What is ATEX certification?
In 2014, the European Union issued the new ATEX (Equipment for explosive atmospheres) directive 2014/34/EU, which has been officially implemented since April 20, 2016. With the update of the directive, the European Commission's requirements for notified bodies in the certification process have become more refined and their responsibilities in the certification process have become clearer. Equipment and protective systems used in flammable and explosive environments within the European Union must comply with the requirements of the ATEX directive, which falls undermandatoryCertification requirements.

ATEX certified NB organizations: Common ones include ECM TI、CNEX-GLOBAL、TUV、DNV, SGS, BV, ICR, UL, CSA, and so on.

ECM Certification: ECM International Certification Group is headquartered in Italy and is an EU CE certification body. It is also one of the earliest certification bodies authorized by the EU with a CE certification number. However, in explosion-proof certification agencies, ECM certificates belong to a lower level of certification. When applying for ATEX certificates issued by their agencies in China, there is basically no need to send them for inspection, and the price is relatively low. They are generally used for domestic bidding and have low recognition within the European Union.

TI certification: TI is an EU NB organization headquartered in Slovakia and also an EU NB organization, with NB number 1354. In recent years, the recognition of TI institutions in China has been increasing, and more and more ATEX certification certificates have been issued. The business scope involves the certification of explosion-proof products of Class I, II, and III, and ATEX certification can be issued in 7 modes.

TUV certification:German TUV is divided into three institutions: South Germany, North Germany, and Rhine, among which Rhine is one of the commonly used certification institutions in China with a relatively high reputation. Because Germany's industrial manufacturing level is among the top in the world, the certification requirements of German institutions are relatively high among EU countries. Of course, the explosion-proof certificates issued by Germany are also highly recognized in the same level.

DNV and BV certification: DNV certification is a certification from Det Norske Veritas, a third-party independent organization. DNV, together with BV and ABS, has become one of the three major classification societies. To obtain DNV certification, products need to be exported to European countries, and DNV certification can be applied for. At present, DNV and GL mainly provide customers with comprehensive risk management and various assessment and certification services, covering information and communication technology, automotive and aerospace, food and beverage, medical and other fields.

CSA and UL certifications: These two institutions have high recognition in North America, and although they can also issue CE-ATEX certificates, the cost of certification is relatively high as the institutions are not within the European Union.

Conclusion: CE explosion-proof certification is not like domestic explosion-proof certification. There is a unified certification standard in China, so the explosion-proof certificate issued by any organization has the same effectiveness. The EU has nearly 30 member states, and each country has its own certification body. Although they are all CE certificates, their recognition levels are completely different. Domestic companies must pay attention to this situation when applying for ATEX certificates.
Customers can also consult Shenzhen Zhongnuo Testing Technology Co., Ltd. to further understand the ATEX certificate processing status of various ATEX certification agencies.