Certifications of ATEX and ACD industrial vacuum cleaners

Why certification matters

An ATEX certification is not a marketing badge. It is the legal requirement that lets a vacuum cleaner be used in an explosive atmosphere on the single market. Without a valid EU-Type Examination certificate from a notified body the machine may not be sold for use in Zone 20, 21 or 22 (for dust) or Zone 0, 1 or 2 (for gas) within the EU. The rule stems directly from Directive 2014/34/EU and is implemented across Member States in national legislation covering explosive atmospheres.

A certificate is layered documentation. It contains a binding description of the construction, the tests performed, the standards used, a verbatim marking the machine must bear, and often Specific Conditions of Use — conditions the operator must observe for the certificate to remain valid. Without knowing these conditions you do not have legally defensible documentation of safe operation. That is why Particulair always delivers the actual type examination alongside every ATEX or ACD model we sell.

The second reason certification matters is what does not meet the eye: production quality. A certification for a serially produced machine requires not only an approved design — it also requires ongoing production surveillance by a notified body, typically through Module D or Module E of the directive. A fine design without monitored production is, from the regulator’s point of view, a compromised certificate. That is where third-party involvement genuinely earns its keep.

If you want the regulatory background at a higher level, our article ATEX ABC — the foundations every engineer should know covers the directive, the zones, categories and the EPL system. For the practical choice between ACD and ATEX in a real purchasing situation, read ACD vs ATEX — the difference explained by specialists.

How to read the marking

Every certified vacuum cleaner from the three suppliers carries a marking that follows a fixed pattern. If you learn to read the line, you understand ninety per cent of what the certificate says in a few seconds. Here is a typical marking from Delfin’s single-phase motor head range:

All four fields (category, Ex method, dust group, temperature, EPL) must match the environment you have classified. If your explosion protection document records the room as Zone 21 with conductive dust, the machine must be at least II 2D IIIC externally. If you have Zone 22 with non-conductive dust you can get by with II 3D IIIB — but a IIIC machine is always overspecified rather than under-specified. That is the right direction to choose.

Still finding temperature classes and gas zones confusing? See our article Inert versus ATEX — three routes through reactive powders and Know your ohm — ESD on ATEX accessories, which shows how delicate the <10^8 Ω requirement is in practice.

The three suppliers

Although the three companies end up with comparable products on the market, they take different paths through the EU certificate system. The differences are not arbitrary. They reflect each company’s history, geography, ownership and relationship with individual notified bodies. Below are the three in the order established in our internal CLAUDE.md:

The regulatory framework — seen through the standards

Same product, different angle. Below we walk through the regulatory frameworks that the three suppliers operate within. For each framework we show how Delfin, Depureco and Tiger-Vac position themselves — with concrete evidence from their documentation.

ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU

ATEX 2014/34/EU (the so-called “Equipment Directive”, to distinguish it from ATEX 1999/92/EC “Workplace Directive” / ATEX 137) is the EU regulation governing equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. It entered into force on 20 April 2016 and replaced the earlier 94/9/EC. The directive defines equipment groups (I for mining, II for surface industries), categories (1, 2, 3 by protection level) and requirements for market access through EU-Type Examination by a notified body.

For a serially produced vacuum cleaner the practical implication is:

• Module B — the notified body examines the design and issues an EU-Type Examination Certificate.
• Module D or Module E — the notified body monitors production. Module D covers a production quality assurance system. Module E covers product quality assurance at final inspection.
• EU Declaration of Conformity — the manufacturer declares that the produced equipment conforms to the EU-Type Examination and applies the CE and Ex markings.

Tiger-Vac, Delfin and Depureco are all in the directive’s scope. Tiger-Vac combines Module B and Module D at the same notified body (LCIE). Depureco splits them (TÜV NORD on Module B, RINA on Module D). Delfin combines them at IMQ. None of the approaches is more correct than the others — the choice is the manufacturer’s, as long as both notified bodies are on the NANDO list.

IECEx — the international scheme

IECEx (International Electrotechnical Commission System for Certification to Standards relating to Equipment for use in Explosive Atmospheres) is a voluntary international scheme accepted by national authorities in more than 30 countries outside the EU. Within the EU IECEx complements ATEX — it does not replace it. A machine sold in the EU must have an EU-Type Examination; the IECEx certificate is an export optimisation that gives access to the rest of the world without repeating the testing process.

Tiger-Vac is the strongest IECEx profile of the three. All their EU-ATEX certificates have a parallel IECEx Certificate of Conformity issued by the same LCIE (NB 0081), with the same battery of tests. That lets a customer who exports to, say, Canada, Brazil or Australia get the same machine approved without further type testing. For Particulair this matters because several of our customers in defence and offshore operate across multiple jurisdictions.

ACD — IEC 60335-2-69 Annex AA

ACD (Appliance for pick-up of Combustible Dust) was formally introduced in 2021 with the 6th edition of IEC 60335-2-69, specifically its Annex AA, clause AA.3.208. It is an international product standard in the IEC 60335 series (safety for household and similar appliances). Annex AA describes requirements for vacuum cleaners used to pick up combustible dust in non-classified locations — i.e. outside ATEX zones.

The point is subtle but important. Many industries handle combustible dust (lactose, milk powder, flour, sugar, pharmaceutical powders) in rooms that are not formally ATEX classified, because the dust is well contained during operation. But the moment the vacuum cleaner draws the dust in, a combustible cloud forms inside the machine — and that is exactly what the ACD construction is designed to contain safely.

