Enclosures for oil, gas
& process industries

Process industries demand the right material and clear limits

Oil, gas and chemicals are tough on enclosures: an aggressive atmosphere — salt, chemical mist, condensation — attacks standard coatings within a few years. For these conditions, ZPAS supplies rugged, corrosion-resistant equipment for the areas without explosion risk: process control in the control room and switchgear room, telecontrol and measurement equipment on pipelines, tank farms and compressor stations — in anodised aluminium from the SZD series or in stainless steel AISI 316.

And we say clearly where our enclosures belong — and where they do not: zone-classified areas with explosive atmospheres require specially certified Ex enclosures, which are not part of the ZPAS range. In all other areas of the plant — by far the largest part — ZPAS is at home.

Typical applications

Requirements — clearly classified

Standards & norms

How aggressive a site is, is described by its corrosivity category to EN ISO 12944 — process plants and coastal refineries are frequently in C4 to C5-M. Material and coating are chosen accordingly. The enclosure design itself follows IEC 61439 (switchgear assemblies) and IEC 62208 (empty enclosures); the degree of protection is tested to EN 60529 (stainless steel wall-mounted enclosures SWN Inox IP 65, outdoor enclosures IP 54/55), impact resistance IK10 to EN 62262.

ZPAS deliberately draws one line: use in potentially explosive, zone-classified areas requires specially certified Ex enclosures — these are not part of the ZPAS range. In return, ZPAS covers the entire rest of the plant: control room, switchgear room, field periphery and the outer zones of tank farms. All certificates can be found in the certificates section.

Which enclosure for which area?

Typical project: telecontrol station on a pipeline

Starting point: telecontrol stations (RTUs) along a long-distance gas pipeline are to be modernised. The cabinets stand in open country — sun, frost, salt-laden air, kilometres from the nearest workshop. The measuring point is located in the periphery without explosion risk.

The solution: SZD outdoor enclosures in corrosion-resistant aluminium, IK10, with a thermostat-controlled heater against condensation and cable entry from below. The RTU and communication equipment sits in the periphery, outside the zone-classified area; the uninterruptible supply is provided by a UPS cabinet. Material and coating certificates to EN ISO 12944 are supplied with the plant documentation.

Where our enclosures belong — and where they do not

Honesty saves retrofitting: by far the largest part of a process plant consists of areas without explosion risk — control room, switchgear room, technical buildings, field periphery, outer zones of tank farms. That is exactly where ZPAS is at home with its standard range: corrosion protection, sealing, thermal management, rugged mechanics. The comparatively small zone-classified areas with explosive atmospheres, on the other hand, need specially certified Ex enclosures — ZPAS does not supply these. Drawing this line cleanly and early means planning both areas correctly and avoiding costly surprises: rugged ZPAS equipment wherever no zone certification is required.

Planning checklist: enclosures for oil, gas & process industries

These points should be clarified before the tender:

• Area classification: ZPAS enclosures belong in areas without explosion risk — zone-classified areas with explosive atmospheres need certified Ex enclosures (not in the ZPAS range).
• Corrosivity category: classify the site to EN ISO 12944 (C4/C5-M) — it determines material and coating.
• Choice of material: anodised aluminium (SZD) or stainless steel AISI 316 — depending on medium and cleaning.
• Thermal management: heater against condensation, cooling for heat load, double wall against solar load.
• Degree of protection & mechanics: IP 65 for the SWN Inox, IP 54/55 for the outdoor enclosure, IK10, cable entry from below with reserve.
• Certificates: request declarations of conformity and material certificates for the plant documentation per project.

Why ZPAS

Because every replacement in the field is expensive — and because clear limits build trust: ZPAS designs material, seals and thermal management for decades, says openly where its enclosures belong, and supplies any special size for areas without explosion risk direct from the factory.