There are two ATEX directives (one for the manufacturer and one

for the user of the equipment):

the ATEX 95 equipment directive 94/9/EC, Equipment and

protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive
atmospheres;

the ATEX 137 workplace directive 99/92/EC, Minimum

requirements for improving the safety and health protection of
workers potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres.

Mark for ATEX certified electrical equipment for explosive atmospheres

Explosion & Flame Proof

Protect your electrical equipment and
ensure the safety of your enclosures

This protection method assumes that the surrounding

explosive atmosphere can enter an enclosure intended
to protect electrical equipment and that there will be
internal explosions during the life of the protected
equipment.
In order to be certified as explosion or flame proof, the
enclosure must be strong enough not to fracture or
distort under the internal pressures generated in order to
contain explosions and prevent propagation. When
testing a product for Explosion proof protection, it will
have to undergo an actual explosion within simulated
environments.
The chart below gives an overview of North
American and International Explosion and Flame
Proof protection standards:

There are differences between Explosion Proof

protection and Flame Proof protection that must be noted
and will have an impact on your projects depending on

where you intend to sell them. Generally, Explosion

Proof is utilized in the US while Flame Proof is utilized in
Canada and Europe.

EXPLOSIONPROOF or
FLAMEPROOF

A haunting question. Is it a dilemma or a complete solution

.does it require the NEC-IEC vision

Let us see We will use the following picture as a symbolic

representation of this situation.

Two tracks , of different colors ,operated by two different protocols

but leading to the same destination, which in our case is the Safe
Operation of the Electrical Equipments in the Hazardous Area .By
same analogy Explosion Proof & Flameproof are the two most
commonly used Hazardous Area Protection Techniques.
Historically, the first safety technique which was applied to
the electrical components was ENCASEMENT. Putting the

electrical components , capable ofelectrical spark or arc in a

sturdy metallic box and sealing it up with a heavy metallic lid,
was the most logical and practical solution. The object was two
fold.
1. To keep the insides isolated from the outer Hazardous
Atmosphere
2. If there is an ingress of outer explosive atmosphere resulting in
an explosion inside the box , the products of the explosion ,
namely, the high pressure, the fire,the smoke the hot gases and
the debris remain inside and is allowed to escape through (Not
the over-pressure value ) the joints .(The joints between the lid
and the enclosure , the conduits and the enclosure )
This was being done (at least) at two places in the world .
Europe & America
We will bypass the normal flow of history and land in 1957.
IEC 79 appears for flameproof enclosures of electrical apparatus.
The term Ex d appears many years later.
With the term Ex d comes the definition , as follows:
Flameproof Enclosure d . Enclosure in which the
parts which can ignite an explosive atmosphere are
placed and which can withstand the pressure developed

during an internal explosion of an explosive mixture,and

which prevents the transmission of the explosion to the
explosive atmosphere surrounding the enclosure. (IEC
60079-1

7th edition)

Now consider the definition of the Explosionproof

Article 100 of the National Electrical Code defines
explosionproof equipment as equipment enclosed in a
case that: (1) Is capable of withstanding an explosion of a
gas or vapor that may occur within the case, (2) Is
capable of preventing the ignition of a gas or vapor
surrounding the enclosure by sparks, flashes, or explosion
of the gas or vapor within the enclosure, and (3) Operates
at such an external temperature that a surrounding
flammable atmosphere will not be ignited by the outside
of the enclosure.
In designing explosionproof equipment, it is assumed that the
flammable gas or vapor will enter the equipment enclosure and be
ignited by a spark or arc within the enclosure. The threaded joints
provided by rigid metal conduit and intermediate metal conduit are
not gas-tight, so the gas can enter around these threads. In
addition, all electrical equipment intended to be connected to a
wiring system has a removable cover of some kind to permit
wiring and facilitate repair of the electrical parts. Some equipment
has external shafts to permit operation of internal switches or, as

in motors, to transmit mechanical motion through the enclosure.

The gases can enter through the interface between the removable
cover and the remainder of the enclosure, or through the shaft
and body interface. These interfaces are called joint surfaces,
or just joints and are commonly referred to as flame paths.
(KILLARK-2011 NEC code reviews)
The following common parameters are obvious:
1. STRONG Enclosure . Strong enough to withstand
the internal pressure of the explosion.
2.Special Design of the enclosure to isolate the
effects of the internal explosion and not to
transmit any of the effects to the outer
surrounding atmosphere.
3. The JOINTS or the interfaces are , however,
specially designed to control the expanding hot
gases in such a way so as to cool them and quench
the flame before letting some of the them escape
through the FLAME PATHS. A flame paths is
always long in proportion to its width.
IEC 60079-1 & NEC 501-1 describe the design principles of
these joints and we find a very elaborate description in IEC
60079-1.

