Ham-Let are proud to announce to the market that as part of our continuous support of the Oil & Gas market, we are extending our actuated valves product range, the HPA line, to comply with the ATEX directive, thus providing more comprehensive solutions for petrochemical, refining, offshore platforms and fuelling stations.
ATEX at a Glance
As of July 2003, organizations in EU must follow ATEX directive to protect employees from explosion risk in areas with an explosive atmosphere. Equipment manufactured for use in Hazardous Areas must be ATEX certified in order to carry the ‘CE’ Mark.
According to the EU Directive 94/9/EC, ATEX product certification involves a detailed process of examination, testing and assessment of actuated valves intended for use in potentially hazardous areas, confirming and demonstrating that the product is safe to use within potentially explosive atmospheres.
An example of zone classification (potentially explosive atmospheres) is shown below:
Zone 0 – where an explosive gas-air mixture is continuously present
Zone 1 – where an explosion is likely to occur in normal operation
Zone 2 – where an explosion is not likely to occur, but if it does – it exists for a short time
The certification process was undertaken by the Notified Body Baseefa (“British Approval Service for Electrical Equipment in Flammable Atmospheres”) who issued the factory an ATEX approval and conducts periodic inspection of quality management systems.
ATEX Actuated valves’ assemblies consist of additional bolt-spring mechanism to ensure proper grounding, providing maximum electrostatic discharge to the system. Some components of the assembly, like Solenoids and Limit Switches, also independently comply with the ATEX Directive. ATEX actuated valves are supplied with ATEX certificate and carry “EX” suffix at the end of the description.
Example:
Standard HPA assembly: H6800SSL1/2PS-A1C
ATEX certified HPA assembly: H6800SSL1/2PS-A1C-EX
See attached pdf for further information