be effective during the life of the approval. What is involved? This depends very much on your individual circumstances. This note describes the main elements of all our CoP activities, but you should also check whether there are any specific requirements written into the CoP sections of the standards for your particular products. You will be given the name of a VCA contact for CoP at an early stage in your application, who will be happy to discuss with you or arrange a meeting if you wish. Whether you are a major multi-national company with formal certification for your quality management systems, for example, or a small business with very little in the way of documented quality systems, your VCA CoP contact should be able to establish the best way to proceed. Principles of CoP Documentation To help us build up a picture of your company, and the methods you use to control your product, we need some information about your quality control systems. We will require a copy of your Quality Manual, if you have one. If your manufacturing site has any formal certification for its Quality Management Systems (ISO 9000 series or TS16949), we will ask for a copy of the certificate, and we may accept this certification, in conjunction with a suitable Control Plan. We will ask you to prepare a Control Plan, listing all the checks and tests carried out before, during, and after the manufacturing process. We can give guidance on Control Plans if you need it. After reviewing these documents your CoP contact will decide how to proceed. VCA006 Page 2 of 3 Ver 1.1
Initial assessment Although in certain circumstances it may be possible for the CoP requirements to be satisfied by documentation alone, in many cases it is necessary for an Initial Assessment of your manufacturing site to be carried out. For Manufacturers that are not ISO certified, we will always carry out an initial assessment.the assessment, by our CoP engineers, will audit all areas of the factory relevant to the type approvals you are seeking, to see your controls working. If we have accepted certification of your systems, we may still visit to see how you meet your Control Plan. If all is satisfactory, you will be granted CoP clearance, allowing your approvals to be issued. Monitoring VCA will continuously monitor your CoP during the life of your approvals. This is achieved by either monitoring assessment visits or control plan monitoring visits, both very similar to the initial visits described above, and/or reviewing records. VCA also purchases and tests products offered for sale in the UK. These monitoring activities, as with all of VCA s work, are controlled by our own procedures, and your CoP contact will keep you informed as to when they are due. If problems occur If it is found during any CoP assessment that your procedures or working practice do not meet the CoP requirements of the approval, then the assessor will discuss this with you in detail, and will raise written non-compliances, asking you to take corrective actions, within a realistic timescale. You should note that if serious deficiencies are found in your quality systems, which we are unable to rectify, or serious or recurring problems with your products in CoP tests, VCA may need to consider urgent actions. This could include the suspension of sales, a product recall, and ultimately your approval may be withdrawn. What will it cost? There are charges associated with the CoP activities including a technical clearance charge and associated fees for any CoP assessments. Your CoP contact will provide you with details. North America and East Asia If you are based in North America or East Asia, our local office will be your contact for both your approval work and for CoP matters. VCA006 Page 3 of 3 Ver 1.1