An ATEX explosion-proof hoist on a single girder crane starts at roughly $4,000 for a 1 t LB unit and runs to $25,000 for a 20 t LB unit ex-works, per Voitto's 2026 price book [S2]. The LB single-girder frame covers 1-20 t capacity across 7.5-28.5 m spans and 6-30 m lift heights at work duty class A3 [S2].
ATEX and IECEx dual certification on a single explosion-proof crane is available, with Ex d IIB T4 or Ex d IIC T4 marking, depending on the gas group of the site [S2]. For European chemical, paint, and pharmaceutical facilities, this dual marking removes the need to re-spec the hoist when the same unit ships to an IECEx jurisdiction.
Why System-Level Ex Protection Beats a Component Retrofit
Fitting an Ex-rated hoist onto a standard crane frame does not produce a Zone 1-compliant system, because ignition risk lives in the entire electrical path, not just the lifting unit [S2]. A non-Ex limit switch arcing under load, a standard pendant contact sparking, or an unsealed cable gland will all defeat the assembly's protection concept [S2].
The single girder Ex crane bundle must cover the hoist, trolley, bridge motors, control panel, pendant, junction boxes, and cable entries as one certified package, with flameproof (Ex d) enclosures containing any internal ignition event and preventing flame propagation [S5]. Increased-safety (Ex e) terminals and intrinsic-safety (Ex i) energy-limited control circuits are layered on top, so that no single component is the system's weak link [S5].
ATEX vs IECEx vs GB: Which Certification System Applies
ATEX 2014/34/EU governs equipment placed on the EU and UK market, IECEx is the international IEC-based scheme accepted in most non-EU jurisdictions, and GB 3836 covers equipment installed in mainland China [S2]. For a single girder crane destined for multi-region plant rosters, dual ATEX + IECEx marking on the same nameplate avoids a second purchase for IECEx-only sites [S2].
Three documents must arrive with the crane before payment: the ATEX EU Type Examination certificate covering Ex d marking, the IECEx Certificate of Conformity (CoC) issued by an ExTL, and the manufacturer's internal production-quality assurance notification (ATEX QAN or IECEx QAR) [S2]. Without the QAN/QAR trail, the type certificate alone does not authorize the serial number on the nameplate [S2].
Gas Group IIB vs IIC and Temperature Class Selection
Gas group IIB covers ethylene, propylene, and most common solvent vapours, while gas group IIC is required for hydrogen, acetylene, and carbon disulphide, which have the lowest ignition energies [S4][S5]. Temperature class T4 caps surface temperature at 135°C, which covers the majority of hydrocarbon service; T6 (85°C) is the tightest and is specified for sites with the lowest auto-ignition margins [S4][S5].
Selection is a simple logic ladder: identify the gas group from the process MSDS, look up the required temperature class from the gas auto-ignition temperature minus a 50-100°C margin, and confirm the crane's Ex d IIB T4 (or IIC T4) nameplate matches both. A T4 rating in an IIC service is a non-compliant install even if every other component is correct [S4].
Single Girder vs Double Girder: When the LB Series Fits
The LB single girder is the right answer for 1-20 t loads at spans up to 28.5 m and lift heights up to 30 m, in pharmaceutical, paint-shop, fuel-storage, and light-chemical service [S2]. A3 duty class is correct for these intermittent-duty environments; pushing an LB crane into A5 or higher cycles with a wire-rope hoist will overheat the motor and void the Ex temperature class rating [S2].
For loads above 20 t, spans above 28.5 m, or A5-A7 duty profiles, the QB double girder (5-320 t, 10.5-37.5 m span, A5-A7) is the correct specification, not a larger single girder [S2]. For hazardous-area engineers cross-referencing crane config against the bridge bearing and drivetrain, bearing geometry and pairing logic also shapes trolley wheel life in Ex service.
