In the design and use of electrical devices we must manage conductive parts with different electrical potential, with even very high voltage differences. The risk of formation of electric arcs in the air and creeping currents on the surface of the insulation material must be considered. To limit these phenomena, during the design phase we intervene on the distances between exposed conductive parts.
There are a series of physical phenomena which concern all electrical devices in general, but which assume great importance in equipment for areas classified as hazardous for potentially explosive atmospheres. One of these phenomena is called "breathing".
IK10 and IK09 for LifEx series linear lighting fixtures with and without protective cage
Record edition
In a world where the installation speed, the overall site security and the installation and maintenance costs are increasingly important, the use of specific connectors as FlowEx series can find wide application.
Extra fast, extra secure
Supplied lighting fixtures and explosion-proof electrical fittings
The series XLFE-MIC series medium intensity Type C
Indonesian state oil company approves Cortem products
'Ex db IIC' (EVL) and 'Ex nR' for zone 2, 21, 22 (EVNL)
CIPPE Shanghai, SPE Offshore Europe, ADIPEC, OMC
Istanbul
The Commercial Director Marianna Saragaglia explained what Export means for the Group
Since May 2023 they are phased-out and no longer available
Capacitive, ‘Ex eb / tb’
Battery boxes, special batteries for -60°, new model
Group IIC, Category 2GD, Zone 1, 2, 21, 22, Three casing sizes for one, two or three operators, Standard or custom models
The components used in contexts at risk of forming an explosive atmosphere are made with particular materials. This is particularly true in the case of plastic materials. In contexts designed to form insulation between conductors, the materials used are selected from among those that express better tracking resistance.
Explosion protection is often a forced choice. It is, in fact, the legislation that requires the application of certain protection standards that are often little known. Cortem focuses on informing and training its customers.
Among the equipment suitable for use in explosive atmospheres with an EPL Gb, those with increased safety are undoubtedly the most similar to an industrial standard product. Over the years this method of protection has spread in junction boxes and in particular in lighting. In general, the lighter and more portable constructions of the increased safety products have been appreciated by plant engineers.
Improved the thermal and heat transmission aspect of the circuit board on which the LED is mounted.
All models of the EJBX series stainless steel enclosures are now supplied with slotted instead of open fixing plates.
In Europe, the process of harmonization of regulations has opened a new phase in technological development and, to all intents and purposes, can be considered a success of the process of integration of the European Union. The birth of the EEC, the establishment of the CENELEC and CEN technical committees, the first ATEX 94/9/EC regulation and then the new ATEX 2014/34/EU regulation... let's retrace together the last steps that led to the present day have a harmonized regulatory framework at Eu
Interview with Saad Bennani, Sales Area Manager of Cortem Group and Business Development Manager of Cortem Gulf - Middle East
Now available in sealed aluminised bags
New threaded pole stanchion mounting bracket in painted aluminum that allows direct mounting and fixed product orientation up to 25°.
Often the meaning of the supplementary letter is little known, misunderstood and misinterpreted. Not understanding the difference between component and equipment or thinking that a certificate with the final "X" is a sort of B-series certificate with strong limitations on the use of the equipment is completely anachronistic today.
In the United States, the path that led to the development of equipment suitable for use in areas at risk of explosion has followed an almost parallel path to Europe, addressing the issue first in the mining industry and then extending it to electrical devices in the NEC. The use of still current techniques demonstrates how much the more traditional methods of protection can boast a history of reliability and safety spanning more than a century.
His excellence Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber focuses on local ICV certified companies such as Cortem Gulf that bring technological value and know-how to the Emirati industry for the development of the local production fabric
The systems are mainly divided into systems with metal protective conduits and cable systems. The various devices require cable entries suitable for the type of protection used. The type of cable entry may appear to be a mere theoretical argument, but it has a decisive impact on the safety level of the system.
The most used entry systems are: entry with sealing fitting, cable entry with Ex barrier cable gland, cable entry with Ex cable gland with sealing ring. When we talk about electrical systems with electrical cable installation, entries are made using a cable gland, which can be of two types: barrier or with sealing ring.
A year and a half after the launch on the market of the aluminum LifEx series, Cortem Group enriches this family of lighting fixtures with the LifEx-P series
Cortem Group presents the third generation of LED lighting fixtures for areas at risk of explosion
Cortem Group will supply Technip and Enppi with 6,500 lighting fixtures, obstacle signaling lighting fixtures, over 5,000 enclosures, motive power panels and grounding systems.
