Explosion proof enclosures are indispensable to industrial facilities and other organizations that use or store electrical components in hazardous, explosion-prone environments. These sturdy, heavy-duty cabinets are built to minimize the risk of explosion in locations with flammable vapor, gases, and dust, such as oil refineries, chemical plants, fuel servicing sites, feed mills, and plastic/fireworks factories. Their primary purpose is containment in case a protected device explodes within itself.
Explosion proof enclosures refer to enclosures that are designed to contain any explosion within a designated area. The resulting excess energy from the explosion is then dissipated through the flanges and threads of the enclosure. Explosion proof enclosures are usually designed with extended threaded flanges that form a long flame path which cools and contains the explosion within the enclosure. Therefore, any potential ignition that occurs will not be exposed to the external explosive atmosphere.
Building an explosion proof junction box or cabinet is pretty much about mechanical engineering design. To meet the criteria for the explosion proof rating, an enclosure must be able to contain any explosion originating within its housing and prevent sparks from within its housing from igniting vapors, gases, dust, or fibers in the air surrounding it. Therefore, explosion proof, when referring to electrical enclosures, does not mean that it is able to withstand an exterior explosion. Instead, it is the enclosures ability to prevent an internal spark or explosion from causing a much larger blast. |
