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Technical articles

Low intensity and Medium intensity: how to choose the Aircraft Warning Lights

Monday, 29 June 2020 PDF icon Low intensity and Medium intensity: how to choose the Aircraft Warning Lights Aircraft

Aircraft Warning Lights are light signaling equipment designed to make tall structures more visible, both day and night.

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The barrier cable gland: moldable sealant (two-component filler) vs auto-forming sealant (two-component resin)

Monday, 25 May 2020 PDF icon The barrier cable glands and the sealing methods
1. Preface: the selection of the cable gland
 
In the plant concept it has always been of primary importance the physical separation between safe area and classified area. This concept was applied in the electric energy transport systems by means of cables buried in sand bed and then derived to the user (an electric motor or a junction box or an end user) with the use of a conduit tube suitable for the insertion of electrical cables (Freez-Moon) free from internal ridges and terminated on the end user through a physical separation made with explosion-proof sealing device (for example a sealing fitting).
 
With the advent of the IEC/EN 61241-0 and IEC/EN 60079-0 standards, as well as the IEC/EN 60079-1 standard, changed the concept of cable entry in electrical and electronic equipment suitable for areas with danger of explosion, allowing to have the cable entry with appropriate sealing cable gland.

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Monday, 27 April 2020

I should make a change to an already installed switchboard by adding new equipment inside that must interact with the production process, cable glands with relative holes and threads on one of the walls of the enclosure and two operators on the cover (button + indicator light), then drill and fillet the lid. How should I proceed for this change?

All the equipment and products placed on the market and installed have their own plate with a specific serial number, which refers to the construction project, and the reference to the certification.

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How to read a certificate nameplate

Monday, 27 April 2020 PDF icon How to read a certificate nameplate
As required by IEC 60079-0 standard, each Ex product put on the market has its own identification plate with some information. Some data are required by the European Community directives, others are the consequence of the application of technical standards, specific for every equipment. 
Let's now look at the contents of a typical certificate plate for a product with Full Compliance certification, which must always be present on the equipment.
 
As we can see, we can find several fields on it with specific functions. Depending on the product and certification obtained, there are one or more types of certificates such as ATEX certification issued in the Community (EN) and IECEx certification (IEC) or other certification based on the country of destination of the product.
Let's look at the function of each field (reference) below.
 
Ref.

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Questions and Answers

Thursday, 27 February 2020

What is meant by maximum surface temperature and what can be the maximum surface temperature allowed for the correct operation of the equipment in presence of GAS, without causing an explosion just because the temperature is exceeded?

By surface temperature is meant the temperature detectable on the external surface of the equipment, a value that the system designer must carefully consider when choosing the temperature class. The maximum surface temperature of an equipment must never reach, even in fault conditions, the ignition temperature of the substance present in the dangerous atmosphere.

 

This value is normally reported on the certificate plate, where the temperature class "T ..." is reported for gases, while the temperature T ...° C is reported for dusts. 

 

For areas with the presence of gas, the equipment or materials are divided into temperature classes such as: 

 

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Questions and answers

Friday, 22 November 2019

Why are used different raw materials for the same type of product?

 

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Questions and answers

Friday, 25 October 2019

What are the types of gas or dust that influence the construction of electrical equipment for environments with danger of explosion?

There are many gaseous or powdery substances that influence the construction of the equipment.
 
The standards 60079-10-1 for gases and 60079-10-2 for powders treat them in a complete and exhaustive way but, for the purposes of a brief example, let’s see some examples of gases and powders and their characteristics.
 
We can see that, depending on the type of gas, there is a minimum specific ignition temperature, which can or cannot be associated with a marking and a temperature class.
 
Table 1 Gas 

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Discovering Cortem Group: the washing and painting department

Thursday, 24 October 2019 PDF icon Discovering Cortem Group: the washing and painting department
Cortem Group boasts a production process managed internally and consisting of a foundry department, a mechanical workshop, a carpentry department and a washing and painting department.
 
The tunnel washing system is used for washing and/or inter-process treatments or for washing and/or precision treatments before assembly, in particular:
 
  • for the degreasing of die-cast aluminum components in order to eliminate from their surface the fat and oily substances accumulated during their previous processing, thus preparing them for the painting phase;
  • for the treatment of manufactured products after the mechanical processing to increase their resistance to corrosion and to improve the adhesion of the coating.
 

The tunnel washing system of Cortem Group

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The use of grease in explosion-proof enclosures (Ex db) and in electrical fittings

Monday, 23 September 2019 PDF icon The use of grease in explosion-proof enclosures (Ex db) and in electrical fittings

1. The use of grease and O-ring gaskets to increase the IP rating

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August is the month of maintenance operations

Monday, 22 July 2019 PDF icon August is the month of maintenance operations
1. Introduction
 
August is usually the month of scheduled maintenance. During this month, the plants are shut down in order to check the efficiency and safety of machinery and equipment.
 
 
A regular maintenance is essential to maintain equipment, machineries and work environment safe and reliable. The lack of maintenance or improper maintenance operations can cause extremely dangerous situations, accidents and health problems. Maintenance itself, however, is a high-risk activity because some of the dangers arising from the nature of work.

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