Although it requires many special conditions for gas and dust explosions to develop, they occur much more frequently than you may think. These are sometimes unspectacular in nature and occur in a limited area. However, they are extremely dangerous for anyone situated in the immediate vicinity of the explosion and often result in serious injuries or significant property damage. Electrical equipment which fulfills special safety requirements is therefore required for use in explosive areas in order to ensure the necessary degree of safety. For over a quarter-century, ecom instruments GmbH from Assamstadt, Germany has offered equipment for precisely this field. The company was celebrating its 25th Anniversary in July 2011.
Anyone who must work safely and effectively in explosive areas requires a variety of mobile industrial devices. Working without laptops, PDAs, mobile phones, radios, measuring equipment and flashlights is inconceivable in this day and age. Through the development of intrinsically safe equipment for use in Ex-classified areas, ecom instruments has dramatically shaped this sector over the past 25 years. The company offers a wide range of solutions in its four principal product groups of Mobile Computing, Communication, Measurement & Calibration and Portable Lighting. These are used around the world for various industrial applications in the chemical and petrochemical industry, the oil and natural gas industries as well as in the pharmaceutical, mining, energy and environmental sectors (Fig. 1). In addition, systems for the protection of lone workers have also become an important focal point for the company. Customized solutions have been developed from the very outset for such purposes. Today the company is a global market leader in the field of portable explosion-protected equipment.
How it all began
Everything began on a smaller scale. Managing Director Rolf Nied (Fig. 2) founded "Ecom Rolf Nied GmbH" in July 1986. The company's focus was on products and services for the electrical engineering and explosion protection sectors from the very beginning.
The first intrinsically safe calibrator, the EX-mAG 20, was introduced to the market in 1990 (Fig. 3). The intrinsically safe measuring equipment division was introduced just a year later. Two years later saw the introduction of intrinsically safe maintenance equipment. In 1993, the company experienced a breakthrough at the Hannover trade fair. In 1995 these experts in intrinsic safety obtained quality certification to DIN-ISO 9001 and other approvals followed, such as ATEX certification and FM approval for the US market. IEC certification for the quality management system was acquired in 2007. In 25 years a three-man enterprise has become an international provider of world-class safety solutions for the Ex-classified area. Currently 250 employees work for ecom worldwide. Production is handled by the company's headquarters in Assamstadt as well as in nearby Bobstadt, Germany (since 2008). There are also service centers in Germany, Singapore and the USA. Twelve subsidiaries and more than 40 commercial representatives ensure that customers around the world have access to the required mobile intrinsically safe equipment as quickly as possible.