For a long time, the Ex zone was the poor relation of industrial plants. 'Ex zone' refers to those areas of an industrial plant in which flammable gases, vapors, dusts or mists can potentially form an explosive atmosphere. An explosion can be triggered by sparks, ignition sources or heated surfaces. Strict safety regulations apply to protect people and systems in the Ex zone from damage - including detailed specifications regarding the design and certification of the devices used.

Mobile devices that meet both safety and performance requirements in the context of the smart factory have long been in short supply. For this reason, lone workers in the Ex zone often resorted to pen and paper to record plant data, consult process descriptions or document their work. This analog data had to be taken into the field in advance and/or then laboriously fed back into the systems by hand. The result of this digitalization gap: cumbersome workarounds, media disruptions and sources of error, resulting in inefficiency or even risks.

Security at all levels

For a mobile device such as a smartphone to be used in a hazardous area, it must be certified in accordance with explosion protection standards, for example IECEx (international) or ATEX (for the European area). The following properties are mandatory:

• Robust design: The smartphone must be able to withstand mechanical stresses such as vibrations, shocks or an impact, as well as chemical stresses such as contact with various solvents.
• Sealing: The IP protection must be sufficiently high to prevent dust or liquids from entering the device (i.e. at least IP54, although Pepperl+Fuchs, for example, aims for at least IP64).
• Electrical safety: Electrostatic discharges or sparks can ignite explosive atmospheres and must be prevented at all costs.
• Temperature management: The device - or in particular the rechargeable battery or the battery used - must not overheat under any circumstances. Any heat generated must be safely dissipated.

Other features of the hardware are secondary to the issue of explosion protection, but must nevertheless be present in order to reflect everyday working life in an industrial plant: This includes, for example, an unbreakable, scratch-free smartphone display that can also be operated with gloves or in wet conditions. In addition, the display needs to be particularly bright and contrasty to ensure optimum readability even in direct sunlight.

However, there is more to an all-round secure smartphone for industry than robust and intrinsically safe hardware - as with all digital tools and devices, cyber security and data integrity are a key factor in the smart factory. This means that the security architecture of the operating system must be up to date. Regular over-the-air updates that integrate the devices into a mobile device management (EMM) system close security gaps in the operating system or software before they occur. Technical support is also a non-trivial issue: if there are problems with the device, quick advice is essential in security-critical environments - preferably promptly and in the local language.

Goodbye to the dead zone

With the intrinsically safe "Smart-Ex 03", Pepperl+Fuchs presents a 5G and Wi-Fi 6-capable smartphone for flexible use in public and private networks. Among other things, the 6-inch smartphone offers innovative device health monitoring.

© Pepperl+Fuchs

Radio gaps on industrial sites not only lead to data loss and interrupted communication, but in the worst case can also endanger lives if lone workers cannot call for help immediately in an emergency. In recent decades, radios and, most recently, Tetraf radios have been established as pure communication devices. However, they did not allow group calls across different locations and the search for a free frequency often cost valuable time. With the end of the life cycle of many Tetrafunk devices, Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PTToC) is becoming increasingly popular in the industry. Push-to-talk over cellular simulates the technology of a classic walkie-talkie on a cell phone. One or more predefined subscribers can be reached immediately at the touch of a button, without the classic telephone connection.

PTT can be operated in both public and private mobile networks via WLAN, 4G/LTE or 5G. The standard is therefore falling on fertile ground, as more and more industrial companies are upgrading their communication infrastructure. The stable connectivity ensures uninterrupted and easily understandable conversations. This is particularly valuable in environments with high noise levels, where acoustic misunderstandings can lead to errors or even safety risks. The implementation of location-independent communication using PTT applications takes account of the dynamic work scenarios in Industry 4.0, in which several employees communicate from different locations.

High performance for digital workflows

As the 'Swiss army knife of the smart factory', smartphones must combine functionality, safety, connectivity and performance in a user-friendly, robust device. One example of such a device is the new 'Smart-Ex 03', which is ATEX and IECEx certified. This intrinsically safe smartphone for hazardous areas combines the expertise of Pepperl+Fuchs subsidiaries Ecom Instruments and Aava Mobile. It was developed 100% in Europe to ensure the safety of the hardware and software as well as reliable support. Device health monitoring ensures additional safety and low downtimes in the Ex zone: the hardware monitors itself and has intelligent battery management for optimized runtimes. By supporting communication standards such as 5G, Wi-Fi 6 and PTT, the smartphone ensures smooth communication in public and private mobile networks worldwide. Twelve antennas open up a total of over 55 frequency bands - 24 different 5G bands, 31 different 4G bands and several selected 3G and 2G bands. Thanks to the additional SIM, the network can be changed remotely and without physical replacement. In addition to the dual eSIM, a nano-SIM can also be used if desired.

The author: is Head of Communication at Pepper+Fuchs in Mannheim

© Pepperl+Fuchs

Equipped with Android 13, a Qualcomm Snapdragon QCS 6490 processor, 128 GB RAM and Google ARCore, the smartphone enables smart factory applications such as augmented reality. The combination of a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera provides high-resolution image and video material for documentation, training, scanning or data harvesting. A capacitive 6-inch multi-touch display with a resolution of 1080 × 2160 pixels makes it easy to work with the smartphone - even in direct sunlight, wet conditions or when using gloves. In addition, the smartphone has freely programmable buttons for right-handed and left-handed operation. Video calls with remote support, diagnostic data directly from the system and thus predictive maintenance are easily possible across the entire system site, whether inside or outside the Ex zone.

Pepperl+Fuchs at the SPS 2023: Hall 7A, Booth 246 + 411