Table of Contents

1. Quality Mandates and Traceability in Swiss Structural Steel and Metal Fabrication

Fabricating load-bearing steel frameworks, architectural stair towers, heavy crane girders, and welded assemblies in Switzerland demands strict compliance with structural safety and technical verification mandates. Every beam section, gusset plate, and weld seam must remain verifiable throughout fabrication. Uncertified welding consumables, expired welder qualification records, or untracked steel heats trigger project rejections during structural engineering audits, work-stoppage orders, and severe civil liability.

A specialized metal fabrication ERP organizes assemblies hierarchically, matches CAD components with mill test certificates under EN 10204, and produces official Declarations of Performance (DoP) compliant with the Construction Products Act (BauPG) and standard SIA 263.

Legal Scope of EN 1090 Certification

Manufacturers of load-bearing steel and aluminum structures can only place products on the Swiss market if their manufacturing facility holds a certified Factory Production Control (FPC) system under SN EN 1090-1. Delivering structural assemblies without a valid Declaration of Performance exposes the fabricator to unlimited product liability under Art. 368 of the Swiss Code of Obligations.

2. Statutory Framework: EN 1090 (Execution Classes EXC1–EXC4) and Construction Products Act (BauPG)

Structural fabrication is governed by harmonized structural codes:

  • Execution Classes EXC1 to EXC4 (EN 1090-2): Assigning projects based on Consequence Classes (CC) and service loading (e.g., EXC2 for standard residential/commercial buildings, EXC3 for dynamic road bridges and rail infrastructure).
  • Construction Products Act (BauPG, SR 933.0) & BauPV: Obligation to issue a legally binding Declaration of Performance (DoP) and affix conformity markings before structural members are dispatched to the job site.
  • Standard SIA 263 (Steel Structures): Swiss structural engineering rules governing dimensional tolerances, fatigue calculations, and seismic design verification.

3. Welding Coordination: Welder Performance Qualifications (ISO 9606), WPS Protocols, and NDT Inspections

The welding coordination module controls critical thermal fabrication parameters:

  • Welder Qualification under ISO 9606-1 / ISO 9606-2: Digital tracking of welder passport validity with automated reminders for mandatory 6-month employer confirmations and 3-year re-certifications.
  • Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) & WPQR (ISO 15614): Assigning qualified welding variables (amperage, voltage, wire batch number, shielding gas blend) to every production drawing.
  • Non-Destructive Testing (NDT / ZfP): Documenting visual testing (VT under ISO 17637), magnetic particle (MT), ultrasonic (UT), or radiographic (RT) inspection logs according to the project quality plan.

4. Factory Production Control (FPC), 3.1 Mill Test Certificates, and Declarations of Performance

Factory Production Control enforces full heat-number traceability:

  • Type 3.1 Inspection Certificates (EN 10204): Direct digital pairing of structural steel sections (S235JR, S355J2+N) and heavy plates with specific steel mill heat numbers and mechanical properties.
  • Component & Weld Seam Registry: Marking individual sub-assemblies with QR codes or hard-stamped part numbers for rapid site assembly verification.
  • 1-Click Declaration of Performance & Technical Dossier: Generating complete structural compliance dossiers including static calculations, NDT logs, and corrosion protection records (hot-dip galvanizing under ISO 1461).

5. System Comparison: Manual Paper Filing vs. ACCSoft Metal Fabrication ERP

Quality Dimension Manual Paper Binders & Spreadsheets ACCSoft Structural Metalwork ERP
EN 1090 FPC Audit Prep Days spent gathering paper testing records Complete digital FPC audit dossier generated in seconds
Welder Passports (ISO 9606) Overlooked renewal dates causing audit violations Automated qualification alerts with audit risk flags
3.1 Mill Test Records Misplaced paper mill sheets and untracked heats Direct heat number pairing within CAD assembly trees
WPS Procedure Retrieval Soiled paper sheets on workshop floors Digital WPS lookup directly on welding station tablets
Declaration of Performance Manual document drafting in Word Automated generation of certified Swiss/CE DoP dossiers

6. Regulatory Framework and References