Appendix A
Appendix E
EU Directives
A–4
European Union Directives
Although the EMC Directive gets the most attention, other basic Directives, such as
the Machinery Directive and the Low Voltage Directive, also place restrictions on the
control panel builder. Because of these additional requirements it is recommended
that the following publications be purchased and used as guidelines:
S
BSI publication TH 42073: February 1996 – covers the safety and
electrical aspects of the Machinery Directive
S
EN 60204–1:1992 – General electrical requirements for machinery, including
Low Voltage and EMC considerations
S
IEC 1000–5–2: EMC earthing and cabling requirements
S
IEC 1000–5–1: EMC general considerations
It may be possible for you to obtain this information locally; however, the official
source of applicable Directives and related standards is:
The Office for Official Publications of the European Communities
L–2985 Luxembourg; quickest contact is via the World Wide Web at
http://euro–op.eu.int/indexn.htm
Another source is:
British Standards Institution – Sales Department
Linford Wood
Milton Keynes
MK14 6LE
United Kingdom; the quickest contact is via the World Wide Web at
http://www.bsi.org.uk
Basic EMC Installation Guidelines
The simplest way to meet the safety requirements of the Machinery and Low Voltage
Directives is to house all control equipment in an industry standard lockable steel
enclosure. This normally has an added benefit because it will also help ensure that
the EMC characteristics are well within the requirements of the EMC Directive.
Although the RF emissions from the PLC equipment, when measured in the open
air, are well below the EMC Directive limits, certain configurations can increase
emission levels. Holes in the enclosure, for the passage of cables or to mount
operator interfaces, will often increase emissions.
Other Sources of
Information
Enclosures
