ISO 80079-36 non-electrical Ex equipment: current status
The official ISO 80079-36:2016 page lists Edition 1 as published and says it was reviewed and confirmed in 2021, so that edition remains current. ISO also labels it to be revised and identifies a committee draft under development. Those facts must be read together.
For a controlled specification on September 17, 2026:
- ISO 80079-36:2016 is the published International Standard.
- ISO 80079-36:2016/Cor 1:2019 is a published Technical Corrigendum that applies to it.
- ISO/CD 80079-36 is under development and must not be presented as a published replacement.
- The contract, destination rules and conformity route determine the applicable edition and transition basis.
A web summary cannot reproduce the licensed requirements. Use the official status page to control identity and lifecycle, then use an authorised copy of the standard for assessment.
Which products sit inside the basic method
ISO's public abstract covers non-electrical Ex equipment, Ex Components, protective systems, devices and assemblies that have their own potential ignition sources and are intended for explosive atmospheres. It addresses Groups I, II and III and all EPLs within its stated framework.
Typical non-electrical ignition concerns can include hot surfaces, mechanically generated sparks, friction, impact, compression, electrostatic charging or other energy created by the equipment's operation or foreseeable faults. This list is a practical orientation, not an assessment conclusion. The responsible evaluator must identify the actual ignition hazards and apply the controlled standard.
| Buyer boundary | What it means for the review |
|---|---|
| Own potential ignition source | Determine what the exact equipment can create during intended operation and considered malfunctions |
| Ignition-related safety | Keep explosion ignition controls distinct from general machinery, pressure, functional or process safety duties |
| Equipment group and EPL | Match the intended mine, gas or dust context and required protection level to the complete evidence set |
| Standard atmospheric basis | Check temperature, pressure and oxygen assumptions, plus any equipment limits outside that basis |
The abstract excludes hand tools and manually operated equipment without energy storage. It also says the standard does not specify safety requirements other than those directly related to ignition risk that may lead to an explosion. An exclusion from this standard is not a statement that an item is safe or free from other legal duties.
The ignition-hazard assessment is the central record
A buyer should not start with a protection-code label and work backwards. Start with the equipment function, materials, moving parts, energy sources, speed, load, lubrication, clearances, temperatures, electrical interfaces and foreseeable fault conditions. The assessment identifies potential ignition sources, determines which can become effective and records measures used to prevent effectiveness at the required EPL.
The evidence should be traceable to the exact model, suffix and configuration. A family brochure, photograph or generic statement such as spark free cannot show which bearings, seals, couplings, coatings, clearances, monitoring devices or operating limits were assessed.
Relationship with ISO 80079-37
ISO 80079-37:2016 gives requirements for three non-electrical types of protection: constructional safety c, control of ignition sources b, and liquid immersion k. ISO states that Part 37 supplements and modifies Part 36, and that its provisions take precedence when they conflict.
These protection types are selected from an ignition-hazard assessment. Their letters are not marketing grades and are not interchangeable with electrical protection concepts such as Ex d, Ex e or Ex i. A mixed equipment assembly may need coordinated electrical and non-electrical evidence without merging the two assessment routes.
Eight buyer checks before ordering
1. Define the exact equipment and duty
Record the legal manufacturer, model and suffix, function, driven or driving equipment, speed, torque, load, process material, pressure, temperature, lubrication, installation orientation and expected operating modes. Include start-up, shutdown, cleaning, blockage and foreseeable abnormal states where relevant.
2. Establish the hazardous-area basis
Provide the area classification, material, gas or dust group, required EPL or category, temperature limits, ambient range and other environmental conditions. The MMAIATEX Equipment Protection Levels guide helps explain Ga, Gb, Gc, Da, Db and Dc, but it does not assign an EPL to a product or site.
3. Request the ignition-hazard assessment reference
Ask for the controlled assessment or an appropriate supplier evidence summary that identifies considered ignition sources, assessment methods, preventive or protective measures, assumptions and residual limitations. Confirm the revision matches the offered configuration. Confidentiality can affect how evidence is supplied, but it does not make an unsupported product claim sufficient.
4. Match the protection method and marking
Verify the complete marking, equipment group, EPL, temperature information, ambient limits, certificate or document reference and special conditions. The MMAIATEX guide to reading Ex markings is a useful reading sequence, but only the exact product records define its scope.
5. Check interfaces that can create new hazards
Review guards, couplings, shafts, belts, brakes, bearings, fasteners, seals, lubrication, cooling, process connections, foundations and electrical monitoring. Misalignment, overload, foreign material, loss of lubrication or an incompatible mating part can change friction and temperature. An assessed component does not automatically approve the completed machine.
6. Control installation and operating limits
Request mounting, alignment, lubrication, commissioning, inspection, maintenance, cleaning and replacement instructions. Record permitted speed, load, temperature, pressure and material restrictions. IEC 60079-14:2024 expressly excludes installation of non-electrical Ex equipment unless it is part of a stated equipment assembly, so do not use an electrical-installation standard as the sole mechanical installation basis.
7. Verify current conformity evidence
Check the legal manufacturer, exact model, issue, status, scope, schedule and conditions in the relevant official system. The MMAIATEX guide to IECEx and ATEX document verification provides a general workflow. A standard number on a datasheet does not prove that the product has completed a conformity route.
8. Put changes through competent review
Do not substitute a bearing, lubricant, coupling, guard, coating, motor, sensor or process medium because it appears equivalent. Record the proposed change, affected ignition hazards, manufacturer instructions, technical approval and revised documents. Maintenance that changes assessed construction can become a modification requiring additional action.
How Part 36 differs from IEC 60079-0
IEC 60079-0:2026 states general requirements for construction, testing and marking of electrical Ex Equipment and Ex Components. ISO 80079-36 addresses the non-electrical route. Their standard atmospheric conditions use a similar temperature, pressure and oxygen basis, but their scopes and technical methods are not identical.
The MMAIATEX IEC 60079-0:2026 buyer guide explains the new electrical general-requirements edition. Do not apply that article as proof for a pump, fan, gearbox, coupling or other non-electrical product. Conversely, a Part 36 assessment does not approve attached electrical equipment.
Current MMAIATEX certification status
MMAIATEX is the public brand of MMAIATEX Explosion-proof Technology (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd. The public About page states that ATEX, IECEx and CCC certification work is in progress. This guide, a photograph, a protection-code explanation or a product listing does not prove that a particular MMAIATEX product is certified as non-electrical Ex equipment. Verify exact-model marking, current documents, scope, conditions, interfaces and destination requirements.
Safety and legal disclaimer
This article is general technical information, not an ignition-hazard assessment, machinery risk assessment, area classification, certificate, installation approval, maintenance instruction or legal opinion. Non-electrical ignition sources can cause fire, explosion, injury and death. Use licensed current standards, exact product documents, applicable law and competent professionals. Stop work when equipment identity, duty, marking, lubrication, limits, interfaces or assessment evidence is uncertain.
Contact MMAIATEX for an evidence request
Send the equipment function, model, duty, speed, load, process material, area classification, required EPL, ambient range, interfaces, destination and document list so MMAIATEX can organise available product information for competent review.