ATEX IBC Mixer MKE-10000 Ex (Zone 1, Separate Control Box)
The MKE-10000 Ex covers the same Zone 1 atmosphere as our flagship MKE-10000 Ex Full ATEX. Same ATEX marking: II 2G Ex h IIB T4 Gb under Directive 2014/34/EU. Same flammable-vapour atmospheres. Same ethanol, solvent paint, polyester resin applications.
What is different is where the control box goes. On the Full ATEX version, everything is ATEX-certified (motor, control box, cables, switches) and the whole unit sits inside the zone. On the MKE-10000 Ex, the mixer body is certified, but the control box must be installed outside the Ex zone. In practice this means roughly 1.5 m from the IBC, depending on which flammable medium is in the tote and how your hazardous-area document classifies the surrounding atmosphere.
This is the only IBC mixer in our range built this way. Every other ATEX-rated model has the control box integrated on the transport bridge.
Why customers pick this version
Two reasons, both practical.
The first is price. The control box on the Full ATEX version is ATEX-certified itself, with the documentation and traceability that goes with it. The control box on the MKE-10000 Ex is standard execution because it sits outside the zone. That saves a meaningful share of the unit cost. If your hall layout allows you to keep the control panel 1.5 m off the IBC, you pay for that constraint with a lower invoice.
The second is weight. The Full ATEX control box is heavier than a standard one. The ATEX directive requires reinforced housings, certified components and specific cable glands, and all of that adds mass. That weight sits on the transport bridge, on top of the IBC. The MKE-10000 Ex keeps the heavy bits off the bridge, so the mixer body is lighter to lift onto the tote. Operators who handle this daily notice the difference, especially when they are setting up the mixer solo.
The trade-off, stated honestly
You need somewhere to mount the control box. About 1.5 m of free space outside the Ex zone, with cable run between the box and the mixer. If your IBC stands in the middle of a paint kitchen with the entire room classified as Zone 1, the box has nowhere to go. You need the Full ATEX instead. If the Zone 1 area is limited to the immediate volume around the tote and there is a wall or stand a couple of metres away that sits outside the classified zone, the MKE-10000 Ex is the right pick.
The exact distance depends on your medium. Ethanol vapours behave differently from heavy solvent vapours. Your hazardous-area zoning document, drawn up by your facility's process safety engineer, defines the boundary. We do not redo that classification, but we can adapt the cable length and the box mounting to what your drawing says.
Where this mixer works
- Solvent paint and varnish production where the Zone 1 atmosphere is contained around the IBC station, with room nearby for the control box.
- Ethanol and ester-based chemistry in halls with clearly delineated Ex zones.
- Polyester and epoxy resin batches with styrene vapours, again with Ex boundaries that allow the control box outside.
- Coating manufacturers who want full Zone 1 ATEX coverage but are watching budget on a multi-station deployment.
- Operations where the IBC mixer changes between totes daily and the lighter body is worth it for the operator.
Specifications
| Max. viscosity |
10,000 mPa*s (cP) |
| Drive |
electric 400 V three-phase, ATEX execution on the mixer body |
| Motor power |
1.5 kW (~2 HP) |
| Motor type |
Ex d flameproof, TEFC, IP65 |
| Speed |
200 rpm (3 mechanical speeds: 140 / 200 / 280) |
| ATEX marking |
II 2G Ex h IIB T4 Gb — Zone 1 and Zone 2 (gas) |
| Control box |
standard execution, mounted SEPARATELY OUTSIDE the Ex zone (typical distance from the IBC: ~1.5 m, varies with medium) |
| Connection |
cable run between mixer body and control box, length specified per installation |
| Propeller |
folding ∅350 mm, 316Ti, earthed |
| Shaft |
stainless steel, earthed |
| Bridge |
1.4301 stainless steel with earthing strap connection point |
| Documentation |
CE + ATEX Declaration of Conformity, per unit |
| IBC compatibility |
Mauser, Schütz, Werit, Sotralentz, Ecobulk, Van Leer, Greif — DN150 |
| Lead time |
6–8 weeks (ATEX documentation per unit) |
How to choose between MKE-10000 Ex and Full ATEX
The medium and the zone class are the same on both — that does not steer the decision. The questions to ask yourself are about the hall:
- Is there 1.5 m of unclassified space within cable reach of where the IBC sits?
- Can the operator route the cable safely between the IBC station and that space?
- Does the lower mixer weight matter for your daily operation — for example, if one person sets up the mixer solo on each tote changeover?
Three yeses and the MKE-10000 Ex saves money and reduces the operator's lift weight. Any no and the Full ATEX is the right answer.
Related models
- MKE-10000 Ex Full ATEX — same Zone 1 coverage, control box on the bridge.
- MKE-10000 — non-ATEX version for non-flammable media.
- MKP-5000 Ex — pneumatic Zone 1 alternative if you have compressed air and lower viscosity.
Full range on the IBC mixers category page.
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