Atex is positioned between two extremes: Risks and Safety. Explosion Protection is a complex and not always well-known topic. It represents an extremely specific sector characterized by complex regulations. It becomes a ‘hot’ and urgent topic when there is a strict need to Atex Ex conversions for machines that operate in environments classified as explosion risk areas.
Atex can therefore also be seen as a “new” issue that sometimes intersects with the large and complex sector of material handling. We are well aware that not all trucks used in material handling are “explosion proof protected”. However, when a forklift must be converted to Atex (because the law says so!), OEMs manufacturers, dealers and end users find themselves having to deal with the complex and not so well-known ‘world’ of explosion proofing and having to choose the right partner to support them in this process.
The Ex Protections in Explosive Environment >>> Click here!
But what happens after the truck – converted according to Atex directive – starts working in a potentially explosive environment? How should you deal with an Atex machine working in explosive environments? How can you make the operator who drives it accountable? And how should you manage its after-sales service?
After Sales Service for Explosion Proof Vehicles
After-sales service is always important for all machines to ensure their long-term operation. As Miretti Team and as Atex experts, we can affirm that after-sales service becomes a strategic and decisive service for Ex-converted machines. If an Atex machine does not perform well in a potentially explosive environment, the consequences do not only affect the machine itself, they can be catastrophic too and can involve people, equipment, facility plant and the surrounding environment.
When choosing a company for explosion-proof conversion, it is therefore necessary to ‘look beyond’ the commercial/sales aspect and analyze what the company can offer in terms of after-sales service. It is necessary to evaluate the assistance and spare parts service, check whether there is a warehouse and staff available to intervene in case of need. The reliability of an explosion-proof partner also depends on the quality of its after-sales service.
By the customer’s side, globally >>> Click here!
The Miretti Group is currently organizing itself, in Italy and then in the rest of the world, to try to guarantee an after-sales service that accompanies the customer step by step. Miretti's current intention is also to commit to this additional front in order to try to set up a dynamic, multi-tasking service center - with several service points in several countries in which Miretti works - that can intervene quickly to provide support both for spare parts and for any problems encountered with Atex machines, and which can also carry out, at the customer's request, periodic inspections (required by law) on Ex vehicles to ensure their correct functioning. Ensuring Maximum reliability with operational facilities as within the customers’ reach as possible. This is another challenging goal for the near future within a field, that of explosion protection, which is already highly innovative and R&D-intensive.
This strategy also includes the new Spare Parts Catalogue, recently published online and managed by our After Sales Department at Miretti Head Quarters (Italy), where customers can quickly find the component they need and contact our team of experts for any type of support.
It also includes Miretti's activities for Annual Inspections - Safety Audits on Atex machines (also required by law). Added to this is the Group has a strong commitment to organizing training and courses on explosion protection in order to promote a true ‘Culture of Atex Safety in the Workplace’. Only knowledge allows us to operate in an informed, careful and correct manner without incurring potential risks. The numbers attest to the commitment made in this area, with almost 600 training courses delivered since 2007 and almost 2,500 technicians trained.
The importance of R&D
Placing Research & Development and Innovation “at the service” of the needs of its customers means overcoming limiting conditions to make better alternatives accessible that were precluded before. Miretti’s research and experimentation are aimed at offering ever greater opportunities to end users who, even in dangerous areas with risk of explosion, will be able to have more options, choose between vehicles with different types of power supply and exploit their advantages in terms of performance with the mission of “Safety First”. The results obtained over the years attest to the validity of the choices and the work done. Miretti Group draws its strength from a “Yes, we can!” attitude and, therefore, from the concept of possibility understood as feasibility and potential for progress, rejecting a defeatist attitude. The explosion-proof technology of the future, which Miretti is designing, is increasingly safe, more agile and less cumbersome or invasive. The new solutions will always be compact and naturally eco-friendly.
Do you really know what it means to Ex-protect a forklift for HazLoc?
So we can argue that Explosion protection is an essential element of operational safety in hazardous areas.
Miretti Group has established a leadership position in material handling through the development of explosion-proof systems on forklifts, large handling vehicles and special machines, ensuring that the original performance of the vehicles remains unaltered even after conversion. However, the company's know-how also expands to other sectors. Thanks to a constant search for diversification, the group is also present in the earthmoving, infrastructure and general construction sectors, with a particular focus on mining and underground.
When Networking “drives” Innovation
Innovation is the driving force behind Miretti's strategy, which addresses the increasing complexity of modern machines with a tailored engineering approach. This is also possible thanks to the partnership agreements established over the years with all major OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), major manufacturers, and large groups. This collaboration, gained in the field, adds value to the conversion process by allowing for maximum understanding of the machine being Ex converted.
In addition to explosion-proof solutions, Miretti develops and installs harmful emission abatement systems, including oxidation catalysts, particulate filters and complex SCR DeNOx systems. The integration of these technologies with explosion-proof conversions makes it possible to combine safety and reduced environmental impact, an increasingly important aspect in the industrial sector. The energy transition and the evolution of alternative power supplies represent a further area of interest for Miretti, which is working on new solutions for forklift trucks and machines operating in explosion-hazardous zones.
All this is possible because Miretti has been operating in the explosion-proof sector since 1973. For over 50 years the Group has played an active role in the development of explosion-proof technology in all sectors and applications, operating in international markets with offices all over the world and playing a leading role in numerous working groups on explosion-proof regulations and standards. All these elements represent further added value to the technical and engineering know-how and field activity of the Miretti Group in the world of Atex and Explosion Proof Protection for vehicles operating in the material handling field.
Welcome in the Ex “world” >>> Click here!
