System Certification

Introduction to EN15085 Certification 

The EN 15085 certification is a certification for the welding quality management system of rail vehicles and their components. This series of standards currently covers four enterprise functions of rail vehicles and their components' welding: design, production, maintenance, and procurement. It has put forward detailed and standardized requirements for welding quality, welding management personnel, welding qualifications, production process management, and product quality supervision and inspection. 

The EN 15085 series of standards is currently a widely adopted standard for rail transportation and its components' welding in the European Union. In non-EU countries, such as China, more than 800 factories have obtained the EN 15085 certification. 

Scope of application for EN 15085 certification 

The EN 15085 series of standards are applicable to the welding quality management in the design, production, maintenance and procurement processes of rail vehicles and their components. 

For the rail transit field, this series of standards stipulates the qualification certification and quality requirements for welding enterprises undertaking new production and maintenance work. It integrates design, production and inspection to form a complete quality management system. 

The types of rail vehicles and corresponding accessories covered by EN 15085 certification include: railway passenger cars, railway freight cars, locomotives, urban rail vehicles, and subways. 

The EN 15085 series of standards consist of several parts. 

EN 15085-1:2023: Railway applications - Welding of railway vehicles and their components - Part 1: General principles 

EN 15085-2:2020 + A1:2023: Railway applications - Welding of railway vehicles and their components - Part 2: Quality requirements and certification for welding enterprises 

EN 15085-3:2022+A1:2023: Railway applications - Welding of railway vehicles and their components - Part 3: Design requirements 

EN 15085-4:2023: Railway applications - Welding of railway vehicles and their components - Part 4: Production requirements 

EN 15085-5:2023: Railway applications - Welding of railway vehicles and their components - Part 5: Inspection, testing and documentation 

EN 15085-6:2022: Railway applications - Welding of railway vehicles and their components - Part 6: Welding maintenance requirements 

Determination of the certification level of welding enterprises 

According to the safety level of the welding components, the manufacturers and their welding components are classified into three certification levels. 

CL1: High-security level rail vehicles and their welded components 

CL2: Welding components of rail vehicles with medium safety level 

CL3: Welding components of rail vehicles with a low safety rating 

The correspondence between welding components and assemblies of rail vehicles and enterprise certification levels 

Certification levelComponent category CL1

Manufacturing, modifying and repairing of rail vehicles and their components 

Component example: 

- Bogies (end beams, side beams, cross beams, bogie frame); 

- Locomotives, passenger cars and locomotive frames (main beams, longitudinal beams, transverse beams, bolster beams, combined components); 

- Body (consisting of end walls, side walls, roof, cab, floor, and impact protection module); 

- Truck assembly (traction base plate, load fixing components); 

- Traction and buffering device; 

External equipment support framework, brackets and fixation devices (fuel tank, distribution box, air conditioning cabinet and compressed air tank); 

-Railway wheelsets, wheelset bearings, spring support beams, buffers and shock absorbers; 

- Braking devices (magnetic brake, brake lever, triangular brake beam, brake cylinder and brake crossbeam); 

The supporting frames for heavy vehicles, including those for rail and road vehicles; 

Welding components (sleeper beams) used for the traction force transmission of vehicle bogies; 

The fuel tank of the vehicle; 

- Driver's door, passenger door (locking system and structural components); 

The foot pedals, handrails and guardrails on the vehicle exterior or in the entry area; 

Self-contained equipment boxes and undercarriage containers (fresh water tank and waste water tank); 

- Roof structure (including pantograph and mounting base), equipment CL2, frame CL1; 

- External traction and power equipment (transformer casing, transformer suspension, engine suspension, transmission suspension, traction motor accessories, equipment brackets); 

Traction transmission components (traction coupling, universal joint); 

- Lifting and tilting device (for trucks) 

- Deflector and initial snow collection equipment; 

- Pillars and fences; 

- Exhaust system, including pipes; 

- Wheel chocks; 

Railway vehicles with test pressure for high-pressure gas tanks, tanks and tank-type containers; 

Containers for loading hazardous materials; 

Compressed air containers for rail vehicles. 

CL2

Manufacturing, modifying and repairing structural components of rail vehicles 

Component example: 

Bus interior components (dividers, inner walls, doors, guardrails); 

The supporting framework of the internal equipment (including electrical, air conditioning and air compression units); 

Cab equipment; 

- Interior washroom components and water tank; 

- Interior sliding doors and guide rails; 

Brake pipe fixing parts; 

Underframe-mounted self-supporting equipment box (with support frame); 

Self-supporting gearbox and controller for handbrake operation; 

- Internal traction and power equipment (transformer casing, transformer suspension, engine suspension, transmission suspension, traction motor accessories, equipment brackets); 

- Seat frame; 

Pressure pipeline. 

For the manufacture, modification and repair of non-pressure vessels without special pressure tests, such as: 

Containers for non-dangerous items; 

- Other transportation containers 

CL3

Manufacturing, modifying and repairing simple accessory components for rail vehicles, such as: 

Various operation levers and handles; 

- Baffle; 

- Internal equipment boxes and switch cabinets (including the gearbox and controller for handbrake operation, without supporting frames); 

Nameplate bracket; 

- Truck cargo compartment cover (tank car thermal protection device); 

The footrests, handrails and guardrails inside the rail vehicle. 