Delfin voluntarily subjects its ACD models to third-party certification as ATEX Category 1/–D. Depureco stops at a Declaration of Conformity based on the Machinery Directive and IEC 60335-2-69. Tiger-Vac uses its own designation ORDLOC (Ordinary Locations) for the same application — with the American regulatory framework (NFPA 660) as backdrop. For a deeper comparison of the three routes see ACD vs ATEX — the difference explained, and for ACD as a technology and a standard in general The ACD vacuum cleaner — the invisible dust rider from 2021.

EN 17348:2022 — the harmonised standard

EN 17348:2022 is the central European standard all three suppliers actively reference. It was harmonised under the ATEX Directive on 17 March 2023 and under the Machinery Directive in August 2023 — which gives it legal precedence as the preferred basis for complying with the two directives. The standard effectively replaces the older EN 62784:2018, which is now only used as historical reference.

The standard defines three collector types, which must appear on the nameplate:

• Dry Type (DT) — dry dust, both combustible and non-combustible.
• Wet Type (WT) — combustible or self-heating dust in a liquid bath (typically oil) to neutralise ignition sources. Used for reactive metal powders.
• Liquid Collector (LC) — liquids, combustible or non-combustible.

EN 17348 also introduces the dual-filtration system you see on all modern ATEX vacuum cleaners: a primary filter (at least ISO 15E, 95 per cent efficiency per ISO 29463:2018) as the main barrier, and a secondary HEPA filter of at least class H (99.95 per cent) as backup. The secondary filter is not just a quality boost — it is what allows a category 3D powerhead to be used downstream, because it removes the residual risk that a primary-filter failure could let a dust cloud pass into the motor.

We have a dedicated article that goes in depth on EN 17348: Know EN 17348:2022 — the standard that changed the rules of the game. And for the consequences on equipment selection and purchasing specifications: Process dust requires proximity — why extraction at the source matters.

Supporting standards

EN 17348 does not stand alone. It refers to a battery of more specific standards that each cover a technical dimension of explosion protection. Here is the overview:

For an approach built up from the electrostatic standpoint, see Know your ohm — ESD on ATEX accessories, which translates the numbers in EN 17348 into everyday terms. And for the general history of why invisible dust is the most dangerous, read The invisible weakest link — why dust slips through.

Notified bodies and modules — what do they actually do?

The term notified body — in EU parlance a designated conformity assessment body — covers an organisation notified by an EU Member State to carry out conformity assessment under a specific directive. All notified bodies appear on the European Commission’s NANDO list (New Approach Notified and Designated Organisations) with a four-digit identification number. That is the number you see first in a certificate.

Under ATEX 2014/34/EU there are eight modules available for conformity assessment. For serially produced vacuum cleaners these are the most important:

Under IECEx the framework is slightly different, but the principle is the same: a combined Type Examination (ExTR, Test Report) and Quality Assessment Report (QAR) form the basis for the Certificate of Conformity. Tiger-Vac’s IECEx certificates have visible references to FR/LCIE/ExTR-*.00 (Test Report) and FR/LCI/QAR10.0008/* (Quality Assessment Report) — the numbers you find on page 2 of the certificate.

How to read a certificate — step by step

An EU-Type Examination Certificate is straightforward once you know what to look for. Here is a guide written with Tiger-Vac’s LCIE 15 ATEX 3061 Issue 01 as the concrete example:

1. Directive reference (points 1-2): “Directive 2014/34/EU — Equipment or Protective System Intended for use in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres”. If 94/9/EC appears instead, the certificate is old but still valid per Article 41 of 2014/34/EU.
2. Product and type (point 3): “Vacuum cleaners — Type C (1.1) EX and C (1.2) EX”. If your specific model variant is not mentioned here or in the annex, the certificate is not legally effective for that variant.
3. Manufacturer and address (points 4-5): must match the machine’s nameplate. Discrepancies are red flags.
4. Notified body (point 7): “LCIE, Notified Body number 0081 in accordance with article 17 of the Directive 2014/34/EU...”. This confirms the issuer is accredited to perform the conformity assessment.
5. Test reports (point 7): the confidential report numbers documenting the test work itself. E.g. “129678-660670 Cr15/11/16; 168481-754496”. You can request excerpts from us (not whole reports, since they are the manufacturer’s property).
6. Standards (point 8): the list of harmonised standards the machine has been tested against — EN IEC 60079-0:2018, EN 60079-31:2014, EN ISO 80079-36:2016 and so on. Here you can see whether EN 17348:2022 is included.
7. Specific Conditions of Use (point 9): if the certificate number has the X suffix, the conditions appear here or in the annex. They must be read and observed.
8. Marking (point 11 / annex section 12): the verbatim marking the machine must bear. If the product’s nameplate deviates, that too is a red flag.
9. Description of Product (annex section 12): technical description that effectively defines the scope of the certificate. Read it — you often find nuances there that are not on the front page.
10. Issue version (front page, upper right): e.g. “Issue 06”. When a manufacturer updates the design or the underlying standard, the notified body issues a new Issue of the same certificate number. Older Issues can still be valid for older production years — that is why it is important to match the Issue version against the machine’s year of manufacture.

If you have a specific certificate you would like walked through, that is one of the things we are happy to help with. Send a PDF to sales@particulair.com and we will read it with reference to this guide.

We’ll send you the certificate — typically the same day

Need the current EU-Type Examination or IECEx Certificate of Conformity for a specific model? We gladly share it, including any Issue updates and Specific Conditions of Use. Tell us the model name and the documentation is on its way.

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Frequently asked questions