Atex

General

For industries at risk, Airchal offers ATEX air handling units.
The design of our devices guarantee the protection of persons and property, while avoiding ignition sources and electrostatic phenomena.
Clean Concept design fits all the requirements of the ATEX compliance.

Design

•  50-75 mm thick double-skin, rigid sheet, stone wool insulation
•  Fully enclosed panels
•  Fully demountable casing
•  Multi-section blocks to reduce site assembly time

Applications

ATEX DIRECTIVE 94/9/EC: EQUIPMENT

The ATEX Directive has been effective throughout the European Union since 1 July 2003, replacing the various existing national and European legislations regarding explosive atmospheres; after that date it has been possible to marketonly those products conforming to the directive and supplied with the ATEX CE marking and EC declaration of conformity. It applies to all the electrical and mechanical equipment intended for use in explosion hazard areas, ranking among the directives that allow free trade of the
goods and define the essential safety requirements (ESR) of the equipment which it covers. In particular, the directive defines the product categories and the characteristics the products must satisfy in order to be installed in explosion hazard areas.
It also describes the procedures that must be followed in order to obtain conformity.  The Directive’s field of application also extends to safety, control and regulation devices that are installed outside the potentially explosive area, but on which the safety of the
products installed in the explosive atmosphere depend.

PRODUCT CLASSIFICATION 

The directive includes mining and surface installation materials since the hazard, protective measures and test methods are similar for both materials. The primary distinction is made with the division of the materials into two groups.
• group I: products to be used in gassy mines
• group II: equipment intended for use on the surface. Directive 94/9/EC classifies the products in categories, in relation to the level of protection and based on the degree of riskiness of the environment where they will be installed. 

GROUP I PRODUCTS

The mining products are divided into 2 categories:
category M1: equipment or protective systems that guarantee a very high level of protection.
category M2: equipment or protective systems that guarantee a high level of protection; they must be able to be disconnected in the presence of the gas.

GROUP II PRODUCTS

The surface equipment (group II) is divided into 3 categories, based on the level of protection (zone of use); the categories are identified by the number 1, 2, 3 followed by the letter G (Gas) or D (Dust).
• category 1: equipment or protective systems that guarantee a very high level of protection.
• category 2: equipment or protective systems that guarantee a high level of protection. 
• category 3: equipment or protective systems that guarantee a normal level of protection.