How to choose protection for equipment in hazardous areas

The enclosure as part of the design, not an add-on

In projects for hazardous areas, the enclosure for electronics is often decided last. The camera, sensor or controller has been chosen, and a housing is found to fit whatever is available. Yet it is the enclosure that determines where, and for how long, the equipment will operate reliably.

• Ex parameters

The starting point is the zone. In zones 2/22 an explosive atmosphere occurs only rarely; in zones 1/21 it can occur during normal operation. The zone is followed by the gas group and temperature class. Group IIB covers most industrial applications; where hydrogen is present, the enclosure must be designed for it as well. The temperature class limits the maximum surface temperature of the enclosure.

• Operating environment

Ex parameters describe only part of the load. Outdoor installations face water and frost, food processing faces high-pressure washdown, heavy industry faces dust and mechanical impact. IP and IK ratings should therefore follow the actual installation site, not a generic catalogue standard.

• Integration and service

In practice, a single device is rarely protected on its own. A typical set includes a camera, power supply, communication, lighting and, increasingly, edge AI. When each component has its own housing, the number of cable entries, mounting points and potential failure points grows. Service life matters just as much: technology is replaced faster than the plant, and the enclosure should allow components to be changed without a new design.

ExBox®

ExBox® is built on these requirements. It is a patented certified enclosure developed and manufactured by ATHEX Technology in Zlín, Czech Republic, designed for zones 2/22 and 1/21, gas group IIB + H2 and temperature class T6, with IP69 protection per EN 60529 and IK10 impact resistance.

Its modular design allows electronics, cameras, sensors, control systems and edge AI to share one enclosure. It is available in two sizes, EBS (8.2 l) and EBD (16.4 l), with a 120 × 220 mm borosilicate glass viewing window. The design is patent- protected.

Technical questions and enquiries: www.athex.cz.