EN 10204 3.1 vs 3.2: what the certificate actually proves
A 3.1 certificate is signed by the manufacturer. A 3.2 is countersigned by someone independent. That difference decides who carries the risk.
Buyers routinely specify "EN 10204 3.1" without asking what the document commits anyone to. A 3.1 inspection certificate is issued and validated by the manufacturer's own quality department — independent of the production shop, but still inside the supplier's organisation. It records the results of tests on the actual consignment, which is real value, but the manufacturer is attesting to its own work.
A 3.2 certificate adds a second signature: the manufacturer's representative and either the purchaser's representative or an inspector nominated under the official regulations. That second party has to be present for, or satisfied by, the tests being certified. It is the point at which an outside name goes on the document.
In practice, three things go wrong. First, 3.2 is specified in the purchase order but no independent party is ever nominated, so the mill issues a 3.1 with a 3.2 heading. Second, the certificate references a heat number that does not appear on the material as delivered — the paperwork is genuine but does not belong to the steel in front of you. Third, the test scope on the certificate is narrower than the specification demanded, and nobody compares the two documents.
Our material inspection scope starts by reading the certificate against the purchase order and the applicable standard, then verifying heat traceability on the physical material by marking, stamping, and where necessary positive material identification. The certificate is the claim. The inspection is the check.