ICC Helps Global Manufacturer Obtain Certification
For manufacturers of equipment used in Hazardous Locations, the ATEX directive is a prerequisite to marketing their product in the European Union. Also known as European Directive 94/9/EC, the ATEX directive ensures the free movement of goods throughout the European Union by harmonizing compliance procedures. Hazardous Locations include flammable gases, vapors or liquids.
Navigating the regulatory path can be very challenging for manufacturers due to the complex nature of the standard and testing protocol. This highly-regulated area of electrical equipment demands a manufacturing partner well-versed in the relevant standards and capable of consistently meeting a project’s certification requirements.
According to Don Lavrenz, ICC President, “The Industrial Controls Company partners with manufacturers, helping them navigate the complex landscape of CE and ATEX certification. We forge much more than a vendor/customer relationship. We partner to the extent that we’re in this as a team, every step of the way.”
Organic compound analyzers are used to verify the cleanliness of sewage. Specifically, they are designed to measure organic compound in a range of industrial water samples. The product has application in wastewater treatment, hydrocarbon processing, pulp & paper, food & beverage, chemical production and pharmaceuticals.
In this application, the instrument must be housed in an enclosure that is suitable for operation in an environment with potentially explosive gases. The ICC engineering team helped the manufacturer design the housing per their operation and component specifications to meet CE directives.
ATEX requires physical testing of the product – manufacturers have to prove in writing that their product meets the requirements. This calls for more extensive product development. The ICC team helped them develop the physical enclosure to meet ATEX as well as the programming to run it.
The design and component selection was a collaborative effort. ICC managed the interface with the enclosure vendor while the manufacturer managed the instrument portion. ICC advised the manufacturer on how to meet ATEX in addition to performing extensive internal testing prior to submission for official testing. Project management and assembly were also ICC’s responsibility.
About The Industrial Controls Company, Inc.
ICC provides OEM’s and end users with engineering and manufacturing services from simple control panels or programming to complete “turnkey” manufacturing of process control systems. The company mission is to make customers successful above all else.
For more information, visit www.theindustrialcontrolsco.com.
