ATEX Certified Valves & Instrumentation for Hazardous Areas

Here at Measure Monitor Control, we have many years of experience, specifying and supplying products with hazardous area approvals such as ATEX, IECEx and GOST Ex. Choosing the best solution for a particular application can be very confusing and we aim to make the whole process easier for the customer. Call us today to benefit from our experience.

What is ATEX?

ATEX is the name given to the European standard for equipment designed for operation in potentially explosive atmospheres. It defines the severity of the risks and types of protection employed to eliminate the chance of explosion for a given product.

To gain ATEX certification, products are sent to a registered notified body to perform testing to ensure the relevant criteria are met. On successful completion of the testing the certification is awarded and must be referenced on the product.

The classifications cover both flammable gas and dust environments for electrical and non-electrical (mechanical) potential sources of heat or spark that could initiate combustion.

What is a Zone?

Areas where flammable environments may exist are classified by risk assessment into Zones depending on the likelihood of the presence of a gas or dust that could prove an explosion hazard.

Zone 0 for gases or Zone 20 for dust is for areas where the explosion risk is always present and is also known as Category 1. A typical ATEX coding for this area would include II 1G Ex ia for common instrumentation or valve products.

Zone 1 for gases or Zone 21 for dust would be an area where the risk is frequently present and is also known as Category 2. Types of protection popular in these Zones are, Ex d, Ex m and Ex e.

Zone 2 for gases and Zone 22 for dust would be areas where the risk is not present in standard operations but could occur. This is also known as Category 3. Any of the types of protection for Zones 0 or 1 could be employed here and also Ex n which is only suitable for Category 3 environments.

ATEX Certified Products