One of the basic design parameter is the MESG -Maximum

Experimental Safe Gap (for an explosive mixture)
It is the Maximum gap of a joint of 25mm in width which prevents
any transmission of a explosion during TEN (10) tests made the
conditions specified in IEC 60079-1-1.
At this point let us examine the commercially available
Explosionproof & Flameproof enclosures.

Both the enclosures are made of the same alloyed material and
by the same manufacturer.
Markings:
Gas Explosion Protection Class I, Division 1, Groups B, C
&D

Gas explosion protection Ex d IIB + H2 , Europe (ATEX):

Explosion protection Ex d IIB + H2 T6T4, Ex.
SOwhat & where is the difference ?? .
Now let us use the NEC-IEC vision to finally get the clarity.

There is no difference between the Explosionproof &

Flameproof as far as following points are concerned:
a. The underlying Philosophy
b. The magnitude of the embedded safety
c. commercial availability and choice of material
d. technical library

The differences:
1. Specification protocols
Explosionproof follows the NEC Protocol

Flameproof follows the IEC Protocol

2. Testing parameters
Explosionproof are constructed to withstand 4 times the
explosive pressure of the gases Flameproof enclosures
are tested for over-pressure : 1.5 times the reference
pressure , with a minimum of 3.5 bars or 4 times the
reference pressure for enclosures not subjected to routine
overpressure testing Conclusion:

Designing my own Ex d (Explosion Proof / Flame Proof)

terminal box or a control station.
Empty Ex d Enclosures are available in the market.
An enthusiastic (not-so-Ex-PERT) person (like me) may have this
temptation of purchasing an empty Ex d Enclosure and making
a junction box or a control-station by installing industrial type
electrical components for operating it in a classified Hazardous
Area.
So what is wrong with this ECONOMICALLY BENEFICIAL
PRACTICE?
(See the details below )

 You can do the Purchasing of an Empty Ex d box.

(After all you have purchased a branded Certified Empty Box and
you have downloaded the certificate from relevant web site)
You can carry out the installation of components
BUT You CANNOT take your designed terminal BOX
into a Hazardous Area and ENERGIZE it.
Because you are NOT ALLOWED by the Hazardous Area
Protection laws
(For you own safety,safety of the concerned staff and the safety
of the plant)
Just check the Certificate; it will have the following form
IECEx
Europe (ATEX)

IECEx KEM

KEMA ATEX

The letter U clearly indicates that the empty enclosure is a

component and NOT a COMPLETE ASSEMBLY and it
requires testing for the Hazardous Area once it takes the
form of an assembly (of components inside)
IEC 60079-0

Sec 3.28

Ex Component: Part of electrical equipment or a

module , marked with the Symbol U, which is not

intended to be used alone and requires additional

consideration when incorporated into electrical
equipment or systems for use in explosive
atmospheres.
And CERTAINLY your designed assembly of components
has never been tested in any laboratory of the world and
thus the Protection Level of the Junction Box / Control
Station is not known and thus DANGEROUS
Furthermore the Ex d enclosures are expected to
withstand the explosion-generated pressure of the
Assembly of the components installed in it. This scenario
can only be tested inside the factory or the certifying
body.
The Official way is to give details, to the manufacturer, of all the
components to be installed inside the enclosure and let them do
the designing , manufacturing and testing for you.
The purpose of an Ex Component ENCLOSURE certificate for
empty enclosures is to enable the manufacturer of
FLAMEPROOF enclosures to obtain a certificate without the
internal equipment being defined, so as to enable the empty
enclosure to be made available to third parties for
incorporation into a FULL EQUIPMENT Certificate without
the need for repetition of all the type tests for flameproof

enclosures d as required by IEC 60079-1 and IEC 600790.

(Ref: IEC 60079-1 (2014) Annex D)

So what is the use of the U certified enclosure?

Actually these empty enclosures with component certificates
are not intended for the end -users , in fact they are for other
manufacturers to install their products and then apply for
full equipment certificate , by-passing some or most of the
type tests.
Furthermore , since the production process is already
being monitored for the empty enclosures for quality
assessment, the third party is assured of the safety of the
purchased enclosure
Reference to IECEx OD 017 is worthwhile here.This Operational
Documents lists the documents & drawings to be submitted by the
manufacturers to the Ex testing laboratories when applying for
certification.
For the Flameproof Enclosures d (Flameproof because we
are using IEC) , some of the details to be shown in the
submitted drawings includes :

Area in which cable entries , switch operators , windows,

receptacles etc may be fitted
Layout and heat dissipation of internal component
showing location and approximate dimensions of each
component, including clearances between components
and the nearest sidewall. ( The purpose is to control)
Location of sources of heat, for temperature classification
purposes, for temperature withstand of plastic parts , window
cement, other potting materials, cable entries etc.

Cross check the pressure piling effects of the dimensions of the

enclosure.

be safe & consult the ex-perts

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