Maha to fully implement EN 17003 by 2026

Vehicle testing and workshop equipment manufacturer, Maha, reports that by the end of the year it will have fully implemented EN 17003 in its testing technology.

According to Maha, it will be one of the first manufacturers to not only fully meet the recommendations of this harmonised standard, but to deliberately extend its application beyond the normative scope.

The EN 17003:2021 standard ‘Roller brake testers for vehicles of more than 3.5 tons GVW – Safety requirements’ defines mandatory specifications for testers used in these vehicle categories.

However, since in practice such vehicles can also be tested on classic passenger car test benches with an axle load of three to five tonnes, Maha says it has decided to treat all test bench series in the same way.

“Safety is not a question of the area of application for us, but a fundamental requirement. That’s why we equip all our test benches in a way that they comply with EN 17003 – even where the standard does not formally apply,” explained Dr. Peter Geigle, managing director at Maha.

Heading into 2026, Maha says it will be fully compliant with EN 17003. This means that all normative safety measures will be implemented – from axis presence detection and access protection to emergency stop functions and adjustments to the test sequence.

Maha also provides optional accessories that are required to achieve full compliance with the standard, such as different models of emergency stop devices, guard rails for the area adjacent to the roller sets, and pit safety devices in various designs.

This enables operators to flexibly adapt their systems to local conditions while ensuring full compliance with standards.

Despite rigorous compliance with the standard, operators have a certain degree of flexibility in the application. For example, the commonly used automatic roller start can still be provided, although EN 17003 essentially excludes it.

However, this is only permissible if the operator draws up a proper risk assessment that documents the necessary protective measures implemented. The responsibility therefore clearly lies with the operator, who must ensure safety during operation.

In addition to EN 17003, Maha says it consistently ensures compliance with other harmonised standards such as EN 1493 (Vehicle lifts), EN ISO 13849-1 (Safety-related parts of control systems) and EN 60204-1 (Safety of machinery – electrical equipment of machines).