Vortec ProtEX is Newest Addition to Line of Hazardous Location Enclosure Coolers

Industrial facilities with hazardous locations, which require ATEX Certification, gained another safe cooling option as ITW Vortec introduced the ProtEX Vortex A/C, certified for Zones 1 and 21.

“ATEX Certification means that industrial facilities can now save thousands of dollars while cooling electrical, electronic and control system enclosures in ATEX Zones 1 and 21,” said Vortec’s Steve Broerman. “Previously, industrial facility managers had to purchase large, heavy and expensive hazardous location air conditioners, requiring a large initial investment with ongoing maintenance costs. The new ProtEX models are small, economical and easily installed with low maintenance costs.”

The newly ATEX Certified ProtEX Vortex A/C models 8115, 8125, 8135 and 8170 are certified to the latest EN ISO 80079-36:2016 standard and draw on Vortec’s fifty plus years of air technology expertise and in-depth knowledge of industrial needs to fill the need for safe enclosure cooling in hazardous locations. These Vortec models offer 900, 1500, 2500 or 5,000 BTU/hour cooling capacity to suit the differing needs of each enclosure and facility.

Vortec’s ProtEX Vortex A/C units operate in environments up to 175 degrees F. They are designed to cool enclosures quietly rather than adding to industrial noise, with 62 dBA operation, 78% quieter than typical vortex coolers. The design of the units ensures that no ambient, dirty or humid air enters the cabinet. They require no wiring and can be easily installed in minutes. A mechanical thermostat turns the unit on only when necessary. All four of the Vortec ProtEX models have a small footprint to fit on all enclosures and in confined areas; and can be mounted to the top or side of the enclosure. The Vortex A/C units have already been successfully cooling a wide range of industrial environments from petrochemical plants to food manufacturing.

The Vortec ProtEX Vortex A/C units gained safety certification for compressed air temperatures of up to 120 degrees F and are approved for a Temperature Class of T3. The ATEX Certification mark will be affixed to each of the ProtEX Vortex A/C models starting this month following an extensive testing process by SGS Baseefa Limited in Buxton, Derbyshire, United Kingdom.

Cincinnati-based Vortec is a division of the Fortune 200 firm Illinois Tool Works (ITW). Vortec has been recognized as the market leader and innovator of pneumatic products that use compressed air efficiently to solve cooling, cleaning, and conveying problems for more than 50 years. In the early 1960s, Vortec was the first company to develop technology for converting the vortex tube phenomenon into practical and effective, industrial cooling solutions.