The European Union is moving ahead with the implementation of the Digital Product Passport (DPP) as part of its broader transition towards greater product transparency, sustainability and circularity.
Although mechanical seals are not currently subject to a specific mandatory DPP requirement, developments under the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) indicate that companies in the sealing industry should begin preparing for possible future requirements.
The latest information presented to the ESA DPP Task Force in September 2026 provides an overview of the current situation and highlights the importance of early preparation.
The EU's DPP framework is being introduced progressively. One of the first concrete applications will be the Battery Passport, which is scheduled to become mandatory from 18 February 2027 for batteries falling within the scope of the EU Batteries Regulation.
At the same time, the European Commission has identified a number of product groups as priorities for future DPP requirements under the ESPR. These include:
For the sealing industry, the relevance is particularly interesting because mechanical seals can contain steel, stainless steel, special alloys and aluminium components, depending on their design and application. The presentation therefore highlights the potential implications of future DPP requirements for mechanical seal manufacturers, even though no direct DPP obligation currently applies to mechanical seals.
A key message for the sealing industry is that much of the information potentially required by a future DPP is information that manufacturers already collect as part of their existing quality, traceability and product-management systems.
Potentially relevant data categories include:
For mechanical seal manufacturers, establishing reliable data structures and traceability systems could therefore be an important preparatory step.
Another important development is the establishment of the technical standards required to make the DPP system operational.
The presentation identifies six harmonised standards covering areas such as:
In addition, standards addressing access rights, data authentication, reliability, integrity and business confidentiality form an important part of the security and trust framework.
Together, these standards are intended to provide the technical basis for a secure, interoperable and trustworthy DPP ecosystem.
While there is currently no direct DPP requirement for mechanical seals, waiting until legislation becomes mandatory could make implementation more difficult.
The presentation recommends a number of practical preparation steps for manufacturers.
Companies should follow developments under the ESPR, including delegated acts, implementing measures and relevant harmonised standards.
Manufacturers should consider which product, material, sustainability and circularity information they already have, and which information could potentially become relevant to a future DPP.
Existing databases should be reviewed to determine whether information is complete, consistent and sufficiently structured for future digital applications.
Material, batch and supplier information should be capable of being linked to individual products or product families in a structured manner.
Companies should assess whether their existing ERP, PLM and other digital systems can support future DPP data requirements and interfaces.
Early dialogue with customers, suppliers, industry associations and standardisation organisations can help avoid duplicated efforts and encourage common approaches.
Rather than treating the DPP as a future IT project only, companies may benefit from establishing a roadmap covering data, processes, responsibilities, systems and implementation priorities.
The presentation underlines the importance of industry collaboration. The ESA DPP Working Group provides an opportunity for sealing manufacturers to exchange information, identify common requirements and coordinate positions.
Collaboration is also taking place with organisations and initiatives including VDMA, Digital Data Chain, CEN/CENELEC, customers, suppliers and other industry associations and standardisation bodies.
For ESA members, such cooperation could help to:
The implementation of the DPP is a step-by-step process rather than a single regulatory event.
For the sealing industry, the immediate priority is therefore not the implementation of a mandatory DPP for all seals, but preparedness.
ESA will continue to monitor developments and work with its members and relevant stakeholders to assess the potential impact of the DPP on the sealing industry and to support a practical, harmonised approach.
Source: ESA DPP Task Force presentation, “Digital Product Passport and Mechanical Seals / DPP – Next Steps”, 2 September 2026, based on information available as of 1 September 2026.
Chrisantos Rich,
Eagle Burgmann, ESG DPP Task Force Moderator
Sandy Van den Broeck,
ESG Director, ESA