Silo design · Actions • Superseded, transition running
EN 1991-4:2006 — Eurocode 1, part 4: actions on silos and tanks
The most important standard on this entire list, because it names our products verbatim. Clause 3.4(9) states that where vibrators, air cannons or gyrating live bottoms form part of the silo installation, the alternating loads caused by them should be considered with respect to the limit state of fatigue. Clause 3.4(4) adds that fatigue should be considered in silos subjected to an average of more than one load cycle a day. In other words, the Eurocode itself tells the designer that fitting a vibrator or an air cannon introduces a new design case. That is the engineering argument for proper mounting brackets and for not simply welding a vibrator onto a thin shell.
Caveat: EN 1991-4:2026 has been published as the second generation of the Eurocodes, and BSI states that the 2006 edition will be withdrawn on 30 March 2028. A coexistence period is therefore running now. Eurocodes are not harmonised standards under a directive; they are implemented nationally with national annexes, in Denmark as DS/EN 1991-4 under the building regulations. We have not been able to confirm whether Dansk Standard has adopted the 2026 edition.
Relevance: Any mounting on a silo that has to last for years.
Source: thenbs.com
Silo design · Resistance • Superseded, transition running
EN 1993-4-1:2007+A1:2017 — Eurocode 3, part 4-1: steel silos
Where EN 1991-4 gives the actions, this standard gives the resistance of the steel shell. It is the relevant half when judging whether a bracket can sit in a particular place. Buckling of thin cylindrical shells under a local patch load is precisely the failure mode that a badly mounted vibrator or air cannon bracket provokes, and it is not intuitive: the shell may carry the overall load comfortably and still buckle under a concentrated action.
Caveat: EN 1993-4-1:2026 was published on 31 March 2026 as the second generation of the Eurocodes, and BSI states that the first generation will be withdrawn on 30 March 2028. A coexistence period is therefore running now, during which BSI still lists the 2007+A1:2017 edition as current. Eurocodes are not harmonised standards under a directive; they are implemented nationally with national annexes, in Denmark as DS/EN 1993-4-1 under the building regulations. We have not been able to confirm whether Dansk Standard has adopted the 2026 edition.
Relevance: Placement and design of mounting brackets.
Source: knowledge.bsigroup.com
ATEX · Methodology • In force
EN 1127-1:2019 — explosion prevention and protection, basic concepts
The methodology standard under ATEX. Identify the ignition sources, assess the likelihood, apply prevention and protection. Harmonised under Directive 2014/34/EU. For flow aids it is the framework that forces you to consider mechanically generated sparks, hot surfaces from a stalled piston or a worn bearing, and electrostatic discharge from a fluidisation pad, before you choose a protection concept. The predecessor EN 1127-1:2011 ceased to give presumption of conformity on 1 February 2022.
Relevance: The starting point for any ATEX assessment of the equipment.
Source: single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu
ATEX · Non-electrical • Under revision
EN ISO 80079-36:2016 — non-electrical equipment, basic method and requirements
The core standard for pneumatic vibrators, air cannons, hammers, turbine vibrators and fluidisation nozzles, precisely because they are non-electrical Ex equipment. Covers design, construction, testing and marking across all equipment protection levels and for groups I, II and III. The standard atmosphere is defined as minus 20 to plus 60 degrees and 80 to 110 kilopascals. Hand tools and manually operated equipment without energy storage are expressly excluded. Harmonised under 2014/34/EU.
Caveat: ISO has flagged the 2016 edition for revision, and a second edition, ISO/CD 80079-36, is in development. It will replace both the 2016 edition and the 2019 corrigendum.
Relevance: The basis for the Ex h marking on pneumatic equipment.
Source: iso.org
ATEX · Protection type • Under revision
EN ISO 80079-37:2016 — constructional safety c, ignition source control b, liquid immersion k
EN ISO 80079-37 supplements 80079-36 and takes precedence where the two conflict. Constructional safety c is the protection type actually stamped on almost every pneumatic vibrator and air cannon: bearing clearances, material pairings that do not produce friction sparks, and control of surface temperature. When a plate reads Ex h IIIC T125 C Dc, this is where the letter h resolves into c, b or k. Harmonised under 2014/34/EU.
Relevance: Explains what h means on the nameplate.
Source: iso.org
ATEX · Material data • In force
EN ISO/IEC 80079-20-2:2016 — test methods for combustible dusts
The missing link between my powder and which Ex vibrator I need. The standard describes how to determine the minimum ignition temperature of a dust cloud and of a dust layer, and the minimum ignition energy of the specific material in the silo. Without those figures you cannot justify the temperature marking on the equipment, and the choice becomes a guess. Harmonised under 2014/34/EU.
