An ATEX crane engineered to the zone (from Zone 1 to Zone 22), gas group, dust group and temperature code written in your specification. The lifting machine and its gearbox come out of our own plant, certified, so one team answers for the whole system.
An explosion proof (ATEX) crane is a lifting system built so that no part of it can ignite a flammable gas, vapour or dust cloud. Every component from the motor to the hook is selected for the zone it works in, so that neither a spark nor a hot surface reaches the atmosphere.
Standard vs Ex
A plant is rarely classified as a whole. Usually one production area, one filling line or one silo section carries the classification. The crane working there is built to a different set of rules from the crane two doors down. That difference goes back to how each component is chosen and how the load path is calculated.
| Criterion | Standard crane | Explosion proof (ATEX) crane |
|---|---|---|
| Where it belongs | Non-classified area | Gas Zone 1–2 or dust Zone 21–22 area |
| Design starting point | Load, span, duty cycle | Load, span, duty cycle and the site’s zone code |
| Electrical equipment | Industrial rating (IP54/55) | Certified Ex equipment specified per zone and code |
| Mechanical parts | Steel contact surfaces | Non-sparking material choices; bronze-plated hook and block |
| Surface temperature | Not a design limit | A hard design limit set by the temperature class |
| Capacity and speed | Sized to the duty class | Calculated together with the material; de-rating is normal |
| Documentation | CE, declaration of conformity, manual | Adds ATEX equipment certification and notified body involvement |
| Maintenance | Standard planned maintenance | Protection integrity is part of every visit |
| ABRA page | Double girder · process cranes | This page |
Ignition paths
A crane can become an ignition source along two separate routes, and each route needs its own answer.
Switching arcs in the motor, brake and control panel, a hot winding, or a terminal that loosens over time. The answer here is the protection concept built into each certified item: a flameproof enclosure contains an internal explosion, increased safety prevents arcs and hot spots, and dust-tight enclosures keep powder out of live parts.
Friction and impact sparks from the hook, rope, wheels, gears and bearings, plus the surface temperature that friction creates. This route is answered in the construction itself: gearing that runs immersed in oil, contact surfaces chosen so they do not throw a spark on impact, and a surface temperature verified against the temperature class in your code.
Both routes are assessed and documented separately in every project we quote — and they are calculated together, on the same drawing as the machine itself.
Our approach
In a classified area the hoist unit carries most of the risk. Motor, brake, gearbox and rope drum sit in the same load path, and every one of them is both an electrical and a mechanical ignition candidate.
Because the hoist unit and its gearbox are certified out of our own plant in İzmir, the protection concept follows your zone code from the first calculation — while the load path and the electrical design are still on the same drawing.
Two things follow from that. The chain of responsibility stays short enough to audit, because the certificate sits on a build we control. And when the dust group has to move from IIIA to IIIC, the gearbox can be taken through certification without going back through a supplier.
Scope & technical framework
We build for gas Zone 1 and Zone 2 (Category 2G and 3G) and for dust Zone 21 and Zone 22 (Category 2D and 3D). Dust group IIIA is the standard build, and IIIC is available by taking our own gearbox through certification.
The zone, gas group, dust group and temperature class in your specification are a code, and each enquiry is engineered against that code component by component.
What stays constant across every project: the hoist unit and the gearbox are our own manufacture and certified, the two ignition routes are calculated separately, and the equipment documentation is prepared for third-party inspection.
Non-sparking materials such as bronze and austenitic stainless steel are less strong than the alloy steels used in a standard build. Capacity and speed are therefore calculated together with the material. An Ex motor also needs thermal headroom to stay under its surface temperature limit. In practice that often means a lower duty class and lower travel speeds than the same crane would carry in a non-classified area. The de-rating is stated in the quotation and calculated against your load spectrum.
