FAQ

1) Which regulations & directives do apply to the design and construction of our range of products for electric heating?

2) What does discipline the ATEX Directive 94/9/EC?

3) What does discipline the PED Directive 97/23/EC  “Pressure equipment” for electrical application?

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1) Which regulations & directives do apply to the design and construction of our range of products for electric heating?

We apply the following European Directives:

• Directive 2006/95/EC – “Safety of electrical equipment”

• EC Directive 89/336 – “Electromagnetic Compatibility”

• Directive 2002/95 EC (ROHS) – “Restrictions on Hazardous Substances”

• EC Directive 2002/96 (WEEE) – “Waste Electrical”

• Directive 94 / 9 EC (ATEX) – “Apparatus for use in potentially explosive atmospheres”

• Directive 97/23 CE (PED) – “Pressure Equipment”

• EC Directive 1907/2006 (REACH) – “Management of Chemicals”

Under specific requirement by our customers or for non-standard applications, we also applied some other standards as follows:

• UL / CSA for products exported to the North American market (U.S. and Canada)

• GOST for products exported to the Russian market (Russia)

• Others upon our customers demand or for specific applications

2) What does discipline the ATEX Directive 94/9/EC?

As in the chemical and petrochemical, industrial processes, oil platforms and on many military installations materials which are stored, processed or produced in areas where the atmosphere is potentially explosive and wherever explosion-proof heating elements are needed, from July 2003 all such equipments and parts put into service within the European Community must obligatorily respect mandatory Atex 94/9/CE. All our equipment and products for explosion-proof facilities are certified according to the ATEX Directive 94/9/EC.

Overview of Directive 94/9/EC:

• An explosive atmosphere is defined as a mixture of flammable substances in the form of gases, vapors, mists or dusts which being in contact with air or if exposed to atmospheric conditions, after ignition, have a combustion which spreads to the entire unburned mixture.

Circumstances for an explosion:

• Presence of oxygen in the air
• Presence of a flammable substance (gas, vapor, dust or fog)
• A source of sufficient energy (i.e., by through an electric arc or a high temperature raising)

With the ATEX Directive 94/9/EC, European Community requires that all electrical equipment to be installed in weather conditions with temperatures between -20 ° C to +40 ° C and pressure in the range 0.8 bar / 1.1 bar must necessarily be designed and constructed so that their energy output does not produce an explosion, or at least that this is kept under control. Therefore, the user of such Explosion-proof equipments and devices must proactively prevent an explosion risk assessment, keeping in good account the probability of occurrence of such atmospheres, along with the degree of danger, the presence of energy sources, processes and its interactions, the installation of equipment and possible consequences.
If the risk does exist, then the user must do what as follows:
1) To prevent the formation of potentially explosive atmospheres.
2) If it is impossible what concerns the point 1, the user must prevent the ignition of the explosive mixture.
3) If it is impossible what concerns the point 2, then the user must at least reduce the explosion effects, so that the risk is removed.

Guidelines to a correct read and/or interpretation of an ATEX marking

3) What does discipline the PED Directive 97/23/EC  “Pressure equipment” for electrical application?

During the design and manufacturing of any kind of pressure equipment for electrical heaters like process heaters, electric heat exchangers and/or industrial continuous heaters, either for Safe-Area or Hazardous-Area Installation, European Community ‘CE’ does oblige all manufactures of Ex-proof equipments strictly to compulsorily respect  the PED Directive 97/23/CE.

All our pressurized heating equipments are manufactured in compliance to PED Directive 97/23/CE.

Legend:

• Dp = Design pressure (bar, bar-g, PSIG)
• Dt = Design temperature (ºC, °F)
• V = Volume of the pressurized vessel / boiler (L, Gal)
• Fp = Flash-point / Ignition temperature (ºC)
• Pt = Steam/Vapour pressure at the design temperature (bar)
• Medium type (subject to be heated-up): hazardous or non-hazardous

Chart 1 – Pressurized vessels for Gases & Hazardous Vapours – PED 97/23/CE – Art. 3 – 1.1 – a)

Chart 2 - Pressurized vessels for Safe Gases & Vapours (non-hazardous) – PED 97/23/CE – Art. 3 – 1.1 – a)

Chart 3 – Pressurized vessels for Hazardous Liquids – PED 97/23/CE – Art. 3 – 1.1 – b)

Chart 4 - Pressurized vessels for Non-hazardous Liquids – PED 97/23/CE – Art. 3 – 1.1 – b)

Chart 5 - Pressurized vessels for Water > 110°C – PED 97/23/CE – Art. 3 – 1.2