Already today the constant fill Voith Turbo Couplings meet the requirements of the Explosion Protection Directive 94/9/EU applicable EU-wide as of 2003-07-01.
On the 23 March 1994 the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union issued the Directive 94/9/EU to approximate the Member States’ legal provisions for equipment and protective systems for proper use in potentially explosive atmospheres.
This Directive applies to equipment and protective systems for proper use in potentially explosive atmospheres and to safety, monitoring and control devices outside explosive atmospheres, but which are required for safe operation of explosion-proof equipment and protective systems or contribute to it. The equipment is classified in equipment groups and categories.
The Voith Turbo Couplings with constant fill meets the explosion protection requirements of
- Equipment Group I:
- Equipment Category M2:
- Equipment Group II:
- Equipment Category 2G/D:
- Equipment Category 3G/D:
Equipment for firedamp susceptible mines
Equipment for use in underground and openpit systems with the potential risk of firedamp (mine gas) and/or combustible dusts
Equipment for other potentially explosive atmospheres
Occasionally existing gases, vapors, dusts
Rarely/temporarily existing gases, vapors, dusts
The European Standard prEN 13463 (Draft 1999) specifies the requirements for the design, construction, inspection and identification of non-electrical equipment for use in potentially explosive atmospheres.
Suitability of constant fill Voith Turbo Couplings for use in potentially explosive atmospheres has been proved by the inspections required in this Standard and has been documented by a documentation containing all relevant documents (explosion risk estimation, inspections, construction and design data) at a place specified.
The constant fill Voith Turbo Couplings to be delivered according to Directive 94/9/EU are to be marked clearly visible, legible and inextinguishable with the manufacturer, coupling serial number, coupling type and rele-vant CE and Ex identification.
On delivery these couplings are provided with a special operating manual showing the exact identification.
The Directive 94/9/EG was implemented into national law on 1 September 1995, its regulations are applicable as of 1 March 1996 (on a voluntary basis).
Total harmonization as of 1 July 2003, i.e. then basically own national regulations will no longer exist.
Thus the Start-up Components sector is already now excellently prepared to meet the explosion protection requirements with its constant fill turbo couplings.