Air motors with certification ATEX: solutions for every application

Discover the latest case study concerning the handling of the rubber track installed on a robot

Fiam pneumatic motors are designed to be integrated in the variety of different machines.

Customer’s need

The customer designs and produces robots for cleaning underground and underwater tanks. The liquids to be cleaned and eliminated, contained in the tanks, can be of different types: muddy water, food deposits and above all, liquids present in refineries or fuel deposits. These semi-liquid residues can be aspirated or removed, depending on robot type. Robots are entirely made of stainless steel and compact to reach and operate in narrow spaces.

Customer need is to generate the motion necessary to move the track where the robot is installed, which needs to move at a regular speed suitable for operating environment. For that purpose Fiam air motor is connected to the speed reducer.

As previously mentioned, all components installed on the robots, including pneumatic motors, must be in high quality stainless steel and with Atex certification which declares that the product can be used in explosive environments.

What are the features that influence air motor choice?

Stainless steel air motor avoids corrosion problems and is therefore suitable for frequent cleaning and sterilization activities. Furthermore, the main feature of this motor type (as well as this application) is the remote activation: from an external command station from which the operator manages each operational phase in a safe position.

Critical factor of the application is the length of the compressed air supply hose that connect the compressor with the air motor, a situation that can lead to a high-pressure loss.

Fiam engineers’ team has solved the problem in design phase: by creating a motor that ensures starting even at low supply pressures and that guarantees reliable performance even in humid and highly corrosive environments. Results that electrical components would not be able to achieve nor to ensure the high safety standard in the necessary time.

Guaranteeing Atex certification and highly customized solutions allows Fiam to create various applications in fields such as petrochemicals and piping (a system of pipes used to convey liquid and gaseous fluids) where are used devices for cleaning pipes and tubes.