Robots Atlas>ROBOTS ATLAS
Standard

Ex p

ActivePublished: 28 October 2026Updated: 28 October 2026Published
Key innovation
Instead of hardening the electronics against ignition, the method isolates potential ignition sources from the explosive atmosphere by maintaining an overpressure of clean air or inert gas (nitrogen) inside the enclosure.
Category
Standard
Abstraction level
Standard
Operation level
DeploymentRobot control
Use cases
Robots and manipulators operating in hazardous (explosive) areas (chemical plants, paint shops, refineries)Control cabinets and industrial-computer enclosures in Ex atmospheresAnalyzers and measurement instrumentation in gas zonesHigh-power drives and inverters in explosion-hazard areasEnclosures for mobile electronics and AGVs in dust/gas zones

How it works

1) Initial purge: before power is applied, protective gas (air or nitrogen) is passed through the enclosure, exchanging a multiple of the free enclosure volume to remove any explosive atmosphere. 2) Pressure build-up: the system maintains an overpressure relative to the surroundings (typically at least on the order of 50 Pa), which blocks external gas ingress. 3) Monitoring: pressure/flow sensors continuously supervise the overpressure; if leakage occurs, the protective-gas supply is increased to compensate. 4) Safety interlocks: a drop in overpressure below the threshold triggers an alarm and, depending on type and zone, an automatic power cut-off. Type px reduces Zone 1 to a non-hazardous area, py reduces Zone 1 to Zone 2, and pz reduces Zone 2 to a non-hazardous area.

Problem solved

It addresses how to safely operate equipment that cannot practically be built as intrinsically safe or flameproof — such as high-power electronics, industrial computers, drives and robots — in hazardous areas. Instead of redesigning every subcomponent, it isolates the whole enclosure interior from the explosive atmosphere.

Implementation

Implementation pitfalls
Energizing before the purge completesCritical

Powering the equipment before the protective gas has exchanged the required number of volumes leaves an explosive atmosphere inside.

Fix:A control interlock that permits energization only after the required volume exchange and target overpressure are confirmed.
Undetected loss of overpressureHigh

A drop in overpressure (e.g. via leakage or protective-gas supply failure) without detection allows the explosive atmosphere to enter an energized enclosure.

Fix:Redundant pressure/flow monitoring with alarm thresholds and automatic power cut-off.
Inert-gas asphyxiation hazardHigh

Using nitrogen as the protective gas displaces oxygen; opening the enclosure or a leak in a confined space risks asphyxiation of service personnel.

Fix:Service procedures, ventilation and oxygen-level checks before opening the enclosure in a confined space.

Hyperparameters (configurable axes)

Protective overpressureCritical

Overpressure of protective gas maintained inside the enclosure relative to the surroundings; blocks ingress of the explosive atmosphere.

≥ 50 PaTypical minimum overpressure maintained in the enclosure (IEC 60079-2 practice).
Protective gasHigh

Medium used to create the overpressure and purge: clean instrument air or an inert gas (nitrogen).

Azot (gaz obojętny)Nitrogen (inert gas)
Czyste powietrze instrumentalneClean instrument air
Purge volume (enclosure volumes)High

Number of free-enclosure-volume exchanges with protective gas before energization is permitted.

Protection type (px / py / pz)Critical

Pressurization type per 60079-2 determining the level of zone-hazard reduction.

pxReduces Zone 1 to a non-hazardous area.
pyReduces Zone 1 to Zone 2.
pzReduces Zone 2 to a non-hazardous area.
Leakage compensationMedium

Continuous protective-gas supply compensating inevitable enclosure leakage to keep the target overpressure.