World-leading efficiency, now for explosive atmospheres

In explosive atmospheres, ensuring the safety of personnel and equipment is paramount. Airborne gas, dust or vapours can be highly volatile, making the use of explosion-proof motors and hazardous area motors essential. To guarantee safe working environments in the presence of such hazards, equipment must conform to international standards and be certified as ATEX certified motors and IECEx motors.

 ABB’s SynRM increased safety motors (Ex ec / Ex eb) are advanced industrial motors for hazardous areas, designed to meet stringent safety and performance requirements. These ATEX electric motors and Ex certified motors are certified to both ATEX and IECEx standards and are approved for use with drives. They are the first motors in the world to bring the benefits of SynRM – including IE5 and IE6 efficiency, increased reliability, and reduced maintenance – to applications in hazardous environments using low voltage explosion-proof motors technology based on IEC low voltage motors design principles.

 The motors can also help industrial users specify a more cost-effective installation. For example, in Zone 1, the cooler running design could allow the use of an increased safety motor (Ex ec / Ex eb) where a flameproof motor with a special enclosure would traditionally be required, offering a flexible alternative within the category of hazardous area motors.

 In Zone 2, the improved loadability of SynRM motors is an important factor, as it enables more power to be delivered from the same size as an equivalent induction motor. This allows users to select smaller, lower-cost industrial motors for hazardous areas while maintaining performance and safety compliance, particularly when using IECEx motors or ATEX certified motors in less demanding hazardous zones.