The table states what is constant and what is engineered to your code.
| Parameter | ABRA position |
|---|---|
| Gas zone | Zone 1 and Zone 2 (Category 2G / 3G) |
| Dust zone | Zone 21 and Zone 22 (Category 2D / 3D) |
| Dust group | IIIA as the standard build; IIIC by certifying our own gearbox |
| Gas group | Gas group and temperature class are defined per project, against the code in your specification |
| Temperature class | Engineered to the temperature class code in your specification; maximum surface temperature stays below the auto-ignition temperature of the atmosphere |
| Crane type | Single girder, double girder, gantry or process crane body, as the installation requires |
| Lifting capacity (SWL) | Per project, calculated with the material and protection concept |
| Span / lifting height | Per project |
| Duty class | FEM / ISO duty class per project; Ex thermal headroom often lowers the class |
| De-rating vs standard build | Stated in the quotation, calculated per project |
| Hoist unit and gearbox | ABRA manufacture, certified |
| Motion control | Inverter (VFD); inverter-based sway control |
| Speeds | Inverter-controlled; set per project |
| Overload protection | Overload switch and load cell, standard (EN 14492-2) |
| Control | Radio remote, pendant or operator cabin, specified per zone |
| Power supply | 380–415 V / 50 Hz (60 Hz for export) |
| Protection class (Ex build) | Per project |
| Ambient temperature (Ex build) | Per project (standard build: −10 … +50 °C) |
| Certification | ATEX 2014/34/EU — Module A for the Ex gearbox we manufacture, Module G unit verification for equipment delivered as a single unit, with a notified body |
| Ex standards applied | EN 1127-1 · EN IEC 60079 series · EN ISO 80079-36 / -37 |
| Marking | The full marking string is issued with the equipment documentation; it is not published, because it is specific to the certified unit |
| Standards applied | EN 13001 series · EN 15011 · EN 14492-2 · EN ISO 13849-1 / -2 · EN IEC 60204-32 |
| Directives | 2006/42/EC · 2014/30/EU · 2014/35/EU · 2000/14/EC. Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 applies from 20 January 2027; our compliance work for it is complete |
| Functional safety level | At least PL c to EN ISO 13849-1; PL d or PL e where the project requires it |
| Brake | Spring-applied electromagnetic brake — closes when power is cut |
Component protection
Each item below answers a specific ignition risk.
The highest-risk assembly is engineered, built and certified in one place, so the protection concept and the load calculation come from the same desk.
Steel striking steel throws a spark; a plated hook and block remove that contact from the load path.
Certified equipment specified per project against the zone and code in your document, then integrated and tested by us.
A hard impact between trolleys is a mechanical ignition event before it is a maintenance problem.
A charged structure discharges somewhere; the bonding route decides where.
An overload switch and load cell are standard, so the crane refuses a lift beyond its rating. An LED load display is available as an option.
Soft starts and inverter-based sway control reduce shock loading, which keeps friction, wear and surface temperature down.
Where the crane is driven from inside the classified area, the cabin is built and specified with the same protection logic. See operator cabins.
Usage, condition and maintenance data for cranes that are hard to reach during production; the crane keeps its own service history.
The left column is the engineering approach; certified codes are issued per project with the equipment certificate.
| Component | Ignition route | Protection approach | ABRA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoist motor | Electrical | Flameproof enclosure or increased safety, dust-tight enclosure in dust zones, selected per zone | Specified per project · certified equipment |
| Brake | Electrical + friction heat | Within the motor protection assembly; friction heat assessed as a non-electrical source | Specified per project |
| Gearbox | Mechanical | Constructional safety and oil-bath immersion; surface temperature verified | Our manufacture, certified ✓ |
| Rope drum and rope | Mechanical | Load path and friction points assessed; material choices reviewed | Part of our hoist unit build ✓ |
| Hook and bottom block | Impact spark | Non-sparking plating on contact surfaces | Bronze-plated hook ✓ |
| Travel and trolley drives | Electrical + mechanical | Same protection family as the hoist drive, per zone | Specified per project |
| Trolley collision | Impact spark | Anti-collision prevents hard contact | Option, specified per project |
| Control panel | Electrical | Flameproof switching with increased-safety terminals | Specified per project |
| Pendant / radio control | Electrical | Protected enclosure or intrinsically safe circuit, per zone | Specified per project |
| Limit switches | Electrical | Protected switching element in a protected enclosure, high IP | Specified per project |
| Wheels and rails | Friction spark | Contact surface material reviewed against the zone | Specified per project |
| Buffers | Impact spark | Non-sparking material | Specified per project |
| Structure | Static discharge | Earthing and bonding route defined | Static earthing ✓ |
Items marked ✓ are confirmed ABRA build features.
Applications
Each application below is tied to the condition that classifies it.
Hydrocarbon vapour around process units and loading areas puts maintenance lifting into gas Zone 1–2.