In areas at risk of explosive atmospheres, systems with electrical cable installations are nowadays a valid alternative to traditional systems with conduits systems. Their diffusion has been driven by the increasing presence of increased safety equipment such as junction boxes or 'Ex eb ' lighting fixtures, which implicitly lead to the need for sections of the system with cable installation.
Project Agreement provides for the supply of Lighting Fixture, Junction Box & Socket Outlet
In sites where there is a risk of the formation of an explosive atmosphere, we often find the electrical conduit in a metal protective tube (also called conduit conduit). Although it has recently been joined by more versatile armored and non-armored cable systems, with cable gland entry, its use is recommended in plants where production or use and maintenance activities can present dangerous situations for the integrity of the cables.
Today we define the methods of protection as techniques that are made available to us by harmonized standards, to satisfy the Essential Health and Safety Requirements. It appears clear how the first decades of the twentieth century proved to be fundamental for the development of the techniques underlying the current methods of protection.
The first Cortem Group's certified products
Sealing fittings are often considered only as secondary or minor components, but the safety of an installation with metal electrical conduits and related explosion-proof enclosures depends on them. The main function of a conduit sealing fitting is to prevent the propagation of an explosion from the inside of the ‘Ex d’ flameproof enclosure to the outside.
Buenos Aires 20-23 March
Nowadays, the classification in an area at risk of explosion concerns many sectors of the industry and includes the use of the most diverse equipment. This great variety of devices and applications must not make us forget that the origin of explosion risk containment techniques lies down there, in those dark mines where it all began.
Explosion-proof joints are one of the basic aspects of the protection offered by an equipment or an explosion-proof enclosure. For this reason, understanding their function is a prerequisite for the correct use and the proper maintenance of all electrical devices that adopt this type of protection.
The 'Ex d' type of protection, now referred to as 'Ex db', is based on a simple theoretical concept: containment by means of a sturdy casing and flame retardancy. Its success is due to this simplicity, it is in fact one of the first methods of protection developed in the mining industry and still today it is one of the most widespread in areas classified for potentially explosive atmospheres.
A fundamental principle of the ATEX Directive 2014/34 / EU, shared with the other Union directives, is the limitation of legislative harmonization to essential health and safety requirements of public interest. Within this legislative harmonization, a role of primary importance is played by the harmonized technical legislation and the concept of the state of the art. The ATEX Directive refers to this concept as a requirement requested of manufacturers.
In the world of ATEX equipment a key role is played by notified bodies (as defined in the ATEX Directive), also called certification bodies (in Italian legislation 60079-0). These are third parties called to certify certain product and quality standards.
We are waiting for you! HALL 7, BOOTH #7704
ATEX device's manufacturers use different types of protection to achieve a certain EPL. These methods of protection are constantly evolving both technical and regulatory. In any case, the most used are those that have established themselves historically.
Each equipment that must be installed in an ATEX classified area must have a certain level of protection, indicated in the legislation with the acronym EPL (Equipment protection Level). The level of protection is obtained by applying technical regulations that define the protection methods. There are many ways of protection, some have a historical origin, others are more recent...
New and more performing models with LED board available
Application of some simple rules to make a first match between the equipment and the installation site based on EPL, gas group and temperature class of the equipment.
The installer must have clear and defined the information relating to the level of protection guaranteed against the risk of explosion regardless of the function of the device. This information can be found in the marking of the device and it is completed with the instructions for use.
Installers and designers often ask themselves questions relating to the choice of the right electrical appliances to be installed on the plant site. This choice depends on a series of parameters, among these we will deepen the probability that an explosive atmosphere can form (concept of zone) and the type of substances involved in this formation (concepts of GAS group and temperature class).
Disponibili fino ad esaurimento delle scorte di magazzino e non oltre giugno 2021
The multi-step joint allows the installation in areas with danger of explosion and/or fire due to the presence of all the Gases of Group IIA - IIB - IIC classified as Zone 1, 2, 21, 22.
Protection during the loading and unloading operations of liquids and dry inert material
Phase-out of the XLFE-4/1 series in red colour
An innovative and future-oriented LED lighting fixture for areas at risk of explosion and fire
ANIMP Components Section
Low-bay and High-bay for traditional bulbs available until the end of December
Medium Intensity Type A
This new series replaces the cable glands of the FB, FGAB series
More performing product
New models for low voltages, new portable model and improved photometric performance
The evolution of the Cortem Group SLED family featuring a greater Lumen Output
Anti-oxidation protection for aluminum alloy products installed in aggressive environments
It consists of the new XLFE-4/1 series and XLFE-MIB series obstacle signalling lighting fixtures
For direct pole mounting
To be used in construction sites or for local plant maintenance or temporary illumination of process zones in an environment with a hazardous atmosphere
For ambient with explosive or flammable dusts
For zone 2-21-22
Low and medium intensity
The EVL-70 series LED lighting fixtures replace mercury vapour lamps
Khurais project in Saudi Arabia, Zohr Gas Field in Egypt and Al-Zour in Kuwait.
