Anatomy of an ATEX Door

ATEX certification for peace of mind

When choosing the right ATEX entrance solution, it’s never wise to cut corners. Some doors contain only specific elements that are ATEX certified. The smartest and safest choice is a complete door system fully certified by an independent third party.

This means every single element (and the door as a whole) is independently verified and graded to meet international requirements for ATEX use. This maximizes safety, ensures total compliance and is both cost and energy efficient.

How are doors certified?

To ensure full certification, every door would be pre-mounted and checked, then inspected by a European accredited notified body that then delivers the type examination certificate on the Serial Number of the door. Every door has a unique declaration of conformity and is issued the relevant certificate by a third-party inspection authority such as Apragaz. Founded in Belgium, Apragaz operates in the many countries worldwide, including the entire EU, China, India and the US.

ATEX certified inside and out.

Fully-certified ATEX industrial doors are precision engineered to maximize safety and productivity, and entirely composed of materials suitable for explosion-sensitive environments.

• All metal parts: stainless steel to ensure no magnesium is present as in in normal steel (conforming to highest industry safety standard)
• All non-metallic parts with a surface larger than 20cm2: antistatic or non-electric-conductive materials
• No painted parts
• Power Drive technology and frequency driven Ex d motor so door always stops at right position
• Operating speed max. 1m/s to remove risk mechanical sparks from friction that may ignite explosion

Below is an illustration showing the various components:

Structure:                           Steel Steel drums, gearwheels, covers, bearings
                                             Antistatic pulley and guide system
                                             Standard earthing kit

Driving system:                 Frequency-driven Ex d motor and Ex encoder
                                             Stainless steel, plastic and electrical conductive silicon rubber

Curtain:                              Flexible, self-reinserting,
                                            Soft bottom and bottom edge detection and photocell
                                            Sealing flap made from antistatic material

Control box:                      Always installed in safe areas (outside Ex zone)
                                            PTC protection to prevent overheating of motor
                                            Photocells and bottom edge detection used within intrinsically
                                            safe circuit (Ex i) and cables and terminals marked accordingly                                                      (blue)

It’s not compulsory to only choose a fully ATEX-certified door, but what may seem as an initial cost-saving exercise could have major repercussions down the line – not least of which being compromising employee safety. Fully-certified ATEX industrial doors maximize safety, save both cost and energy and give peace of mind for both employee and employer. And that’s something you cannot put a price on.

Click here to explore our ATEX-certified entrance solutions