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A full 200-litre drum weighs 200 to 250 kilograms depending on the medium. In a zone 1 area, however, the lifting aid is not the first question. The first question is: what does the explosion protection document say – and which ignition sources may exist at this place at all?
The drum arrives on a pallet, has to be picked up, moved to the filling station, raised and tilted for emptying. The area is classified as zone 1, the floor is conductive, the medium contains solvents. A forklift cannot reach into the tight space, and an overhead crane would be too crude for positioning at the bung. What is needed is a unit that guides the load instead of letting it swing – and that may be operated in this zone.
We read the explosion protection document first. From it follow the zone, the equipment category and the temperature class – and only from those the permissible design. There is no such thing as a unit “with ATEX”; there are units for a given category in a given zone. Reverse that order and you buy a version that may not be operated, and you find out at acceptance.
In zone 1 we work with a purely pneumatic drive: lifting axis or articulated arm on compressed air, control through pneumatic valves, no electronics in the hazardous area. That is proven and robust but has consequences for the design. Compressed air is more expensive than electricity, speed depends on flow rate, and routing needs space. We calculate the demand in advance so the finished station does not hang on an undersized network.
Every conductive part is included in the equipotential bonding; the leakage resistance is measured and documented. For solvent-resistant cleaning we choose the coating accordingly – a standard powder coating does not last long. And because an Ex unit remains a work device, we plan the recurring inspection from the start: here it is not a nuisance but the proof that the protective measure still works.
Compact power for vertical lifting.
View device Lifting equipment · ManipulatorsThe jointed boom with a wide radius.
View device Lifting equipment · Crane systemsWide reach by slewing around the column.
View deviceNo. The categories build on each other: a category 3 unit (zone 2) may not be operated in zone 1, while the reverse is fine. Anyone looking to save should therefore first check whether the specific place really is zone 1 – sometimes a more precise zoning shows the station at the edge lies in zone 2.
Dust is a separate case with its own categories and a temperature assessment for dust layers. We then design for zone 21, pay attention to smooth surfaces with little build-up and agree the cleaning regime. Combinations of gas and dust zones occur and are no problem if they are described from the outset.
Rarely worthwhile. In legal terms a retrofitted unit is a substantial modification: conformity has to be reassessed, documented and declared – by whoever carries out the conversion. All in all the factory Ex version is almost always cheaper than retrofitting plus reassessment.
One short conversation usually settles more than three quotations. Call or write — you will reach an engineer directly.
Start typing – for example “balancer”, “SAP” or “pipe stress”.
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