Committed to safety and evaluation, AC&E is driving machinery compliance across the globe
As a nationally and internationally accredited independent third-party testing, certification, and field evaluation body, AC&E is an international leader in safety and certifications for the machinery manufacturing industry. AC&E is a reliable partner for several sectors and countries, enabling machinery and equipment manufacturers to meet national and international regulatory requirements in a timely and cost-effective manner. The company’s operations fall into three categories: certification for global markets, laboratory testing, and cybersecurity.
AC&E’s story begins in 2000, when current President Gino Zampieri and CEO Matteo Marconi saw the growing need for compliance among Italian industrial
machine manufacturers and buyers looking to expand outside of Europe. Headquartered in Verona, Italy, the business has since established several subsidiaries: AC&E Brazil in 2014, AC&E Iberia in 2016, AC&E North America in 2017, and AC&E Shanghai in 2023. The group has also recently launched a cybersecurity division to specialize in operational technology and ensure compliance for the industrial and IoT sectors in alignment with the NIST framework and NIS 2 directive.
Based in New York, AC&E North America is an IAS Field Evaluation Body for the North American market and an SCC Inspection Body for the Canadian market. Offering certification for global markets, the business works upstream to ensure manufacturers are aware of how important it is to choose certified components and cables to comply with the standards of the country in which they plan to export the machine.
“Our engineering team works closely with the manufacturer’s technical team throughout the whole project to provide support and guidance at all stages of the process,” says CEO Matteo Marconi. “We support industrial manufacturers in a range of diversified sectors, including food processing, packaging, oil and gas, aerospace, and automotive to name a few. We provide a one-stop solution: identifying local requirements, providing pre-inspection and on-field support, managing direct contacts with authorities, and we also cover the labelling and final report phases.”
As an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory by PJLA, AC&E offers a range of test services: electrical, EMC, arc flash, temperature, flammability, sound level, test on guard, cybersecurity, and IP tests. AC&E is also a NANDO notified body (NB 3024) for the ATEX 2014/34/EU Directive, which allows direct management of all certification phases for equipment and protection systems intended for explosive atmospheres. With internal ISO 17025 accredited laboratories and a global network of inspectors, AC&E guarantees reliable solutions, reduced time scales and specialized technical support for all ATEX certification needs.
To learn more about how AC&E ensures compliance with machine safety standards like Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), we speak with North America Field Inspector, Martina Degetto. “To be OSHA compliant, a machine needs to be verified in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulation title 29 parts 1910, which covers requirements to ensure the safety of employees,” Martina explains. “In particular, subpart S covers the electrical requirements: the law refers to the NFPA 70 – NEC as the main standard to be followed to ensure the electrical compliance of the machine. This standard is the fundamental document that ensures electrical safety for industrial, commercial, and residential applications.
“However, electrical compliance alone is not sufficient, as OSHA compliance also includes safety and mechanical verifications. For us, the most important thing is to identify the applicable standards and regulations for the machine we are inspecting. Our dedicated inclusive approach to considering all the machine aspects allows us to verify OSHA compliance.
“In Canada, the requirements are very similar to the USA. The CSA involves adhering to different regulations and standards. In this market, we’re involved in application and certification according to CSA SPE 1000, the model code for the field evaluation of electrical equipment, which is mandatory in five provinces: Ontario, British Columbia, Manitoba, Alberta, and Quebec. This code covers construction, testing, and marking requirements for the field evaluation of electrical equipment where the certification is impracticable.”
To stay ahead of changing regulations and standards, AC&E maintains close working relationships with entities like UL, CSA, ANSI, and NFPA. Specifically for the Canadian market, AC&E is part of the Canadian Advisory Council on Electrical Safety (CACES), an independent organization that is the central regulatory authority for the safety, technical, and regulatory aspects of developing, promoting, and implementing electrical standards. The company is also part of professional associations like ANSI, a private non-profit organization that administers and coordinates the US voluntary standards and conformity assessment system, to stay ahead of the latest standards revisions.
Elaborating on AC&E’s field evaluation body accreditation, Andrea Scavazza, North America Field Inspector, explains: “Field evaluation covers the evaluation of products or installations in the field where the product is located to specific technical requirements acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction. AC&E North America performs the field evaluation of a product according to the National Electrical Code (NEC) and the relevant parts of the applicable ANSI/UL/NFPA standards.
“Our scope of accreditation covers power distribution equipment under 600 volts, industrial control panel, factory automation and equipment, refrigeration and cooling units, HVAC units, and hazardous location equipment that has listed components for the area or is purged, pressurized, or ventilated in accordance with NFPA standards to be changed to unclassified status. AC&E North America is also accredited as an inspection body for the Canadian market by SCC, which covers the special inspection of electrical equipment according to CSA SPE-1000.”
Focused on building strong client relationships and delivering tailored solutions, AC&E’s global subsidiaries clearly offer a unique value proposition. Leveraging its specialized engineering skillset and a strong understanding of the North American market, the company is committed to providing exceptional service across several sectors and countries.
President, Gino Zampieri, offers his vision for the future to close our conversation: “Our focus for the remainder of 2025 is twofold. Firstly, we’re strengthening our services for sustainable compliance in heavy industries and expanding our footprint in strategic markets, including North America and Brazil. We are also investing in new digital tools to improve project tracking and client collaboration, and we’re deepening our cybersecurity offer to support increasingly complex industrial environments.
“Further afield, we envision AC&E as a global point of reference for industrial compliance, not only in terms of certifications but also as a strategic partner in the transition toward safer, smarter, and more sustainable technologies,” Gino concludes. “We aim to lead innovation in machine conformity, industrial cybersecurity, and eco-design consulting, while maintaining the human, technical, and ethical values that have shaped our growth over the last 25 years.”