Confidex Ironside UHF RFID Tag Product Family Is Certified For ATEX

Confidex, the leading supplier of specialty RFID tags, announced that its UHF RFID product family Confidex Ironside is certified for compliance with the ATEX 94/9/EC directive, which proves safe operation of equipment in areas with potentially explosive atmospheres.

ATEX certification means that the Confidex Ironside family - which is already widely used in a variety of RFID applications from Finnish Lapland to Brazil, from tracking rail wagons to intermediate bulk containers - is now suitable for the reliable tracking of assets in the petrochemical, offshore and mining industries, or other applications where the RFID system is continuously or occasionally exposed to potentially explosive atmospheres.

ATEX directive 94/9/EC compliant product certification is required in industries where equipment is used in hazardous, potentially explosive areas. The ATEX directive consists of various classifications based on the electrical device's protection type and its level of exposure to areas where explosive materials exist. Confidex Ironside, Confidex Ironside Slim and Confidex Ironside Micro Class 1 Gen 2 passive UHF RFID tags have received the most stringent level of protection certification, meaning they are suitable for use in areas categorized as Zone 0 - where an explosive gas mixture is present continuously or for long periods. This means that Confidex Ironside RFID tags are proven to be intrinsically safe and compliant for both surface industries and mining. Furthermore, Confidex's manufacturing and quality management processes have also been successfully audited for ATEX compliance in addition to their existing conformance to the ISO 9001:2008 and 14000:2004 standards.

The RFID tags in the Confidex Ironside family are currently used to identify millions of industrial assets worldwide. These rugged and high-performance RFID tags are designed to perform well in applications involving shocks, rough treatment, temperature variations and humidity changes. For example, the Confidex Ironside Slim RFID tag is used to increase the efficiency of tracking and managing intermediate bulk containers at global returnable transit item pooler Goodpack Ltd. The Confidex Ironside RFID tag is used by several train operators to identify locomotives and wagons traveling in the high temperatures of Brazil or in the sub-zero winter temperatures of Finnish Lapland. Ironside Micro tags are being used to track industrial gas cylinders.

"ATEX certification gives customers reassurance that Confidex Ironside products are suitable for use in potentially explosive environments," says Hanna Kosunen, Marketing Director Object ID at Confidex. "Moreover, it allows customers to use tags in hazardous environments that have already been proven to offer high performance and outstanding reliability in a multitude of demanding applications worldwide. These include monitoring and validating equipment calibration data on-site by accessing the maintenance database through RFID tags, or tracking and managing a fleet of gas cylinders."

The ATEX certified Confidex Ironside, Confidex Ironside Slim, and Confidex Ironside Micro products are already available for projects. Confidex is also actively pushing forward with ATEX certification of other suitable tag families including NFC tags.