If you work around chemicals and gases, you know the importance of safety measures to reduce the risk of accidents and explosions. Those are just things that you don’t want to mess around with. It’s no coincidence that lately I have seen a growing need for Class 1, Division 2 Industrial Hardware in potentially hazardous work environments. Since the Class 1, Division 2 certification requirements can be difficult to decipher, I thought I’d answer some basic questions for you.
What does Class 1, Division 2 mean?
Class 1 certification addresses the Hazardous Material present in the surrounding atmosphere. It specifically refers to flammable gases/vapors present in the air in quantities sufficient to produce an explosive or ignitable mixture. Division 2 represents the probability of hazardous material being present in an ignitable concentration. It’s basically the physical presence of hazardous material (container failure or system breakdown).
When does a Class 1, Division 2 Industrial Hardware solution need to be present?
Any time there is a need for an explosion-proof environment, such as:
- Oil field drilling
- Pump station monitoring
- Chemical plants
- Pharmaceutical factories
- Oil pipeline monitoring
- Tank storage monitoring
- Fuel station management
Which types of Class 1, Division 2 industrial hardware are available to meet the needs of these hazardous environments?
- Data Acquisition: There are a variety of Class 1, Division 2 Industrial RS-485 and Ethernet I/O Modules available for use with applications utilizing Thermocouple, Digital I/O, Analog I/O, RTD Input, Thermistor, Dual-Loop PID Controller, Relay Output, Counter/Frequency, Repeater, RS-232 to RS-422/485 Conversion, RS-422/485 to RS-232 Conversion, SM/MM Fiber Optic to RS-232/422/485, Modbus and Modbus/TCP.
- Communication: There are a myriad of Class 1, Division 2 Industrial Ethernet switches available, depending on your application requirements. They range from Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, Modbus Gateway, RS-232/422/485 to 802.11b/g WLAN Serial Device Server, RS-232/422/485 Serial Device Server, 100FX Port, 10/100T (X) to Fiber Optic, 8Tx, 10/100/1000T (X) to Fiber Optic, 6Gx to 4SFP modules.
- HMI: Industrial HMI seems to be lagging a bit behind everything else but there are some units available. You will mostly see Class 1, Division 2 Flat Panel Monitors in 15” or 17”. These units are designed with 316L Stainless Steel to accommodate the environment they will be operating in. You can pair one of these with a Embedded PC for a turn-key solution.
- Embedded PCs: There are a few readily available Din-Rail Mount Embedded PCs that have been certified for Class 1, Division 2. You can pair one of these with a certified HMI to get a fully operational solution. These PCs feature AMD Geode or Atom CPUs, LAN/COM/USB ports and are fanless for lower power consumption and a decreased risk of failure.
If you still have questions about Class 1, Division 2 Industrial Hardware, let us know on Twitter @LTronCorp or feel free to contact me directly.
About the Author:
Jeremy Miller is L-Tron’s Industrial Automation and Advantech Product Specialist. Jeremy is highly trained and brings over 10 years of experience in the industrial control, data acquisition and test & measurement markets. Jeremy holds Advantech certifications in: Industrial Platform, Industrial Operator Panel, Automation Controller & I/O, Industrial Communication, & Automation Software. Jeremy can be reached at 800-830-9523 ext 126; jeremy.miller@L-Tron.com