QUALITY & CERTIFICATION ·
EN 10204 3.1 Certificate: what it means, what it contains and how to verify it
Illustration only. Not a real certificate, official mark, or evidence of third-party certification.
An EN 10204 3.1 inspection certificate is an inspection document issued by the manufacturer that declares the compliance of the products with the requirements of the order and reports the results of specific inspection. For an industrial buyer, the value of the document depends on the ability to link those results to the supplied products and verify their relevance.
What information does an EN 10204 3.1 certificate contain?
The content varies according to the product specification and the requirements of the order. For industrial fasteners, the information to check includes:
- Product and order: description, dimensions, material, mechanical property class and supply references, where applicable.
- Identification and traceability: heat, lot or other identification allowing the reported results to be linked to the supplied products or test unit.
- Inspection results: chemical composition data and/or mechanical test results required by the relevant specifications, together with the corresponding references.
EN 10204 defines the type of inspection document. The required tests and test units depend on the product standards, applicable requirements and the order.
What is the difference between EN 10204 2.2 and 3.1?
The difference lies in whether the documented inspection is non-specific or specific.
| Document | Inspection | Characteristic |
|---|---|---|
| EN 10204 2.2 | Non-specific | For Anchor Pro supplies, 2.2 documentation refers to the chemical analysis of the material used for production, according to the supply specifications. |
| EN 10204 3.1 | Specific | For Anchor Pro supplies, the documentation refers to the finished product, with results of destructive tensile tests performed by Anchor Pro and chemical analysis data for the material used, according to the supply specifications. |
How can an EN 10204 3.1 certificate be verified?
To verify the document received with a supply, use this short checklist:
- PRODUCT & ORDER
Compare the product and the order.
Do the standard, material, dimensions, property class and required characteristics correspond to the supply?
- TRACEABILITY
Check traceability.
Can the lot or test unit identified in the certificate be linked to the products received?
- INSPECTION RESULTS
Read the results, not only the heading.
Are the relevant tests reported, and do the results satisfy the applicable requirements?
- VALIDATION
Check who validates the document.
Does the document identify the manufacturer's authorized inspection representative, independent of the manufacturing department?
The wording "EN 10204 3.1" alone does not demonstrate that the content of the document is adequate for the supply.
Does an EN 10204 3.1 certificate guarantee the mechanical strength of every individual bolt?
No. An EN 10204 3.1 certificate does not mean that every bolt has been individually tested. Tests may refer to test units defined by the applicable specifications. The document reports the results of the required inspections; it does not demonstrate additional properties that have not been verified.
Mechanical testing and documentation at Anchor Pro
Anchor Pro performs tensile tests to fracture internally on fastener samples and records the maximum load reached. Chemical composition data for the materials are obtained from the documentation supplied by raw material suppliers. Mechanical test results and chemical composition data are distinct elements of documentary verification and traceability.
EN 10204 3.1 documentation from Anchor Pro
For more information about our inspection documents, or to request a supply of industrial fasteners accompanied by EN 10204 3.1 documentation, contact Anchor Pro.