Atex motors

If your company handles materials that can cause flammable vapours or dust, the ATEX directives 95 and 137 affects you.
The ATEX Directives became law throughout the EU in July 2003.

ATEX 137 requires users to look at their work place as a whole. While manufacturers take responsibility for individual pieces of certified equipment, is up to the end user to ensure the work place is a safe environment.

ATEX 95 sets requirements for equipment and safety systems in an explosion hazardous environment. This directive not only applies to gas environments, but specifically also for dust environments.

These new legislations aim to ensure that only equipment with specific safety features are used in areas that could, potentially, contain flammable atmospheres.

According to some estimates, 50% of all industrial applications contain a hazardous area of one kind or another, ranging from small mixing applications to the largest petrochemical complex.

The legislation states that, any 'work equipment', new or old, must comply with the minimum requirements of the Worker Protection Directive (ATEX 137) and be safe.
Any company that employs staff in potentially explosive atmospheres must take specific steps to protect them. It also means that motors from this date have to comply with the ATEX regulations.

N.E.T. can offer a range of ATEX high efficiency electric motors for hazardous applications. These motors are designed to operate safely and save energy in environments where explosions can occur due to combustible dust. Typically these environments are found in sugar refining plants, breweries, cement works, textiles, and pharmaceutical, chemical and agricultural process industries.

There are two categories as follows

Category Gas

Zone 0	Gas constantly present present	No Electrical motors to be placed in this area
Zone 1	Gas probably incidentally present	Motor types Ex II 2 G EEx-d and EEx-d(e) Ex II 2 G EEx-e
Zone 2	Gas probably not present	Motor types Ex II 2 G EEx-d and EEx-d(e) Ex II 2 G EEx-e Ex II 3 G EEx-Na

Category Dust

Zone 20	Dust constantly present	No Electrical motors to be placed in this area
Zone 21	Dust probably incidentally present	Motor types Ex II 2 D IP65
Zone 22	Dust not probably present	Motor Types EXII 3 D IP65II (non conductive dust) Ex II 2 D IP65 (conductive dust)

Please feel free to contact us with any questions you have regarding Atex directives.

You can also go to our "Downloads" page and download the full Manufacturer’s Obligations under directive 1999/92/EC