The new generation of cable glands for armoured and non-armoured cables.
Signalling of dangers in hazardous areas
Wi-Fi technology facilitates the use of a traffic light system in situations where a short-term solution is required.
Great success for this edition of the Abu Dhabi fair
Offshore Energy of Amsterdam and OTD Stavanger
3-6 September Aberdeen, 23-26 September Buenos Aires
A course about plants with risk of explosion and fire due to the presence of combustible gases, vapours or dust
Two important Oil & Gas events
Offshore Mediterranean Conference & Exhibition
Two important trade fairs in the African continent
A day of meetings with the most important companies in the area to bring students with an electronic/electrical engineering degree or diploma closer to the world of work
The Sister Companies Cortem Gulf and Cortem SEA in Abu Dhabi and Singapore for the two shows
For the first time at GASTECH, a traveling fair that has been the benchmark for the international gas, LNG and energy markets for over 45 years
Fluid Power & Systems, Expo Sciences, IECEx International Conference, Offshore Technology Conference (OTC)
A notional training on the ATEX legislation for a class of the Industrial Technical Institute Galileo Galilei of Gorizia
Copenaghen, 26 - 27 March 2018
A course on the electrical protection in places with risk of explosion
Cairo 12-14 February 2018
The production activity of Cortem S.p.A. is included among those considered to be crucial by the Government.
The factory fully operational in August
Cortem Gulf Fzco, the Emirates sister company of Cortem Group, achieved two important milestones for the company: it has recently moved to a new and bigger factory location in Jebel Ali Free-Zone, Dubai, and it has completed the ICV certification.
New exclusive contract signed with the SPF company for the assembly, production and distribution in Saudi Arabia and new management in charge for the Sister Company in Dubai
A correct earthing system must comply with all safety requirements and carry out the standard procedure.
1. Preface: the selection of the cable gland In the plant concept it has always been of primary importance the physical separation between...
How we have solved the need for efficient and quality emergency lighting, reducing energy and maintenance costs.
As required by IEC 60079-0 standard, each Ex product put on the market has its own identification plate with some information. Some data...
I should make a change to an already installed switchboard by adding new equipment inside that must interact with the production process,...
"Obstacles to flight": standards and criteria for the positioning of equipment for their correct identification
What is meant by maximum surface temperature and what can be the maximum surface temperature allowed for the correct operation of the...
Why are used different raw materials for the same type of product? The selection of the material to be used for the construction of the...
What are the types of gas or dust that influence the construction of electrical equipment for environments with danger of explosion? There...
Cortem Group boasts a production process managed internally and consisting of a foundry department, a mechanical workshop, a carpentry...
1. The use of grease and O-ring gaskets to increase the IP rating In general, the degree of IP protection required in electrical devices...
1. Introduction August is usually the month of scheduled maintenance. During this month, the plants are shut down in order to check the...
1. Introduction Today, we use many different materials for producing equipment and components designed for areas with a potentially...
1. Introduction The engineering companies operating in the petroleum, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, food sectors and also in all those...
1. Introduction Very often we think that the equipment designed for use in potentially explosive environments is exclusively intended to...
Natural gas, in the last century, has become one of the most widespread fuels on earth, but it is also known to all that climate change is...
1. Introduction In the food industry world, there are many problems related to the hygienic safety of production stations along the...
1. Introduction The awareness of the new prevention needs and the constant and continuous technical evolution has led the standardizer to...
1. Introduction The constant and continuous technical evolution consequently leads to the need to update reference standards of everything...
1. IntroductionElectricity is the engine of the world, whether it is produced by oil, gas, water flow (waterfalls with dams and related...
1. Preface Dust explosions can occur in any activity in which solid materials are treated and finely divided (metals, organic substances,...
1. Type of batteries and technical evolution The electric energy in alternating current produced by thermal systems (coal-fired or oil...
1. Preface In electrical panels for industrial environments, are usually installed systems for preventing the formation of inside...
In chemical, petrochemical, oil plants and, generally, in all types of industrial facilities which present a danger of explosion due to...
1. Preface The significant percentage respect to the initial luminous flux emission The continuous growth of LED lighting is significantly...
