IECEx Certification and Testing

The compliance route for an IECEx Certificate of Conformity for electrical equipment involves testing to IEC standards. Usually these standards will be in the IEC 60079 series. As well as a product assessment, a Quality Audit Report (IECEx QAR) for the factory is also required to demonstrate that the manufacturing process of such equipment is in line with the product approval. This means that multiple units can be manufactured without 100% inspection being required. All equipment for series production, regardless of zone of use, requires an IECEx QAR. The standard used for QAR assessment is IEC ISO 80079-34.

Alternatively, manufacturers can have a single piece of equipment tested and inspected for compliance using the IECEx Unit Verification route. This uses the same standards as for an IECEx Certificate of Conformity but without the need for an IECEx QAR because the compliance is only for the sample of equipment inspected during the verification process.

The IECEx Certification system also covers Non-Electrical Equipment that operates in any environment where there is a risk of explosion. The compliance route for an IECEx Certificate of Conformity for mechanical equipment usually involves testing to ISO standards. The main non-electrical standards are in the ISO 80079 series. Published in 2016, ISO/IEC 80079-36 and ISO/IEC 80079-37 mean that, for the first time, non-electrical equipment for use in explosive atmospheres can achieve IECEx certification. The compliance route is otherwise identical to that for IECEx certified electrical equipment including the requirements for IECEx QAR and IECEx Unit Verification.IEC 80079-36 covers the basic method and requirements for non-electrical equipment. IEC 80079-37 covers non-electrical equipment for specific types of protection.

These are:

• ‘constructional safety’ (“c”)
• ‘control of ignition sources’ (“b”)
• ‘liquid immersion’ (“k”)

Unlike the ATEX EN 13463-1 series of standards (now also superseded by EN ISO 80079-36 and EN ISO 80079-37), all non-electrical equipment meeting the requirements of the ISO 80079-36 or ISO 80079-37 is marked with the Ex-marking code “h”.

IECEx certification is a voluntary scheme accepted by 31 countries worldwide, based on compliance with IEC standards; ATEX is a mandatory scheme for selling products in the European Union based upon compliance with specified essential requirements. In many cases, the compliance route using IEC and EN standards provides a common path to ATEX and IECEx certification with little duplication of effort. Element can certify your products to both schemes, saving you time and money, and allowing you swifter international market access.