How progressing standards lead to confusion with ATEX certification

In order to manufacture ´State of the Art´ and since the European CENELEC standards will be superseded by international IEC standards, many changes have to be adapted into new ATEX (EC) Type Examination processes. In the daily practice of an ATEX authorized person within a company producing customer specific explosion proof assemblies and using Ex products from several third parties with own (EC) Type Examination Certificate, several interpretation differences appear. This paper shows and describes some ´high lights´. Some remarkable product type examinations will be discussed. Aim: make everybody aware about strange certifications in the past; and for manufacturers: remain talking to your Notified Body during your (EC) Type Examination process to avoid this in the future. About the new introduced Explosion Protection Levels; these are already in the latest edition of the general requirements (product) standard and even in the latest edition of the installation standard, which is a ´user- standard´. But until now (March 2008) there has not been an adaption of the new ´general requirements´ standard by the ATEX directive through publishing into the Official Journal. How to manage a right and clear application of the ATEX directives for installers? In order to install according ATEX, category marking is the guideline. The interpretation and application of new appearing markings in standards and on products may need clarification.