Newly manufactured, modified and repaired parts, or components supplied to rail vehicles, such as: 

- Window frame; - Lattice grille. 

Except for products with special requirements (such as EN 286 simple pressure vessels or EN 14025 hazardous material containers) 

The types of production activities of welding enterprises 

When welding enterprises apply for certification, they should clearly define the types of their production activities. All activities should comply with the requirements of the relevant sections of the EN 15085 series standards. 

Activity TypeCodeDescription

DesignDDesign and calculation of welding for new and repaired rail vehicles and their components, as well as document preparation.

ProductionPWelding manufacturing, modification and inspection of rail vehicles and their components (including replacement parts).

MaintenanceMWelding repair (including inspection) of rail vehicles and their components.

Procurement and SupplySProcurement and supply of welding components without welding involved in new construction or repair. 

Preparation for Certification of Welding Enterprises 

Before undergoing certification, welding enterprises should, based on their own certification level and production activity type, identify the quality grade of product welds, establish a welding quality system, and prepare for personnel qualifications and process documents. 

Certification levelCL1CL2CL3 

Type of production activities 

Welding quality grade (CP)P, M, D, SAll CP gradesCP B2, CP C2, CP C3 and CPDLow safety grade CP C2 and CP C3, as well as CP D

Quality requirementsP, M, D, SEN ISO 3834-2EN ISO 3834-3EN ISO 3834-4

Main welding responsible personP, DA levelB levelC level

SB levelC levelC level

MA levelB levelC level

Main welding responsible person representativeD, S------

PA levelC levelC level

MA levelC level--

Main welding responsible person (for small welding enterprises)C level Welders with relevant experience and ability--

M (for small welding enterprises)C level Welders with relevant experience and ability--

Other welding responsible person representativeD, S------

P, MC levelC level--

Welder and operatorP, MWelders and welding operators should obtain corresponding qualifications in accordance with EN 15085-4 requirements

Inspection personnelP, M, SWelding inspectors should obtain corresponding qualifications in accordance with EN 15085-5 requirements

Welding guidance documentsP, MAccording to the welding process specifications WPS and welding process qualification report WPQR required by EN 15085-4

Manufacturer's conformity statementP, M, D, SRequiredRequiredRequired 

EN 15085 Welding Quality System Review Contents 

Review Content: Job Description

Requirements for Review: The adopted product standards and all additional requirements

Technical Review

- Material technical requirements and weld joint performance 

The designated connection position as specified in the design 

Weld quality grade requirements 

Welding position, accessibility, and welding sequence (including accessibility during inspection and non-destructive testing) 

Other welding requirements, such as material inspection for welding, ferrite content of weld metal, aging, hydrogen content, permanent gaskets, shot peening, surface treatment and weld shape 

- Preparation of the joint and the dimensions and details of the finished weld seam 

SubcontractingSubcontractor's conformity to welding production

Welding personnelWelding worker and welding operation qualification assessment (including training, guidance, implementation and evaluation)

EquipmentApplicability of welding equipment and related auxiliary tools Production plan

Corresponding welding process specifications 

Allocation of qualified personnel 

Welding Process Qualification

- Welding Process Qualification Methods and Qualification Scope 

Implementation and evaluation of welding process qualification 

Welding process specification - Determine the applicable scope of the welding process specification

Operation instruction manual - Determine the release and usage of the operation instruction manual

Welding materials

- Compatibility 

Delivery status 

All the additional requirements in the welding material procurement technical specification, including the types of welding material inspection documents 

Storage and distribution of welding materials 

Raw materials

All the additional requirements in the raw material procurement technical specifications, including the types of raw material inspection documents 

Storage and distribution of the base material 

Pre-weld inspection and testing

- The applicability and effectiveness of the welder and welding operation qualifications 

The applicability and effectiveness of the welding process specifications 

Consistency between the base material and the welding material 

Joint preparation, assembly, tooling fixtures and positioning welding 

The special requirements in the welding process specifications (such as preventing deformation) 

The suitability of working conditions for welding, including environmental factors 

Assembly and evaluation of samples 

Inspection and testing during welding

- Necessary welding parameters 

Preheating and interlayer temperature 

Interlayer cleaning, weld bead shape, and the number of weld layers 

- Clear roots 

-Welding sequence 

The correct use and distribution of welding materials 

Post-weld inspection and testing

- Visual inspection 

Non-destructive testing 

Destructive test 

The results and records of post-welding treatment (such as post-weld heat treatment and aging, etc.) 

Non-conformities and corrective actionsIdentify necessary corrective methods and measures (such as weld repair, re-evaluation after repair, corrective actions, etc.)

Calibration of measurement, testing and inspection equipmentIdentify necessary methods and measures

Identification and traceabilityIdentify appropriate measures

Quality recordsPrepare and distribute necessary welding records and documents

Health, safety and environmental protectionComply with relevant requirements and regulations for health, safety and environmental protection 

Brief description of the EN 15085 certification process 

1. Review the "EN 15085 Certification Application Form" submitted by the enterprise;

2. Provide and disseminate relevant standards as per the needs of the certified enterprise;

3. Conduct relevant training as per the needs of the certified enterprise;

4. Collaborate with the welding supervisor of the enterprise to determine