N Mark for lighting structures

Certification is the action carried out by an independent body, which manifests that an organisation, product, process or service meets the requirements defined in certain standards or technical specifications. AENOR marks prove this certification and constitute a distinguishing factor on the market, improving the image of products and services and building trust among customers and consumers:

• Trust in the organisation itself and in the clients, shareholders, employees, public administrations and social environment of the company.
  
• Trust in the quality and safety of its products and services.
  

The AENOR N certified product mark demonstrates compliance with certain standards. It is a symbol of product quality and safety, and is backed by an independent third party, AENOR, a leader in certification. The AENOR N Mark logo is recognised by public and private users, facilitating the sales of thousands of certified products around the world.

AENOR's N certified product marks are not mandatory; manufacturers can voluntarily submit their products to be fully assessed by independent agencies and specialists in order to objectively ensure that they comply with the quality and safety requirements set forth in the corresponding regulations. The AENOR N mark therefore supplements the CE mark for products covered by harmonised directives and regulations. AENOR N marks are of particular value to customers when the product at issue is not covered by a CE mark.

AENOR performs its own certification system in order to certify each product, which uses applicable standards, technical specifications, certification procedures and features.​

The N Mark for lighting structures covers products included in the following standards:​​

• UNE-EN 40-5 Columnas y báculos de alumbrado. Part 5: Requirements for steel lighting columns.
• UNE-EN 40-6 Columnas y báculos de alumbrado. Part 6: Requirements for aluminium lighting columns.
• UNE-EN 40-7 Columnas y báculos de alumbrado. Part 7: Requirements for lighting columns made from fibre reinforced polymer compounds
• Technical specification included in the Specific Regulation for steel columns over 20 m in height

AENOR, as a conformity assessment body, is a leader in the certification of products. With over 100,000 certified references throughout more than 40 countries, the AENOR N Mark is among the top 5 product quality marks in the world. 

The AENOR N Mark is a voluntary mark that allows the company to demonstrate that their product meets certain provisions established in a UNE, EN or ISO standard, or in a technical specification. This demonstration of compliance during the manufacturing and testing of the final products, based on a rigorous control performed by AENOR, will allow licensees of the Mark to put their products on the market with a high standard of quality, instilling confidence in the users of these certified products.

This way, the AENOR N Mark can provide the following advantages:

The certification for lighting structures consists of two separate stages. In the first phase, certification applicants must implement a documentation system based on ISO 9001. In addition, it must monitor the product and the measurement equipment as stipulated in the certification regulations.

First, the manufacturer will be requested to present the calculation hypotheses of the sections of the lighting structures that are to be certified in order to verify that they comply with the structural loads for which they have been designed.

After satisfactorily completing the validation of the design, AENOR's Technical Services visit the production facility to verify that it meets the requirements of the certification document. Samples will be taken of the different types of steel used to manufacture the lighting structures, which are then sent for testing at one of the laboratories accredited by ENAC, which collaborates with AENOR in the certification process.

In addition, the access doors to the mains are checked to ensure that they comply with the minimum protection requirements in the Low-Voltage Electrotechnical Regulations.

After receiving all the test results, ANFALUM, which acts as Secretary of the Technical Certification Committee, presents a confidential report of the activities, which is then assessed by the Committee.

If the decision is satisfactory, AENOR will be recommended to grant the certificate. Alternatively, the applicant will be informed of the reasons for refusal and specific complementary activities that need to be carried out.

After issuance of the certificate, the company progresses to the certification monitoring phase. During this phase, AENOR's services make annual visits to the production facilities to confirm that the criteria and requirements established in the certification regulations are being applied and maintained. During these visits, dimensional checks will be performed of the structures available in the manufacturer's warehouse, and samples will be taken on a rotational basis of the metal sheets used in the manufacturing process, for subsequent testing in the accredited laboratory.

Each year, the Secretariat prepares a report of all activities carried out, and presents it to the Committee. On seeing the results, the Committee decides whether the certificate can be upheld, or whether extraordinary actions need to take place.

After completing the certification process​​​​, the organisation obtains: ​ ​

• AENOR product certificate
  
• A licence to use AENOR's Mark of a certified product, in accordance with the provisions of AENOR regulations
  

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