Crane specifications are full of abbreviations: CE, FEM, DIN, EN, ISO. Each one answers a different question. This guide explains what they mean in plain terms, so you can read an offer and write a specification with confidence.
Design standards and what they cover
- FEM 1.001: European rules for the design and classification of lifting equipment. It is widely used to describe how hard a crane works.
- ISO 4301: a classification of cranes by duty. It sorts cranes into groups from light to very heavy use.
- EN 13001: general design rules for cranes, covering loads, safety and the strength checks of the structure and parts.
- DIN 15018: an older German standard for crane steel structures. Many specifications still cite it.
- DIN 15400: covers lifting attachments such as hooks.
- ASME B30: a series of American safety standards. It appears in specifications that follow US practice.
CE marking
The CE mark shows that the manufacturer declares the product conforms to the applicable European requirements. For a crane buyer, the useful questions are what the declaration covers and which documents come with the crane.
CESAN cranes carry the CE mark.
Quality system and company certificates
- ISO 9001: a quality management system. It describes how a company works, not a single product.
- TSE: a certificate from the Turkish Standards Institution.
These certificates tell you about the manufacturer. They do not replace the design standard that applies to your crane.
Duty class in one minute
FEM and ISO 4301 both describe duty: how often the crane lifts and how close to full load. A crane used for occasional maintenance lifts sits in a light group. A crane lifting heavy loads every few minutes sits in a much heavier group.
Choosing the wrong group is a common mistake. Too low, and the crane wears out early. Too high, and you pay for strength you do not use.
How to write the standard into your specification
- Name the design standard your project follows.
- State the duty class and the number of lifts per hour behind it.
- Ask for the CE declaration and the test documents.
- Say which inspection and load test steps you require before handover.
- Say which local rules apply at the site.
What to ask a supplier
- Which standard is the crane designed to?
- Which duty class is the offer based on?
- Which documents will we receive at handover?
- Who performs the load test and the commissioning?
Send us your requirements
Tell us which standards your project requires, together with the capacity, span, lifting height and duty class. Send them through the enquiry form and our engineers will reply with a technical and budgetary assessment.
See our overhead cranes and the guide to single and double girder cranes.