Hoist Type: Chain, Wire Rope, and Pneumatic Alternatives
For 1-5 t Ex hoists, electric chain hoists dominate because the compact headroom suits single girder bridge profiles, and the chain itself can be specified in spark-resistant material [S1][S4]. For 5-20 t on a single girder, an Ex wire rope hoist is the more common selection because rope diameter and drum size scale better above 5 t than chain pitch [S2].
Pneumatic and hydraulic Ex hoists are the third path, used where the site rule is "no electricity in the hazardous area at all" [S3]. J.D. Neuhaus builds ATEX crane systems around compressed-air or hydraulic drives, which contain no electrical ignition sources and can run at a 100% duty cycle without motor overheating [S3]. The trade-off is lower lifting speed and a dependency on clean, dry, lubricated compressed air at the supply line.
Zone Classification and Component-Level Ex Markings
ATEX Zone 1 / IECEx Zone 1 means an explosive gas atmosphere is likely during normal operation, and Zone 2 means it is unlikely and, if present, short-lived [S4][S5]. Most overhead crane applications sit in Zone 1, Zone 2, Zone 21 (combustible dust likely), or Zone 22 (combustible dust briefly present); Zone 0 and Zone 20 are rare for cranes because the crane itself cannot tolerate continuous gas exposure [S5].
Component-level Ex markings follow the same pattern: Ex d IIB T4 motors with reinforced terminal boxes, PTC thermistor temperature sensors, and certified cable glands at every conduit entry [S5]. The hoist hook in Zone 1 and 2 gas service must be copper-beryllium or another non-sparking alloy, and trolley and bridge travel wheels need anti-static tyres or special bearing seals to suppress static discharge [S5]. For the bearing housing and anti-static wheel spec itself, the ISO 6000/6200/6300 bore-and-OD chart is the standard reference when sizing replacement units.
Cost vs Value: Where the Money Actually Goes
The cheapest Ex single girder crane at $4,000 (1 t LB) and the top-of-range $25,000 (20 t LB) differ in main girder steel mass, hoist capacity, and control sophistication, not in the Ex marking itself [S2]. The Ex protection package, including the flameproof enclosures, certified cable glands, and documentation trail, is a roughly 15-25% adder on the equivalent standard EOT crane, and it is largely insensitive to capacity within the single girder range [S2].
Where Ex procurement goes wrong is in the hidden cost of retrofit rework: a standard pendant swapped for a certified one, an unsealed junction box replaced, and on-site Ex re-inspection by a notified body [S2]. Specifying the full system Ex-marked from the factory is cheaper than retrofit-and-certify on site, and it shortens the mechanical completion to commissioning gap by weeks [S2]. For complete control panel design, the arc-welder power sizing reference is the right cross-reference for supply-breaker and feeder-cable sizing on the Ex crane's power feed.
Limitations and Failure Modes of Single Girder Ex Cranes
The LB single girder's A3 duty class is the binding constraint; it is not a universal answer for higher-cycle Ex plants, where the A3 motor will overheat and the T4 surface-temperature rating becomes unenforceable [S2]. Stepping up to an A5-A7 duty profile requires the QB double girder, not a beefed-up LB [S2].
Field-side failure modes concentrate on cable gland sealing, limit-switch replacement, and pendant-station damage, all of which can defeat the Ex concept if non-Ex parts are substituted during repair [S2]. Spare-part procurement should be locked to the original manufacturer's Ex part numbers; a "will-fit" non-Ex pendant is the most common cause of certification withdrawal in service [S2].
For European Zone 1/21 plants buying through the 2026-Q3 window, the actionable signals are: confirm ATEX + IECEx dual marking on the nameplate, demand the EU Type Examination + QAN and IECEx CoC + QAR together, and lock the hoist type (chain below 5 t, wire rope above 5 t, pneumatic for no-electricity sites) before the RFQ is issued [S2][S3][S5].
Detailed specification references: single girder crane, explosion proof, and explosion proof button.