Solvent vapour and corrosive atmosphere in the same area, so explosion protection and corrosion protection are specified together.
Fuel handling, coal and biomass areas where combustible dust and continuous duty meet.
Abrasive combustible dust plus vibration, where surface temperature and wear are calculated in the same model.
Flour, sugar, starch and powder handling classify as dust Zone 21–22, with washdown and hygiene requirements on top.
Silo and filter areas where dust build-up decides the surface temperature limit.
Defence, paint and coatings, recycling and grain storage lines are engineered on the same basis. If part of your site is classified, the process cranes and double girder overhead cranes in the non-classified areas come from the same team and the same drawing set.
Certification
Our explosion-protected equipment is certified under ATEX 2014/34/EU with a notified body. Two conformity routes are used, and which one applies depends on the item: the Ex gearbox we manufacture ourselves runs under Module A, and equipment delivered as a single unit runs under Module G, unit verification — a notified body examines that specific unit and issues the certificate for it.
The standards behind the build are EN 1127-1 for explosion prevention and protection, the EN IEC 60079 series for electrical equipment, and EN ISO 80079-36 / -37 for non-electrical equipment.
Two duties sit on two different desks, and confusing them creates audit findings. We certify the equipment. Classifying the zones and holding the explosion protection document remain the site operator’s duty, which is why we start from your zone map.
For EPC and vendor prequalification files, the documentation package is prepared with the crane: declaration of conformity, certificates for the certified assemblies, technical file references, test records and the operating manual.
Project process
A five-step route, so a committee can see the whole path before committing:
Zone, gas or dust, temperature class, capacity, span, duty cycle, ambient conditions.
Component-by-component selection against your code; any de-rating stated before you sign.
Hoist unit and gearbox built and certified in our plant; certified equipment integrated and tested; third-party inspection and certification carried out with the notified body, and with your own inspection agency where the specification calls for it.
Site installation, load test, and the document set your inspection file will ask for.
Preventive maintenance under an annual contract, spare parts from the original build, and breakdown response.
References
“Behind everything we say, ” there’s a real job.
The projects below are NDA protected.
An overhead travelling crane for maintenance lifting on a live process unit. Because the hoist unit is our own build, the protection concept was calculated with the load path from the first drawing.
Lifting inside a classified production area, engineered to the site’s own zone map and delivered with the documentation set required for the plant’s inspection regime.
From our plant to your classified area.
After-sales
A crane in a classified area cannot be handed to whoever is available. Maintenance is agreed under an annual contract: four preventive visits a year, spare parts from the original build, modernisation, and on-site breakdown response within 48 hours anywhere in Türkiye. Warranty is two years.
We also service, supply parts for and modernise other manufacturers’ cranes, and ABRA Crane Tracking can be retrofitted to them. Crane Contact Center 444 8 440.
FAQ
We build for gas Zone 1 and Zone 2 and for dust Zone 21 and Zone 22, in ATEX Category 2 and 3 equipment. Dust group IIIA is the standard build, and IIIC is available by certifying our own gearbox. Gas group and temperature class are engineered to the code in your specification, because the component selection follows that code.
The equipment is certified under ATEX 2014/34/EU, with EU-type examination and surveillance by a notified body. Classifying the zones and holding the explosion protection document are duties of the site operator, so we start from your zone map and certify the equipment we deliver. The declaration of conformity, certificates and technical documentation are issued with the crane for your inspection file.
Often, yes, and that is expected. Non-sparking materials are less strong than standard alloy steels, and an Ex motor needs thermal headroom under its surface temperature limit. Capacity, speed and duty class are therefore calculated together with the protection concept. We state the de-rating in the quotation, calculated against your load spectrum.
The hoist unit holds the motor, brake, gearbox and rope drum, which is where both the electrical and the mechanical ignition risks concentrate. We manufacture that unit and its gearbox in our own plant and certify them. The protection concept is therefore designed into the machine, and the chain of responsibility stays short enough to audit. It also means a change such as moving from dust group IIIA to IIIC is a certification we can take on ourselves.
Get a recommendation
Send us your zone map, atmosphere, capacity and span. An engineer confirms the protection concept, the duty class and any de-rating with you before anything is quoted.
Or call 444 8 440
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Designed and built to EN, FEM and ISO standards · CE marked · ATEX equipment certified by a notified body · manufacturing in İzmir since 2004