Relevance: Links the powder's properties to the equipment's temperature class.
Source: single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu
ATEX · Area classification • Withdrawn
IEC 60079-10-2:2015 — classification of areas, explosive dust atmospheres
IEC 60079-10-2 determines whether the mounting point is zone 20, 21 or 22, which in turn decides the equipment protection level, that is Da, Db or Dc, you must require of the vibrator. The standard treats dust clouds and dust layers separately and assumes effective housekeeping. It is an installation and user standard, not an equipment standard; the user's duty sits under Directive 1999/92/EC.
Caveat: IEC gives the 2015 edition as withdrawn with effect from 29 June 2026 and superseded by IEC 60079-10-2:2026. The European adoption EN 60079-10-2:2015 still exists. We have not checked whether the standard appears on the ATEX harmonised standards list.
Relevance: Determines the zone, and thus which category to order.
Source: webstore.iec.ch
Machinery safety · Pneumatics • In force
EN ISO 4414:2010 — pneumatic fluid power, general rules and safety requirements
The most directly relevant machinery standard for the entire pneumatic range. Covers the design, construction and modification of pneumatic systems and components, plus assembly, installation, maintenance and energy efficiency. Air compressors, factory air distribution systems, gas cylinders and receivers are expressly excluded. For flow aids it deals with stored energy, unexpected start-up when air is restored, exhaust noise, hose whip, and depressurisation before maintenance. Harmonised under the Machinery Directive.
Relevance: The entire pneumatic range, from installation to maintenance.
Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
Machinery safety · Methodology • Under revision
EN ISO 12100:2010 — safety of machinery, risk assessment and risk reduction
The A-type standard under the Machinery Directive: terminology, hazard identification, risk assessment, risk reduction and documentation. A flow aid is usually partly completed machinery or a component integrated into a silo discharge system, and this is the standard the integrator uses to justify guarding, release of stored energy, and the residual risk warnings that belong in our own product documentation. ISO has flagged the 2010 edition for revision.
Relevance: The integrator's framework when the equipment is built into a plant.
Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
Machinery safety · Control • In force
EN ISO 13849-1 — safety-related parts of control systems
Note that two editions are currently cited in parallel under the Machinery Directive, namely 2015 and 2023. The fourth edition, ISO 13849-1:2023, was published on 26 April 2023 and withdrew the 2015 edition at ISO level, but the EU list names both. The standard covers electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic and mechanical technologies. Its relevance to flow aids is real but bounded: it applies where a vibrator or an air cannon sequence is under programmable control and a safety function exists, for example inhibiting firing while an access hatch is open. Purely manual pneumatic units normally need no performance level assessment.
Relevance: Only where there is programmable control and a safety function.
Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
Machinery safety · Electrical • In force
EN 60204-1:2018 — electrical equipment of machines
EN 60204-1 is harmonised under the Machinery Directive. It is relevant to the electric vibrators and to any control panel sequencing air cannons: supply disconnection and lockout, protective bonding, motor overload protection, emergency stop and enclosure ingress protection. The site does not cover electric vibrators, so the standard is relevant here for control panels.
Relevance: control panels for air cannons.
Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
ATEX · Electrical dust • In force
EN 60079-31:2014 — dust ignition protection by enclosure t
Protection by enclosure is the normal solution for electric vibrators on dusty silos: a dust-tight enclosure plus a maximum surface temperature below the ignition temperature of the dust. It is the reason MVE and MVE-MICRO are marked II2D Ex tb IIIC Tx Db IP66 for zone 21, while MVE-DC is marked II3D Ex tc IIIC Tx IP69K for zone 22. Used together with EN IEC 60079-0:2018, which sets the general requirements for marking, temperature classification and enclosures.
Caveat: A newer EN IEC 60079-31:2024 exists, but it did not appear on the harmonised list dated 15 January 2026. We have not been able to confirm whether it has since been cited in the Official Journal. State the 2014 edition until proven otherwise.
Relevance: background on ATEX marking in a classified zone.
Source: ptb.de
Vibration · Hand-arm • In force
ISO 5349-1:2001 and ISO 5349-2:2001 — hand-transmitted vibration
Part 1 gives the general requirements for measuring and evaluating hand-transmitted vibration, part 2 the practical guidance for measurement at the workplace, with Amendment 1 from 2015. These are the standards designated by the Annex to the Vibration Directive, and thus the basis for the A(8) calculation. In practice they are what the customer's health and safety adviser uses when asking how long an operator may hold a pneumatic hammer per shift. They are not harmonised under the Machinery Directive; this is a measurement standard, not a product standard.
Relevance: The basis for the exposure calculation.
