Friday January 3rd, 2020
January 2020 sees Adelphi Masterfil begin building not one, not two but THREE ATEX compliant machines, for customers manufacturing alcoholic beverages, agrochemicals and pharmaceutical sterilisation fluids.
ATEX is the name colloquially given to the European Directive for controlling explosive atmospheres. Our Semi and Fully Automatic filling machines can be modified to conform to the directive 94/9/EC (also known as ‘ATEX 95’ or the ‘ATEX Equipment Directive’) on the approximation of laws of Member States concerning equipment and protective systems proposed for use in potentially explosive atmospheres.
There are three zones relating to ATEX compliancy – Adelphi Masterfil can supply our filling machines Zone 1 and Zone 2 compliant. We will provide the applicable documentation to back up your purchase and guarantee complete peace of mind.
Our standard Semi and Fully Automatic filling machines are adapted to adhere to ATEX standards, and are made with qualified pneumatic and electrical components to suit the zoning needs. We engineer-out possible sources of static build-up, with a strategic choice of static dissipative or conductive materials. Fume extraction points are introduced into guarding for ventilation within the filling area, and, based upon specification, positive air displacement can be utilised to force removal of hazardous gases. Remote electrical cabinets and HMIs allow for non-intrinsically safe electrical components to be situated away from unsafe areas, whilst galvanic isolation allows for intrinsically safe electrical signals to enter and exit ATEX zones safely.
As per Directive 94/9/EC, we have lodged technical files with an official body.
In addition to ATEX compliant filling machines, our sister company Pharma Hygiene Products can design and manufacture ATEX compliant mixing vessels for your products. They recently created two tablet coating and mixing vessels for global pharmaceutical giant Actavis Generics (image below), which are in use at their manufacturing facility in Malta.
The vessels are used to produce a pharmaceutical solution (hot if the vessel is heated) to feed a tablet coating machine. Actavis in Malta have purchased vessels of a similar specification from Adelphi in the past, but this time the vessels needed to be ATEX certified. This has added greater flexibility with their health and safety, as well as reducing restrictions on the areas of the factory the vessels can be used in.
If you have an ATEX filling or processing project which you would like to discuss with one of our specialist engineers, please don’t hesitate to call +44 (0)1444 472300 or email info@adelphi.uk.com.
Please note that our ATEX machines are category II so do not cover equipment intended for mining use or risk from dust; only gas.