1. Introduction The choice of the specific construction design, whether ‘Ex d’, ‘Ex e’ or ‘Ex nA’ or ‘nR’, is in accordance with the...
1. The "op is" safe optical radiation protection and the photo-biological risk As already mentioned in previous articles, the LED (Light...
Cortem Group has certified the ‘Hook Release Controller HRC’ equipment, a release control device consisting of a control unit and from 1...
The engineering philosophy in general, and in particular the one for explosive environments, besides the normal design for the realization...
As written in previous dissertation, the most critical part of a flameproof enclosure 'Ex d' is the flame path. Although the Standards are...
The new standard of cable entry The Standards which regulate the installation criteria of electrical products and equipment for use in...
To reduce the environmental impact resulting from the use of energy-inefficient solutions, the European Union member States have adopted,...
It happened at least once to all to receive an electrostatic shock getting off the car and touching the door handle to close it. If we are...
In electrical equipment in which it’s necessary to have a physical separation for the limitation of the flame passage, such as...
Carpentries are plants of the wood processing, usually consisting of industrial buildings, in which a series of machine tools process the...
Advanced manufacturing technology, product engineering and high quality Cortem Group boasts a production process handled internally which...
The systems installed in areas with danger of explosion are often placed in zones where the presence of vapours and mists is a constant or...
The continuous evolution of "LED" technology, determined by an increased "luminous efficiency" and the lower consumption in terms of...
The great experience of the Cortem Group is the result of years of research and development of new products keeping up with the new...
During the assembly phases of lighting fixtures, different chemical components such as glues, conformal coating, grease and gaskets are...
Many information must be reported on the marking plate of equipment and components addressed to hazardous areas which often cause several...
The right way to understand lighting features Nowadays many manufacturers of lighting fixtures offer one or more LED’s products. One of...
All the operators which daily work in plants know how much warm could interfere on the normal working development and how heavier is the...
All the operations that might affect the certification of an Ex product must be done only by who owns the full conformity certificate for...
In industry and in areas with risk of explosion Cortem Group, always careful about the evolution of new technologies, has designed the...
The lighting of tanks 1. Introduction In the industrial plants coexist normally different lighting systems to meet specific system...
Concepts of a proper sizing of equipment and electrical equipment for installation in potentially explosive atmospheres with the presence...
The correct use of cable gland A few months ago was released the updated version of the European standard EN 60079-14 concerning the...
for the construction of electrical and electronic equipment, suitable for installation in hazardous areas and with presence of aggressive...
The hot restrike systems and the instant restrike of LED Discharge lamps have been considered for a long time, the best solution for...
From the point of view of lighting design, the lighting needs in the industrial sector are very different according to the type of...
In industrial plants such as petrochemical, chemical and, in general, in places with potentially explosive atmosphere and with possible...
Methods of use and installation The cables entry into electrical explosion-proof junction boxes suitable for areas with hazardous...
As everyone knows, emergency lighting means illumination designed to operate when the ordinary one is missing. This is one of the main...
1. Introduction The visibility of everything that surrounds us is essential to allow us to better understand the nature’s gifts. A proper...
Application in potentially explosive atmospheres We have already spoken about LED lighting and the advantages that this lighting support...
An explosion is a very complex physical-chemical process, which responds to dynamics not always easy to completely predict. We all know...
Aluminium is one of the materials most used worldwide for the construction of explosion-proof enclosures. The excellent features of...
1. Introduction It’s appropriate to clarify some beliefs about LED lighting fixtures and, more specifically, about their use in the...
Suitable for installation in hazardous areas - Fourth and final part In this fourth and final part, we’ll explain the other parameters...
What the photobiological risk is and its assessing criteria Cortem Group, always committed to technological innovation and safety of...
For use in "panel boards" addressed to hazardous areasIn this third part, we want to speak about how important is the correct sizing of...
For panel boards addressed to Hazardous Areas In this second part, we intend to describe the criteria for the mechanical dimensioning of...
For panel boards addressed to Hazardous Areas, ‘Ex d’ and ‘Ex e’ executions Many customers advise us the need to have a dimensional...
A great news is going to characterize the law system of the field of equipment that can be used in locations with a potentially explosive...
Very often, the explosion-proof equipment is confused with water-proof equipment, even in technical environments. This comes from the...
What justifies the high cost of grounding clamp that, in the common thought, is nothing more than a simple cable that connects a vehicle...
Which production company does not have today a lift truck for the internal handling of bulky materials? Now it’s equipment present...
