UKCA and CE marking on rating plates

For UK manufacturers, the regulatory picture for product marking has moved more than once over the last few years. The UKCA mark was introduced as the post-Brexit replacement for the CE mark in Great Britain. CE marking has been retained as an accepted alternative for an extended (and several times extended) transition period. Northern Ireland sits under a different arrangement again. The result is a working environment where many manufacturers are still required to carry both the UKCA logo and the CE mark on their rating plates and product labels.

This article sets out, at a practical level, how to specify those marks correctly so the rating plate stands up to inspection on day one and at year ten.

A note: this article is general guidance for product marking, not legal advice. Specific regulatory routes vary by product category. Where there is any doubt, confirm with your conformity assessment body or the relevant UK and EU regulators.

What the UKCA mark is

UKCA stands for UK Conformity Assessed. The UKCA logo indicates that a product placed on the Great Britain market complies with the applicable UK regulations. It largely mirrors the legal function of the CE mark, with a different graphical symbol.

The UKCA symbol is a specific letterform – a stylised “UKCA” – with defined proportions and minimum height (5 mm in most regimes, larger if the product or pack size requires it). On a rating plate it should appear at the size, contrast and position the regulations require.

What the CE mark is

CE – Conformité Européenne – indicates that a product placed on the EU market (and, in some product categories, on the Great Britain market during the transition) complies with the applicable EU directives. The mark has its own defined letterform and proportions. Like UKCA, it has a minimum height (typically 5 mm) and contrast requirements.

When you need both: the UKCA CE mark on one plate

Many UK manufacturers placing product on both the Great Britain and EU markets carry both marks. There is no regulatory objection to a rating plate carrying both the UKCA logo and the CE mark – provided each meets its own size, contrast and proportional requirements and the underlying conformity work has been done.

For dual-market manufacturers, the practical approach on a rating plate is usually:

• UKCA logo and CE mark side by side, each at the regulation minimum size.
• Manufacturer’s name and address (UK and, where required, EU/EEA authorised representative).
• Product identifier, serial number, model, and date or year of manufacture.
• Supply ratings, environmental ratings (IP, ambient) and notified-body numbers where applicable.

How to specify a UKCA / CE-marked rating plate

1. Confirm the regulations that apply to your product

Different product categories carry different regulations – machinery, low-voltage equipment, EMC, pressure equipment, medical devices, radio equipment, and so on. Each has its own marking requirements. Confirm the applicable regimes before deciding what goes on the plate.

2. Get the logo proportions right

Both the UKCA logo and the CE mark have prescribed proportions. They cannot be stretched, recoloured or rotated. The UKCA label and CE mark must remain readable, in the correct proportions, at the size they appear on the plate.

3. Get the minimum size right

5 mm is the typical minimum height for both marks, but some product regimes require a larger minimum size. Always check against the specific regulation, and design the plate so the smallest required mark is still legible at the size it is produced.

4. Get the contrast right

Marks must be permanent, clearly visible and indelible. On an anodised aluminium plate, sub-surface marking with a black image on a silver or white anodised background is the standard answer. On stainless, laser annealing or photochemical etching with appropriate post-treatment. On polyester labels, the print system and over-laminate must protect the mark for the service life of the product.

5. Plan for revision

Regulations change. Manufacturer address details change. Authorised representatives change. The rating plate is one of the documents the change has to flow through – make sure your specification, your artwork file and your supplier are set up for revision control rather than a one-time print run.

What a regulator looks for on inspection

• Correct UKCA / CE artwork at the correct proportions and size.
• Manufacturer’s name and address, traceable to a real entity.
• A unique product identifier and a serial / batch number that ties to the production record.
• Notified-body number where the conformity assessment route requires one.
• A plate that is still legible – i.e. specified to survive the operating environment.

Common mistakes on UKCA labels

• Recreating the UKCA symbol from a low-resolution download – the letterform ends up off-proportion.
• Sizing the mark below the regulatory minimum to fit a small plate.
• Putting the UKCA logo on a paper label inside a sealed enclosure where it can’t be inspected.
• Relying on screen print on bare metal in a wash-down environment.
• Failing to record which UKCA / CE artwork revision was on which production batch.

How Southern produces UKCA / CE-marked plates

Southern produces UKCA / CE rating plates under EN 9100 and ISO 9001 quality management. Artwork is controlled, revision-tracked and produced from the source files supplied – not redrawn. Substrate, ink and adhesive batches are recorded against the production order so that, if a regulator or auditor asks which batch carried which artwork revision, the answer is in the record.