Source: iso.org
Vibration · Whole-body • Under revision
ISO 2631-1:1997 — whole-body vibration, general requirements
Second edition from May 1997 with Amendment 1 from 2010. Designated in the Annex to the Vibration Directive for whole-body vibration. Its relevance to flow aids is indirect and modest: exposure arises for someone standing on a vibrating silo platform, or sitting in a silo trailer cab during discharge. ISO flagged the standard for revision in April 2023, and ISO/DIS 2631-1 is expected to replace it.
Relevance: Platforms and walkways near running equipment.
Source: iso.org
Vibration · Emission • In force
EN ISO 20643:2008/A1:2012 — vibration emission from hand-held and hand-guided machinery
The counterpart to ISO 5349. Where 5349 measures the exposure an operator actually receives, this standard measures the emission the product gives off. It is what produces the declared vibration value that must appear in the instructions for a hand-held pneumatic hammer or a hand-guided vibrator. If a datasheet carries an m/s2 figure, this is the standard behind it. Harmonised under the Machinery Directive.
Relevance: The value that ought to appear in our own documentation.
Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
Noise · Declaration • In force
EN ISO 4871:2009 — declaration and verification of noise emission values
The standard that governs how a noise figure may be stated on a datasheet, including the uncertainty K. It matters as much as the measurement itself, because a figure without an uncertainty and without a stated method cannot be compared across suppliers. When you see 125 dB(A) on one product and 80 dB(A) on another, this standard decides whether the two figures measure the same thing at all. Harmonised under the Machinery Directive.
Relevance: Makes suppliers' noise figures comparable.
Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
Noise · Measurement • In force
EN ISO 3744:2010 and EN ISO 11201:2010 — sound power and sound pressure
EN ISO 3744 determines the sound power level L_WA to engineering grade over a reflecting plane. EN ISO 11201 determines the emission sound pressure level at the work station, that is the figure that decides whether someone standing at the silo outlet exceeds 80 or 85 dB(A) when an air cannon fires. The two answer different questions and should not be confused. Where engineering-grade conditions cannot be achieved on a live installation, EN ISO 3746 is the survey method. All harmonised under the Machinery Directive.
Relevance: The methods behind the dB(A) figures the catalogue publishes.
Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
Powder data · Flowability • In force
ASTM D6128-22 — shear testing of bulk solids using the Jenike shear tester
It measures the cohesive strength of the powder during continuous flow and after storage, the internal friction, the bulk density and the wall friction against various wall surfaces. Applies where roughly a third or more of the particles are finer than 6 millimetres. The standard itself states that its primary application is the design of storage bins and hoppers to prevent flow stoppages, and it names arching, ratholing, uncontrolled flow and structural failure as the problems it addresses. It is the definitive test of whether you need equipment at all, or whether you need a better hopper. Note that the title now says shear tester, not shear cell as in older editions.
Relevance: Decides whether the problem is the material or the hopper geometry.
Source: store.astm.org
Powder data · Carr indices • In force
ASTM D6393/D6393M-25 — bulk solids characterisation by Carr indices
Eight measurements and two calculations: angle of repose, angle of fall, angle of difference, loose and packed bulk density, compressibility, cohesion, uniformity, angle of spatula and dispersibility. Applies to free-flowing and moderately cohesive materials up to 2,0 millimetres, which must pour through a defined funnel opening when aerated. Compressibility and angle of repose are the quickest screening indicators of whether a powder will arch, and dispersibility says something about whether fluidisation pads will work or simply channel.
Relevance: Quick screening for whether a flow problem is coming.
Source: store.astm.org
Compressed air · Purity • Under revision
ISO 8573-1:2010 — compressed air, contaminants and purity classes
Third edition from 2010. Defines purity classes for particles, water and oil, independently of where in the system the air is measured. For flow aids this is not a compliance question but an operating one, and one of the most overlooked: moist air condenses in a fluidisation pad and re-cakes precisely the powder you are trying to move, while particles and oil destroy the life of a pneumatic vibrator and gum up an air cannon valve. Stating a required class is the professional way to specify your air requirement.
Caveat: We have not seen the standard's tables and therefore do not state a recommended class combination. Ask for the specific requirement in the product documentation.
Relevance: Dry, clean air decides the service life of the whole installation.
Source: iso.org
Silo design · International • In force
ISO 11697:1995 — loads due to bulk materials
The international counterpart to EN 1991-4. Covers pressures in hoppers, bunkers, bins and silos of conventional structural materials, with parameters to be agreed with the client and recorded contractually, and requiring re-evaluation if any assumption changes. In Europe EN 1991-4 governs; this standard is relevant to readers outside the EU. Note that the title is often miscited as a bulk density test method. It is not.
Relevance: Projects outside the EU.
Source: iso.org