Traceability and RFID
What is a mill test certificate (MTC)?
A mill test certificate certifies a steel product’s chemistry and mechanical properties by heat. What it contains, EN 10204 types 2.1 to 3.2, and digital MTCs.
Quick answer
A mill test certificate (MTC), also called a mill test report, is the quality document a steel producer issues to certify that a product meets its specification. It lists the heat number, chemical composition, mechanical properties such as yield and tensile strength, and the standard and grade, and travels with the material to the buyer.
Updated 30 October 2026. Written by the Ajinkya Technologies engineering team, reviewed by Amey Kadle.
Mill test certificate explained
The European standard EN 10204 defines the types of inspection document for metallic products, and the terms are used worldwide. Type 2.1 is a declaration of compliance without test results; type 2.2 adds non specific test results; type 3.1 is issued by the manufacturer’s authorised inspection representative, independent of production, with specific test results for the delivered product; and type 3.2 is additionally verified by the purchaser’s or a third party inspector.
Because the certificate is tied to the heat number, it is only useful if the product in hand can be matched to it. Errors creep in when pieces are cut, regrouped or relabelled without carrying the heat number, or when certificates are retyped or scanned as images that cannot be searched.
Digital MTCs, linked to the heat and the product label by a QR code or data record, let buyers verify a certificate in seconds and let producers answer audits and customer queries without searching paper files. They also feed newer data requirements, such as the embedded emissions information European importers need under the CBAM, which also has to be tied to specific production.
Key concepts
- Certifies chemistry and mechanical properties
- Tied to the heat number
- EN 10204 types 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2
- Type 3.1 by the manufacturer’s independent inspector
- Digital MTCs verified by QR code
Questions
What is the difference between EN 10204 3.1 and 3.2?
A 3.1 certificate is validated by the manufacturer’s inspection representative independent of production. A 3.2 certificate is also validated by the purchaser’s inspector or a third party named in the order.
Is a mill test certificate the same as a mill test report?
Yes, the terms are used interchangeably for the producer’s certificate of chemical and mechanical test results.
How can buyers verify an MTC is genuine?
Through digital certificates linked to the heat and product label, which can be checked against the producer’s records by scanning a code.
References
How we help with MTC
We link mill test certificates to heat numbers and product labels digitally, so certificates can be verified by a scan and travel with the material through cutting and dispatch.
Traceability rules by industry, with dates and sources, and how to build for them.
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