At the beginning of the year, the Ex i modules for the WAGO-I/O-SYSTEM 750 received the American Ex certification (AEx). They fulfill the growing safety requirements in the USA and Canada, and thus satisfy another international standard.
Explosive atmospheres can occur nearly anywhere. It is accepted that the chemical, mining, and gas and oil industries work with substances that form an explosive atmosphere when mixed with oxygen; however, these types of hazardous atmospheres can also occur, for example, in the textile sector or when processing regenerative energies. Systems installed there must also fulfill the requirements for explosion protection. Therefore, WAGO offers a wide range of Ex products for connection and automation technology.
Nearly every country has its own extensive guidelines to ensure maximum safety. The AEx certification is based on the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) standards determined by the NEC (National Electrical Code) and NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) published as NFPA 70. Among other things, the NEC specifies how electrical and cable installations are to be designed; however, it does not include technical details on the device design.
The manufacture and testing of explosion-proof equipment is determined by UL standard 60079, which is also the basis for Ex i module certification. Zone use has been certified in accordance with NEC Article 505-506 and CEC Article 18.
The AEx-marked intrinsically safe modules are expected to be available in July 2017.