Ex certification

The Ex in the name refers to explosive atmospheres. In environments where flammable gases, vapors, or combustible dust can build up, any electrical equipment is a potential risk: a spark, a hot component, or even the energy in an ordinary battery can trigger ignition. Through testing and audits, Ex certification confirms that the equipment’s design eliminates that risk.

To earn certification, a device goes through laboratory assessments that check its enclosure, components, operating temperature, and energy limits. In Brazil, the process follows INMETRO’s conformity assessment system. Radio frequency equipment, such as industrial IoT devices, also needs type approval from ANATEL (Brazil’s telecom regulator) to operate legally.

In everyday industrial practice, Ex certification works like an entry pass: without it, no electronic device goes into a hazardous area. That is why refineries, offshore platforms, and chemical plants were historically left out of the digital transformation that was already reaching the rest of industry. Certifying a wearable device changes that and brings protection to exactly where the risk is greatest.

In response to a challenge from VLI, PHYGITALL developed Brazil’s first connected worker device with Ex certification. Today that technology is the Smartbadge with Ex certification, which carries an emergency button and real-time location into hazardous areas.