In the newsletter of few months ago, we talked about the Risk Base Inspection. After many requests for more information on this topic,...
When we speak about an electrical installation in an area with presence of explosive atmosphere, we have to distinguish different...
The drafters of the ATEX Directive 94/9/EC foresaw it in 1994: the technology would progress much faster than the legislative world,...
As we explained in the previous newsletter of June, the grain silos are a store or a place outside or inside a building, in which are...
The grain silos are a store or a place outside or inside a building, in which are stored food industry products…
We never had occasion in this newsletter to speak about the Modular Approach of Directive 93/465/EEC concerning the various phases of the...
Since some time, the scientific and technical community is talking about the Risk Based Inspection, a process of analysis to define...
IECEx, the IEC system for the certification of equipment that can be used in environments with a potentially explosive atmosphere...
The most critical part of an ‘Ex d’ flameproof enclosure is the flame path. In order to understand what a flame path is and how it works…
Production processes in companies that produce pharmaceutical products through mixing, emulsifying and chemical reaction of organic...
In the last newsletter, we talked about the two ATEX directives. In particular, we have treated the ATEX Directive 94/9/EC which must be...
People speak very often about ATEX Standards in general terms but we’ve realized that the topic is not always entirely clear. It’s...
During the summer, the farms are reaping the crops and the products of a year's work of nature are storage in the granaries. The...
In modern biogas plants, biodegradable organic substrates are fermented such as grass, straw, slurry, manure, biodegradable waste,...
The phenomenon of food dust explosions has only been recently discovered. Ones, it was a widespread belief that dust exploded because of...
Spring has begun and rains come too. With them the first storms appear. Who can say that have never been fascinated by the power of...
Places for batteries recharge Industrial activities which use rechargeable batteries are more and more. Batteries usually used are with...
Any construction, such as skyscrapers, towers, equipment plant tours, pylons etc. that could represent an obstacle to air navigation, even...
The temperature class is one of the parameters to consider in order to choose electrical equipment to be installed in places with danger...
Our readers sent us numerous requests regarding the fact that “Ex d”, “Ex e”, “Ex p”, “Ex o”, “Ex q” equipment cannot be used in Zone 0....
Once, all electrical explosion proof plants were made according to the "American" system. This meant that all connections between the...
The use of cables for electrical equipment connection in potentially explosive atmospheres is now a common practice. Some time ago,...
As we have seen time after time, hazardous areas for the presence of potentially explosive substances are divided into zones. As reference...
Once identified the dangerous areas in a plant, it’s essential to make the correct choice of electrical equipment that can be installed in...
In the newsletter of last month, we started talking about the classification of areas with the presence of gases, vapors and mists. In...
In this newsletter, we’ll talk about the classification of hazardous areas due to the presence of gases, vapors and mists. In the next...
THE COMBUSTION It’s not so easy to cause an explosion or fire, at least theoretically. Combustion is the rapid transformation of chemical...
Recently, we have received some requests from our products users regarding the equipment maximum surface temperature. We realized that...
As consequence of last month's newsletter, we received some requests regarding the Ex p type of protection and we are happy to satisfy our...
We begin this new year analyzing some of the main ways of protection used in systems installed in areas with potentially explosive...
In Zone 2 the probability of presence of explosive atmosphere is between 30″ and one hour during a year, and the risk level is very low....
In the last two newsletters, we analyzed the risks arising from the presence of combustible dust and, subsequently, we considered the...
In the last newsletter, we have analyzed the danger of explosion due to the presence of combustible dust. In this newsletter, we will take...
September has come It's vintage time, the crops have been harvested in recent months and the barns and silos are now full of wheat and...
August is usually the month of scheduled maintenance. During this month, the plants are shut down in order to proceed with the control of...
INTRODUCTION The correct lighting of work places is a growing concern in order to guarantee the safety of people who works on plants. In...
The obstruction of lighting...
Per quanto riguarda le entrate di cavo nelle costruzioni elettriche, sono ammessi dalla norma vari modi, quali: impianto in cavo con...
Without retracing the whole theory about how an explosion occurs, we just remind you that three factors are necessary: the combustible...
In each area in which there is a process that causes a raising of temperature of flammable substances and their evaporation, such as...
A conduit system should be provided with sealing fittings, through which run the electrical conductors, outside each enclosure containing...
Christmas is coming but not everyone can enjoy the long-awaited vacation. Plants, in fact, are often stopped to perform those maintenance...
Il rischio di presenza di atmosfera esplosiva nella Zona 2 di un impianto è sempre stato considerato estremamente basso. Si calcola,...