Alutal has obtained IECEx certification for thermocouples and resistance temperature detectors with connection head, issued by NCC on May 6, 2026. The certificate covers three types of protection — explosion-proof enclosure “db”, increased safety “eb” and intrinsic safety “ia” — covering the subgroup of flammable gases and vapors IIC, which includes hydrogen and acetylene as a reference, and enables the products to be installed in zones 0, 1 and 2 (EPL Ga, Gb, Gc) of explosive atmospheres.
What is IECEx certification?
IECEx is the International Electrotechnical Commission's (IEC) certification system for equipment intended for use in explosive atmospheres. Unlike national certifications, IECEx is recognized by regulatory bodies in more than 50 countries and allows IECEx-certified equipment to be accepted in projects with international requirements, optimizing certification processes in each market. Issuance of the certificate requires evaluation of the manufacturer's quality system by an ExCB (an entity accredited by IECEx), following the criteria of ISO/IEC 80079-34, in addition to product testing by an ExTL (laboratory accredited by IECEx), according to the standards IEC 60079-0 (General Requirements), IEC 60079-1 (explosion-proof enclosure), IEC 60079-7 (increased safety), and IEC 60079-11 (intrinsic safety), in their current editions.
The CEX certified series
The products covered by the IECEx NCC 26.0003X certificate are the CEX series thermocouples and resistance thermometers, with aluminum or stainless steel heads. The line includes sensors of types T, J, E, K, N, R, S and B for thermocouples and PT100, PT500 and PT1000 for resistance thermometers, in direct or indirect measurement configurations with a thermowell. The three Ex markings covered by the certificate are:
- Ex ia IIC T6…T1 Ga —Compatible with transmitters such as the TTHP1-A-Ex (Alutal – IECEx EXV 24.0068X certified).
- Ex eb IIC T6…T1 Gb
- Ex db IIC T6…T1 Gb
The ambient temperature range rated for the CEX series was -20 °C to +80 °C, and protection ratings of IP66W, IP68W, IP69W, and IP69K.
Advances in product engineering at Alutal
Felipe Campos, an engineer in Alutal's engineering department and responsible for the internal certification process, highlights the technical and strategic significance of the achievement:
“Alutal has achieved a very important certification, one that few companies in Brazil and worldwide possess, when it comes to thermocouples and resistance temperature detectors (RTDs). This required many hours of dedication from our engineering, documentation, and consulting teams, but thanks to all the combined efforts, we were able to reach this important milestone, which is part of Alutal's global objectives. This certification opens the doors of Alutal Temperature to the global market when customer requirements demand certification for use in classified areas. We still have a vast field to explore in certification requirements, which will now be achieved due to the acquisition of this international certification.”
Relevance for projects with classified areas
For instrumentation engineers and design specifiers, IECEx certification for thermocouples And the inclusion of resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) means that the CEX series products can be directly specified in plants with IECEx requirements without equivalence auditing: refineries, offshore platforms, petrochemical plants, among others.
The certification is in addition to accreditations and certifications held by Alutal:
- ISO 9001:2015 (Bureau Veritas, BR041533).
- Calibration Laboratory CAL-0522 accredited by INMETRO under ISO/IEC 17025:2021 with a range up to 1.600 °C.
- National Ex certificates in accordance with INMETRO Ordinance 115/2022.
Check the certificates IECEx NCC 26.0003 times e IECEx EXV 24.0068X from the TTHP1-A transmitter.
