Intrinsically safe (“i”) is one of the most common explosion-proof protection types for explosion-proof products. Below, STS elaborates on the basic content of intrinsic safety from the aspects of its definition, protection principle, scope of application, and standard basis.

Basic Definition of Intrinsically Safe

Intrinsic safety refers to limiting the circuit energy of electrical equipment so that the electric sparks or thermal effects generated during normal operation or specified fault conditions cannot ignite the surrounding flammable and explosive environment. This explosion-proof type mainly starts with limiting the energy in the circuit, reducing the potential spark energy below the level required to ignite the specified gas mixture, and restricting the surface temperature of wires and components to below the ignition temperature of the specified gas mixture, thereby achieving intrinsic safety.

Scope of Application of Intrinsically Safe

Intrinsically safe certification is widely applied to instruments, meters, handheld terminal products and other devices with low power consumption and low energy output. Because the energy generated by these devices is relatively low, it is easy to control it within a manageable range through technical means to meet the requirements of intrinsic safety. For example, products such as temperature and vibration sensors, remote control transmitters, methane monitoring devices, Bluetooth beacons, and walkie-talkies can all be certified as intrinsically safe.

Certification Standards for Intrinsically Safe

In China, the main implementation standards for intrinsic safety certification are GB/T 3836.1 and GB/T 3836.4, etc. For international IECEx certification, the applicable standards are IEC 60079-0 and IEC 60079-11. These standards specify detailed technical requirements, test methods and inspection rules for intrinsically safe electrical equipment to ensure their intrinsic safety performance.

Documents Required for Applying for Intrinsically Safe Certification

The required documents include product specifications, enterprise standards, electrical schematic diagrams, functional block diagrams, PCB layout drawings, general assembly drawings, battery specifications, potting process documents, wireless transmission power reports, and housing material reports.

Significance of Intrinsically Safe Certification

Equipment with intrinsic safety certification can minimize the risk of accidents when used in flammable, explosive and other hazardous environments, protecting personnel safety and property from damage. Meanwhile, for enterprises, obtaining intrinsic safety certification is also one of the important market access requirements for their products to enter relevant markets, which helps enhance the market competitiveness of the products.

Service Advantages of Applying for Intrinsically Safe Certification at STS

STS has long focused on the explosion-proof field and boasts rich certification experience and a professional technical team in the area of intrinsically safe explosion-proof certification. It has experienced IS electronic engineers who can provide explosion-proof technical services such as IS design, board copying, circuit evaluation and rectification, helping enterprises avoid potential pitfalls and facilitating the rapid completion of explosion-proof certification. The company’s service cases cover various domestic explosion-proof certifications, EU ATEX certifications and international IECEx certifications for products including various handheld terminals, gas detectors, sensors, monitoring terminals, mobile phones, walkie-talkies, speakers, gateways and probes.