Welcome
to Entam
ENTAM is the European Network for Testing of Agricultural Machines and
its purpose is to promote co-operation among testing stations in order
to optimise activities and provide a better service to farmers, dealers
and manufacturers. Results of tests, carried out by unbiased test stations
can help farmers to take their decisions when buying agricultural machinery.
A long history of co-operation
Since 1997, there has been close co-operation between European testing
stations for agricultural machinery, beginning with ENAMA (Italy),
BLT (Austria) and DLG (Germany). The three founding members signed
an agreement defining common testing procedures, test reports in
two or more languages and the mutual recognition of test results
if requested. A procedure having as final aim the recognition of
test results, if they are accepted by the other testing stations,
has been established. The main aims of the co-operation are:
- avoiding duplication of work and costs by testing machinery in different countries
- obtaining more neutral test results, and
- making better use of test rigs and test implements by testing only certain machinery at certain test stations.
A common agreement for test recognition
The agreement is a recognition of tests and
reports containing the results of the testing
activity carried out by each signer. Only with
the equivalence of testing methodologies (after
a technical comparison and upgrade) there may
be a full recognition of test results and in
some cases of the certification. Safety tests
should be based on European standards, in areas
where they do not exist or are being prepared
(prEN etc.), national rules should be applied,
keeping in mind the aim to transfer them as soon
as possible into European regulations. Each signer
of the Agreement should define the typologies
of agricultural machines that can be tested by
its own testing station in order to create a
European network of laboratories.
Until now, in addition to founding members BLT
(Austria), DLG (Germany) and ENAMA (Italy) the
following testing stations are currently part
of the network:
- BBA (Germany)
- CMA (Spain)
- DIAS (Denmark)
- EMA (Spain)
- FAT (Switzerland)
- HIAE (Hungary)
- KWF (Germany)
- NAGREF (Greece)
- PIMR (Poland)
INTA (Argentina) acts as an Observer Member, while FAO (UN) is an honorary
witness.
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