Recently, we published an article about the design and construction of UL panels in general. PIA Service is certified for the design and manufacturing of UL panels in accordance with both UL 508A and UL 698A standards.<\/p>\n
Only a limited number of companies in the Netherlands are qualified to build panels according to both UL 698A and UL 508A regulations, and we are pleased to explain what UL 698A entails.<\/p>\n
The official name of this standard is UL Standard for Industrial Control Panels Relating to Hazardous (Classified) Locations.
\nIt applies to industrial control panels that are located outside hazardous (classified) areas, but control processes within those environments \u2014 areas where flammable gases, vapors, dust, or other explosive atmospheres may be present.<\/p>\n
UL 698A defines the design rules for the electrical installation to ensure that such a panel operates safely under all conditions, without becoming an ignition source within the hazardous area.<\/p>\n
A key aspect of UL 698A is that it prescribes how an explosion-hazardous process must be controlled without the control panel itself being located inside the classified zone.
\nThe outgoing circuits from the panel must be intrinsically safe, ensuring that no spark-capable energy can reach the hazardous area and cause an explosion.<\/p>\n
The standard specifies components that are suitable or recognized for connection to hazardous zones. These materials are UL-listed and identifiable by the UL symbol on the component.<\/p>\n
Each panel must include clear labeling and proper documentation so that the end user can verify safe operation. During construction, all components must be fully traceable to their production batches, requiring additional administrative control.<\/p>\n
UL 698A is a specialized extension of UL 508A. While it refers to UL 508A for general topics such as wiring, enclosures, and over-current protection, it adds specific requirements for system parts related to hazardous areas \u2014 such as intrinsically safe circuits, separation, and grounding.<\/p>\n
Within UL certifications, each product type is assigned to a category called a CCN (Category Control Number), which identifies the specific product group.
\nNRBX is the CCN for Industrial Control Panels Relating to Hazardous (Classified) Locations \u2014 panels that include circuits connected to hazardous zones.<\/p>\n
The main difference lies in the scope of application.
\nATEX is a European directive that applies to equipment and systems within hazardous zones, whereas UL 698A is an American standard for control panels that are connected to hazardous zones but located outside them.<\/p>\n
In that sense, ATEX is broader, as it covers all equipment inside explosive atmospheres, not just the control panel. It is therefore essential that engineers understand these differences and adapt their design approach accordingly.<\/p>\n
PIA Service designs and builds control panels in compliance with both UL 508A and UL 698A, placing the company among a select group qualified for both engineering and panel construction under these standards.<\/p>\n
As an EPLAN Certified Company, PIA Service employs a team of EPLAN-certified engineers and MTR specialists, along with a dedicated team of modern panel-shop technicians.
\nRather than simply working from an electrical diagram, we leverage the full potential of our design software to deliver UL-compliant, high-quality solutions.<\/p>\n
Thanks to this expertise, we have earned a loyal customer base among companies that export to the United States, generating a steady stream of UL panel orders.<\/p>\n
Learn More Recently, we published an article about the design and construction of UL panels in general. PIA Service is certified for the design and manufacturing of UL panels in accordance with both UL 508A and UL 698A standards.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2276,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2275","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nieuws-en","8":"entry","9":"override"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/piaservice.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/piaservice.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/piaservice.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/piaservice.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/piaservice.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2275"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/piaservice.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2275\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2280,"href":"https:\/\/piaservice.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2275\/revisions\/2280"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/piaservice.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/piaservice.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/piaservice.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/piaservice.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/strong>Do you have questions about UL 508A, UL 698A, ATEX, or how these standards apply to your specific project?
\nPlease contact PIA Service \u2014 Jeroen van der Linden:<\/p>\n\n