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ATEX Zones (Hazardous Atmosphere)



Sugar is one of the pulverulent substances whose combustible dust (particles smaller than 500 μm) suspended in the air are able to provoque an explosion.Whatever the geographical location of your production or processing sites, the risk of dust explosion must be analyzed according to the Directives and Standards in force.It is the combination of meeting your obligations as a user and our obligations as a manufacturer to seriously protect properties and people.

Your obligations as a user:
In Europe, you must establish an EPD (Explosion Protection Document) to bring your site into compliance with Directive 1999/92EC Article 8 and which will contain an inventory, ATEX zoning and the appropriate means of protection.

Outside Europe, it is the International Electrotechnical Commission Ex (the IECEx system) that aims to facilitate the international exchange of equipment and services intended for use in explosive atmospheres, while maintaining the required level of security.

All our devices comply with Directive 2014/34UE to be used in hazardous areas.
Our conveying systems have received an Examination Type Certification n°°INERIS07ATEX0054X, Mat. Category 1,
and our manufacturing workshops are audited following Quality Assurance System n°SAQ INERIS11ATEXQ411.

Transitube International SAS is member of the french Comité de liaison des équipements ATEX (CLATEX) and can advise you on your compliance or for specific new projects.

THE SUGAR IN INDUSTRY AND THE ADAPTED EQUIPMENT

Crystal sugar:
It's a free flowing product when it's dry but can compact when stored during a long time It can be stored in silo up to about 100 tons.
For low capacity storage, if empty cycles are frequent and the local climate is fairly dry we can extract with a vibrating bottom and an horizontal extractor. Connected with a mechanical flexible conveyor which will homogenize all fragile sugar agglomerations, it can be easily handled to the production lines.
If it is a higher storage capacity or if it is not used during a long time or used in higher hygrometry atmosphere, it will be necessary to help the product to be extracted with a mechanical anti-bridging for silos to eliminate the sugar agglomerations forming, or small lumps.
Under Bulk bag discharging stations or bag tipping stations it can be directly taken with a horizontal extractor or a flexible mechanical conveyor.
In short distance recycling, we also propose pneumatic conveying.


Caster sugar:
With a sieving calibration, its crystals have a determinate particle size.
It can be necessary to incorporate a vibrating system for a good extraction or mechanical anti-bridging system connected to a conveying line for example .
In short distance recycling we also propose pneumatic conveying.


Icing sugar or snow sugar:
Icing sugar is unstable which makes storage difficult. Its temperature can climb up to 40°C (100°F) after grinding, therefore there is a risk of block compacting when cooling down due to volume packing and condensation. The icing sugar has bad behaviour with temperature gaps, we advise to eliminate storage volumes more than about 4000 litres. A good mechanical help for extraction is crucial.
A mechanical anti-bridging system for example allows to maintain a continuous flow inside the dosing line or the conveying line.
Adding an anti-caking agent can prevent the block forming (amylaceous icing sugar) and increase the possible storage capacity, except for outdoor site.
Snow sugar, with wheat starch and vegetal fat resists better to hygrometric changes and better keeps its white colour while in contact to the final products surface, it can be sprinkled with a mechanical dosing to be incorporated in a complete line for continuous sugaring of donuts for example.
In short distance recycling we also propose pneumatic conveying.


Cane sugar:
Due to high hygrometric sensitivity, cane sugar is packing and forming bridges when stored.
The use of an efficient extracting device is necessary such as a mechanical anti-bridging system.
In short distance recycling we also propose pneumatic conveying.

All kind of sugar can be processed in our special weighting and bagging units for open top bags.