When an operations manager says "we need an ATEX robot for Zone 1," the most expensive mistake you can make is to treat that as a procurement specification. It is a working environment requirement. The robot has to enter the area, do useful work, leave, charge, and be re-entered — every shift — without becoming an ignition source under any documented fault condition. That is a different problem than a one-off demonstration in a vendor showroom.
Zone classification, in one paragraph
IEC 60079-10 defines hazardous areas by the probability of an explosive atmosphere being present. Zone 0 is continuous or long-term, Zone 1 is likely during normal operation, Zone 2 is unlikely and short-lived. Most refinery and petrochemical inspection routes are Zone 1, with specific tasks (vessel entry, certain sampling points) dropping into Zone 0. The robot platform itself does not have to be rated for Zone 0 unless it is required to enter it — usually it is not, because the inspection task is performed in Zone 1 by design.
What "ATEX" actually certifies
The ATEX / IECEx mark on a quadruped certifies the equipment under a specific equipment protection level (EPL) and a specific type of protection — most commonly Ex d (flameproof enclosure) for the battery and motor housings, Ex e (increased safety) for cabling and junction boxes, and Ex i (intrinsic safety) for any circuit that could legitimately see a spark under fault. The certification document — not the marketing brochure — lists the exact certified configuration, the ambient temperature range, and the gases covered by the gas group.
The questions that matter in a real audit: which gases are covered, what ambient temperature range is certified, and does the configuration match what is actually being shipped. Adding a payload after the fact — even a small camera — can void the certification unless the payload is also listed in the certificate or is itself separately certified.
Three places integrators cut corners
1. Payload is added without re-certification
Thermal cameras, gas detectors, two-way audio, and additional lights are mounted on top of the robot after the ATEX certificate is issued. Each of these is a potential ignition source if it faults, and the original certification did not cover them. Either the payload is itself Ex-certified (rare, expensive), or it must be proven non-incendive under the operating conditions — which most integrators do not do. Ask for the certificate that includes the actual shipped configuration.
2. Charging happens in the wrong place
An ATEX robot charged in a Zone 1 area is still an ignition source during the charge cycle — the contacts, the inrush, the heat. The correct design puts the dock in a Zone 2 area or a dedicated non-classified battery room, with the robot driven in and out under its own power. If the integrator's plan puts the charger inside Zone 1, the certification story is incomplete.
3. The maintenance envelope is ignored
Every certified enclosure has a documented maintenance envelope — bolt torques, gasket inspection intervals, what happens if a fastener is dropped. A real deployment needs trained local staff, a written procedure, and a spares list that matches the certificate. "We will handle maintenance remotely" is not a credible plan for a Zone 1 area where the operator's HSE department will be auditing your work every quarter.
What a credible deployment looks like
When the project is done properly, you will see:
- ATEX / IECEx certificate number on the robot, the dock, and every payload, matching the gas group of the specific site
- Charger installed in a Zone 2 or non-classified location, with documented gas-test procedure before the robot enters Zone 1
- Written maintenance plan with local staff, training records, and a spares kit on the operator's site
- Hazardous-area classification drawing showing the planned route and the dock location, signed by the operator's safety engineer
That is the standard to hold an integrator to. Anything less is a sticker on a brochure.
How QINQI approaches this
We do not build the robot; we build the working inspection system. That means we start from the operator's area classification drawing, the gas groups in scope, and the maintenance envelope they are willing to staff. We then select a platform whose certification actually matches — and we keep the payload list honest. When the certificate has to be re-issued to add a sensor, we go back through the certifying body rather than mounting the sensor and hoping nobody asks. The result is a system the operator's HSE auditor signs off on the first time, not the third.
QINQI deploys Zone 1–aware inspection across oil & gas, power grids, mining, fire & rescue, nuclear and rail. For the procurement and budgeting side, see our notes on building a TCO model and writing an inspection robot specification.