Explosion-Proof Signaling Devices for Industrial Safety

Industrial facilities operating in hazardous zones, marine environments, and machine safety applications require signaling systems that combine high sound pressure levels, certified explosion protection, and mechanical robustness. Pfannenberg has launched its PROTECT Series in North America, a range of audible and combined audible-visual signaling devices engineered for compliance-driven industrial use.

Designed for Harsh and Regulated Environments
The PROTECT Series targets sectors including fire alarm systems, marine installations, functional safety circuits, and hazardous industrial areas. The devices are housed in die-cast aluminum enclosures designed for high mechanical resilience, with impact protection rated up to IK09.

Ingress protection ratings of IP66 and IP67, along with NEMA 4/4X classification, indicate resistance to dust, water jets, temporary immersion, and corrosion-prone environments. These characteristics are particularly relevant in offshore, marine, and heavy industrial installations where signaling equipment must withstand vibration, humidity, and mechanical stress.

The series supports multi-voltage operation, reducing inventory complexity and enabling integration into existing control architectures without extensive redesign. This aligns with requirements for standardized safety components in distributed industrial systems.

Acoustic Performance and Alarm Management
A central technical feature of the series is configurable acoustic output. Devices provide up to 80 selectable tones, plus four externally selectable additional tones, enabling adaptation to regional standards or site-specific alarm schemes.

Sound pressure levels are adjustable via DIP switches across seven steps between 86 dB(A) and 116 dB(A). A maximum output of 116 dB(A) supports use in high-noise industrial environments, such as production halls or processing plants.

The inclusion of a pre-alarm and main alarm function addresses occupational safety considerations. By initially emitting a reduced sound pressure level before escalating to the main alarm, the system mitigates sudden acoustic shock while maintaining compliance with emergency alert requirements. This feature is relevant in environments governed by functional safety standards where controlled escalation of warnings is required.

Certifications for Functional and Hazardous Safety
The PROTECT Series is certified to Safety Integrity Level SIL2 and Performance Level PL d, making it suitable for integration into safety-related control systems as defined under IEC 61508 and ISO 13849 frameworks.

For hazardous locations, devices meet ATEX Zone 2/22 requirements and UL Class 1 Division 2 classifications covering Class I Groups A, B, C, and D; Class II Groups F and G; and Class III. These certifications support deployment in environments with flammable gases, vapors, combustible dust, or fibers.

Marine approvals include MED/MER certification, enabling installation on vessels subject to the EU Marine Equipment Directive.

Such certification breadth allows a single device family to be deployed across multiple regulated sectors, reducing the need for product-specific variants in safety-critical applications.

Combined Audible-Visual Signaling for Large Areas
Within the series, combined sounder-light units integrate acoustic alerting with high-energy visual signaling. One configuration incorporates a Xenon flash rated at 5 Joules with a luminous intensity of 56 candela. Visual signaling coverage is specified up to 568 feet, while acoustic output reaches up to 116 dB(A).

The use of high-energy Xenon technology supports visibility in large or obstructed areas, including outdoor industrial sites or marine decks. By increasing coverage radius, facilities can reduce the number of installed devices required to meet perceptibility criteria, which can lower installation time and cabling complexity.

Six lens color options support standardized alarm coding schemes used in industrial safety systems.

Application in the Digital Supply Chain
In the context of a digital supply chain, standardized, multi-certified signaling devices simplify global equipment design and deployment. OEMs and plant operators can specify a single device platform for machine safety, hazardous zones, and marine applications, supporting modular system architectures.

For machine builders integrating safety PLCs and distributed I/O systems, SIL2-rated signaling devices provide traceable compliance documentation, facilitating system validation and third-party audits.

Company Background
Pfannenberg, Inc. manufactures thermal management, liquid cooling, and signaling technologies for industrial markets. The company introduced the Filterfan ventilation concept in 1958 and continues to develop enclosure cooling and safety signaling systems for electrical and automation applications.

With the PROTECT Series, the company expands its portfolio of high-output, certified signaling solutions designed for regulated and high-risk industrial environments.

www.pfannenbergusa.com