Hazardous area conduit solutions

Paul Boughton

Flexicon has extended its range of hazardous area conduit systems with the launch of an Increased Safety EX e and Dust Ignition Proof EX t fitting for use with liquid tight conduits.   

Ian Gibson, technical director for Flexicon said: “While our EXD barrier glands can also be used for Increased Safety and Dust Ignition Proof, we recognised that not all hazardous area applications need a flameproof barrier gland and for these we can now provide a system that reduces installation times significantly and offers cost savings.”

The LTP EXE conduit fittings have been independently tested and achieved an IP rating of IP66, after four weeks of heat and humidity cycling of +105°C to -25°C and 90% to 0% Relative Humidity. Offering high mechanical strength, these fittings meets the latest ATEX and IECEX requirements for Increased Safety.   The approvals and certification is clearly visible on the fitting and provide traceability back to the notifying body.

The new fittings are available across a wide range of sizes from 16mm to 63mm diameter, in straight, 90o and 45o elbows derivatives with metric, PG or NPT threads. They can be used with any of Flexicon’s 10 liquid tight conduit systems making them suitable for many arduous & demanding applications.  For complete dust proof ignition protection, they can be used with Flexicon’s anti-static LTPAS and LTPPUAS ranges, which have been tested to comply with clause 7.4 of EN60079-0.

The new Increased Safety fittings are manufactured from nickel-plated brass offering superior corrosion resistance and aesthetics. Unlike the LTP EXD glands, the LTP EXE fittings do not use a two-part epoxy compound to form a barrier seal so they can be installed in seconds.

Continued Gibson: “Using conduit provides cable protection for multiple cables so there is no need to use expensive specialist cable. Equally, a number of cables can be terminated through one fitting so the glanding space & subsequent enclosure size can be reduced. 

“Additional cables can be easily added without the need to drill any more entries. Using conduit can provide additional protection such as EMC shielding, impact or crush resistance and corrosion and oil resistance, depending on the application. The new fittings are ideal for Increased Safety and Dust Ignition Proof applications.”