ATEX Zone 2/22 Explosion-Proof Tablets for Fragrance Manufacturing: Case Study

Hours

In flavour and fragrance manufacturing, quality is decided by grams. A batch is only as good as the last weighing, and when weight data and mixing proportions are written down on paper, the finished product quality deviates before anyone notices.

Comtrol Solutions needed a terminal that could sit next to an industrial scale in a potentially explosive atmosphere. The company deployed the TERVEX I17J (EX), a 10.1-inch Windows rugged tablet certified for ATEX Zone 2/22.

Challenge: Paper Records Caused Batch Deviations and Low Efficiency

In the past, the traditional paper-and-pencil method was used to record the weight data and mixing proportion of essence and spice, which led to deviation in the quality of finished products and low production efficiency.

The production room is a hazardous area, so the device itself has to provide explosion protection - a standard tablet cannot be used there at all.

Raw material handling area at a flavour and fragrance production plant

Solution: I17J (EX) Tablets Connected to Industrial Scales

The I17J (EX) is connected to an industrial electronic scale to weigh each raw material accurately according to the formula requirements; the measured weight data is transmitted to the tablet in real time.

Specialised spice-making software is installed on the I17J (EX). Operators record weighing data, mix ingredients, and subsequently complete mixing and blending.

After production, the operator samples and evaluates the product, records and analyses test data through the tablet, and helps production personnel adjust the production process in a timely manner.

After leaving the manufacturing room, the operator uses the built-in RS232 serial port of the I17J (EX) to export all weight, ingredient and test data for future traceability.

The RS232 export matters for audits: weight, ingredient and test data leave the production room as a file rather than as a stack of sheets, so a batch can be reconstructed later without searching paper archives.

Results: Traceable Weighing and Mixing Data With Zone 2/22 Protection

Operators weigh and mix raw materials accurately according to the formula requirements, improving the accuracy, consistency and quality stability of the production process.

Real-time recording and storage of data during production and testing makes the whole process traceable and improves the controllability of production.

The I17J (EX) has passed ATEX Zone 2/22 explosion-proof certification, providing effective explosion protection in potentially flammable and explosive environments.

Hardware: I17J (EX) 10.1-Inch Windows Rugged Tablet

Go to I17J
  • Passed ATEX Zone 2/22 explosion-proof certification
  • Intel Jasper Lake platform processor, Celeron N5100
  • 10.1-inch FHD screen, 1920 x 1200, 10-point touch
  • Dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, 4G support
  • USB Type-A / Type-C with 3.0/3.1 support
  • Choose one of three expansion interfaces: standard network port, optional DB9 or USB
  • Detachable battery
  • IP65 protection and MIL-STD-810G
  • Operator in clean-room PPE weighing ingredients with a TERVEX I17J EX tablet
  • TERVEX I17J (EX) ATEX Zone 2/22 explosion-proof rugged tablet, front and back

FAQ

The production room is a potentially explosive atmosphere, so the device itself must provide explosion protection. The I17J (EX) has passed ATEX Zone 2/22 certification for exactly this environment.

The I17J (EX) connects to an industrial electronic scale and receives weight data in real time; after production, the built-in RS232 serial port is used to export all weight, ingredient and test data.

Because weights are captured in real time against the formula instead of being written on paper, the process becomes more accurate, consistent and traceable - the three causes of batch deviation are removed at the source.