Resource efficiency requirements
3.—(1) Welding equipment must meet the following requirements.
Availability of spare parts
(2) Manufacturers, authorised representatives or importers of welding equipment must make available to professional repairers the following spare parts for a minimum period of 10 years after the production of the last unit of a welding equipment model—
(a)batteries;
(b)control panels;
(c)electricity supply cables;
(d)equipment housing;
(e)fans;
(f)gas supply hoses;
(g)gas supply regulators;
(h)power sources;
(i)software and firmware including reset software.
(j)welding torches;
(k)welding wire drives.
(3) Manufacturers must ensure that spare parts can be replaced with the use of commonly available tools and without permanent damage to the equipment or the part.
(4) The manufacturer, authorised representative or importer must—
(a)no later than two years after the first unit of a model is placed on the market, publish the list of spare parts for that product and the procedure for ordering them on a website which is accessible to the public without charge; and
(b)ensure that the information referred to in paragraph (a) remains accessible throughout the period that the spare parts remain available.
Access to repair and maintenance information
(5) From no later than two years after the first unit of a model is placed on the market until the end of the period referred to in sub-paragraph (2), a manufacturer, authorised representative or importer of welding equipment must make repair and maintenance information available to professional repairers in accordance with paragraphs (6) to (10).
(6) The website of the manufacturer, authorised representative or importer must set out the process for professional repairers to register for access to repair and maintenance information.
(7) Before granting access to the information, manufacturers, authorised representatives or importers may require the professional repairer to demonstrate that—
(a)the repairer has the technical expertise to repair and maintain welding equipment and complies with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989(1);
(b)the professional repairer is covered by insurance for liabilities resulting from its activities.
(8) The request for registration must be accepted or refused within 5 working days from the date of the request.
(9) Once registered, a professional repairer must be given access to requested repair and maintenance information within one working day of any request. The information may be provided for an equivalent model or model of the same family, if appropriate. The available repair and maintenance information must include—
(a)component and diagnosis information (such as minimum and maximum theoretical values for measurement);
(b)data records of reported failure incidents stored in the welding equipment (where applicable);
(c)diagnostic fault and error codes (including manufacturer-specific codes where applicable);
(d)a disassembly map or exploded view;
(e)instructions for installation of relevant software and firmware including reset software;
(f)a list of necessary repair and test equipment;
(g)the unequivocal welding equipment identification information;
(h)wiring and connection diagrams.
(10) Manufacturers, authorised representatives or importers may charge reasonable and proportionate fees for access to the repair and maintenance information or for receiving regular updates. A fee is reasonable if it does not discourage access by failing to take into account the extent to which the professional repairer uses the information.
Maximum delivery time for spare parts
(11) Subject to sub-paragraph (12), during the period referred to in sub-paragraph (2), the manufacturer, importer or authorised representative must ensure delivery of spare parts for welding equipment to professional repairers within 15 working days of receiving an order.
(12) Sub-paragraph (11) does not apply to repairers who have not registered with the manufacturer, importer or authorised representative in accordance with sub-paragraph (6).
Information on the display of welding equipment
(13) Where a display is provided for a welding equipment, it must provide indication of the use of welding wire or filler material in grams per minute or equivalent standardised units of measurement.
Requirements for dismantling for material recovery and recycling
(14) Manufacturers must ensure that welding equipment is designed in such a way that the materials and components referred to in Annex 7 of the WEEE Directive can be removed with the use of commonly available tools.