Quick answer: CE marking on packaging machinery confirms the equipment meets EU safety, health and environmental directives (Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC being the core one). Voltage must match your facility — 220V single-phase and 380V three-phase are the common industrial standards, and machines are wired at the factory for your market. Always confirm both in writing before ordering.
Every month we receive enquiries asking one line: “Do you have CE?” The answer for the VIE range is yes — but a serious buyer should understand what the marking covers, what it doesn’t, and what else belongs on the export checklist. This guide is that checklist.
What CE actually certifies
CE on a machine declares conformity with the applicable EU directives — for our equipment class, primarily the Machinery Directive (safety of moving parts, emergency stops, guarding), plus Low Voltage and EMC directives where relevant. It does NOT certify production output, film quality or business performance. A CE-marked bag machine that runs the wrong resin still makes bad bags.
Buyer action: ask for the Declaration of Conformity document, not just the CE logo on the nameplate. The declaration lists the directives and standards applied (EN 60204-1 for electrical equipment is the usual companion).
Voltage: the question that ships wrong machines
Our enquiry logs show buyers specifying 220V and 380V repeatedly — and for good reason. Industrial power differs by market:
- 220–240V single-phase: common in household-grade supply and small workshops across much of Asia and the Americas
- 380–415V three-phase: the industrial standard across Europe, the Middle East, and much of Asia
Production machines in our range draw 10–48 kW depending on the family (paper bag lines 10–23 kW; thermoforming heaters higher). Heaters and main drives are wired per the destination market at the factory — but only if you tell us. Confirm voltage, phase and frequency (50Hz/60Hz) in the purchase order. Rewiring a heater bank at the port is nobody’s favorite afternoon.
The rest of the export checklist
1. Materials and food contact. For cup, tray and packaging machinery, confirm the material-contact surfaces and specify food-grade sheet standards your market requires (the machine processes the sheet; the sheet carries the food certification).
2. Spare parts package. Order the commissioning spares kit with the machine: heaters, seals, filters and the contactors your electricians will want on the shelf. Waiting for a spare part by air freight costs more than the kit.
3. Documentation language. English manuals ship standard. Confirm your technicians’ language needs before shipment — post-shipment translation of a 200-page electrical diagram is slow.
4. Lead time honesty. 7–45 days depending on the machine family (web inspection systems: 7–10 working days). Ask for the date in writing and plan installation staffing around it.
5. After-sales channel. Lifetime remote technical support should be in the contract, not implied. Our standard: video-call guidance, English manuals, spare parts shipped worldwide.
The one-paragraph summary
CE marking covers machine safety conformity — verify the Declaration of Conformity. Voltage/phase/frequency must be specified per your facility at order time. Food-contact certification lives on the material, not the machine. Lead times and support terms belong in writing. Do those four things and machinery importing becomes boring — which is exactly what you want it to be.
Wenzhou VIE Machinery exports packaging, paper, plastic and printing machinery worldwide with CE conformity, 2-year warranty and lifetime support: https://viemachinery.com