// EXPLOSION PROTECTION
New Products
At the Hanover Fair, steute's business area Explosion Protection will be presenting two new footswitches developed for industrial environments where it is not feasible or not desirable to operate machines by hand.
The first of these new products is the EEx GFS IP69K. Being ATEX certified for gas-ex-zones 1 and 2, it is suited to extreme conditions, and because it is also in protection class IP 69K, it can be exposed to hot water by a high-pressure washer from all sides without its function being impaired. This makes it the ideal footswitch for machines and plants which become very dirty and then have to be thoroughly cleaned, or for environments with high standards of hygiene, e. g. the foodprocessing industry, where cleanliness is paramount. The EEx GFS IP69K is also mechanically very stable: it boasts both a metal enclosure and fibreglass-reinforced thermoplastic protective shield.
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Belt-alignment switches are integrated in many bulk goods conveyors as important and easy-to-install monitoring systems. A roller connected to a switch sweeps the conveyor belt. If the conveyor belt is off-track, the roller will be moved sideways, actuating the switching element of the alignment switch. A warning signal can then be transmitted to a control room, for example; or the belt can be switched off, the damage caused to a conveyor system by skewing being considerable.
Our ZS 73 SR series of belt-alignment switches fulfils this task reliably, even in rough conditions. A metal enclosure protects the switching element from mechanical influences, while the belt-alignment roller, made of 1.4104 stainless steel, is resistant to both corrosion and chemicals. Users can already choose between push-button or key release options, and at the Hanover Fair 2009 steute will be presenting another new variant: now the ZS 73 SR is also available with staggered contacts.
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»Wireless Ex«: self-sufficient command device
The new Ex command device EExF 95 RS SW from steute turns its operator into a source of energy. Inside the EExF 95 switch insert is a miniaturised electrodynamic energy generator. When the push-button is actuated it generates exactly the amount of energy necessary to transmit a radio signal.
The EExF 95 RS SW is thus independent of the power supply and can be installed without any cables. This permits universal application in potentially explosive atmospheres in gas-Ex zone 2 and dust-Ex zone 22. Variants for Ex zones 1 and 21 are in the pipeline.
Ex safety sensor: a »Mini« with a long operating distance
steute completes its range of safety sensors for potentially explosive atmospheres with a switch which is significantly different from the sensors previously available: the EEx HS Si 4. This device does not work on a magnetic switch basis, but uses three hall sensors to detect the actuator.
This active principle provides various advantages. Detection can take place in very small rooms: with dimensions of just 40.5 x 20 x 12 mm (l/w/h) the sensor has a very compact design, much smaller than the smallest EEx RC safety magnetic switches available so far. Moreover, the coded actuator is extremely compact, and yet a long operating distance is attained – another important feature.
Compact solenoid interlocks for explosible areas
With series EEx AZM 415 steute has introduced - as far as they know - the first solenoid interlock that meets the ATEX directive for explosion hazards arising from gas and dust and is certified correspondingly. Now this range of Ex safety interlocks is extended by a compact series.
