Requirements on Manufacturers of Vacuum Pumps

The requirements on manufacturers of explosion-protected vacuum pumps result from the regulations of Directive 94/9/EC [1] for equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive areas. 

In accordance with article 3 of the directive, all equipment and protective systems as well as devices mentioned in the article 1, section 2 of the directive must meet the essential safety and health requirements set out in the annex II of the directive. 

The basic requirements of the directive are concretised by harmonised European standards. A list of the valid harmonised standards is regularly updated and published by the European Commission in the official journal of the EU. The relevant standards for non-electrical equipment (e.g. vacuum pumps) which define the requirements of the directive are, for example the EN 1127-1 [23], the series EN 13 463 [6-24] and ENISO 16852 [21]. 

Among other things, these standards demand a risk Assessment and ignition hazard analysis for each equipment or protective system in the meaning of the directive. 

With the results of a risk assessment and an ignition hazard analysis the manufacturer of equipment intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres must assign the equipment to the respective equipment category. 

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