Leader in products and technologies for installation in hazardous areas with the presence of gas or conductive dusts for over 100 years.
Headquartered in Waldenburg, Germany, the company is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Ex-certified products for automation, control and power distribution, installation, lighting, and visual-acoustic signaling. Specifically in the field of process automation, R. STAHL manufactures certified equipment for explosion-risk areas, such as HMIs, galvanic isolators, Wireless LAN access points, Remote I/Os, signal converters, and CCTV systems.
With its continuously evolving range of HMIs, R. STAHL is able to provide products and solutions across various industrial process applications, particularly in the Oil & Gas, Chemical, and Pharmaceutical industries.
HMI devices for Ex environments are typically not modular in design. To meet certification requirements, they are often built as fully encapsulated units, forming a single solid device. In the rare cases where modular construction is used, the individual components are usually connected by multiple cables, resulting in more complex installation and a higher risk of errors.
With the launch of its new ORCA HMI series, R. STAHL has introduced the innovative “EasyConnect click-fit” system, splitting the device into two separate units: the E-Box, which houses the computer or thin client electronics, and the D-Box, which includes the display and multi-touch screen. These two module types come in various versions (e.g., E-Boxes with different processing power, displays of different sizes) and are interchangeable and combinable, allowing for flexibility during installation, maintenance, repairs, and technology upgrades.
The D-Box and E-Box can be disconnected and replaced in the field without unplugging any cables or removing the HMI from its mounted position. Additionally, the ORCA panel-mount devices are significantly lighter and easier to handle compared to other Ex-certified visualization solutions.
ORCA is available in three display sizes (12″, 15″, and 22″) and with two different E-Box options.
The Standard E-Box features an Intel® Atom™ processor and a single Ethernet port, while the Pro E-Box is designed for demanding applications and comes equipped with an Intel® Core™ i5 processor and multiple network interfaces—1000Base-TX, 1000Base-SX, or 1000Base-LX—as well as serial ports and USB interfaces.
R. STAHL HMIs can be equipped with an integrated contactless RFID card reader, allowing operators to log into control systems without typing passwords on a keyboard or touchscreen—a highly requested feature in the pharmaceutical industry.
The ruggedness of the ORCA platform is ensured through details such as its scratch- and solvent-resistant glass/polyester front panel. The devices are UV-resistant and, in terms of their front surfaces, GMP- and clean-room-compliant. The displays are high-brightness and easily readable, supporting various resolutions to meet the requirements of different application software. The multi-touch screens allow familiar smartphone gestures such as swiping, scrolling, and zooming, and can also be operated while wearing gloves.
Environmental sustainability has always been a priority for R. STAHL. In addition to being free of hazardous substances, the devices are designed to facilitate recycling of individual components. The explosion protection system, which uses sand instead of resin, typically allows for the repair of defective internal components rather than their replacement.
Finally, ORCA HMIs feature energy-efficient components, automatic brightness adjustment, screen dimming, and fanless operation—all of which contribute to a reduced CO₂ footprint.
As wireless network solutions, R. STAHL offers WLAN Access Points for installation in ATEX Zone 1 / 21 (in Ex d enclosures) and Zone 2 / 22 (Ex e).
Key Features:
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Robust housing made of stainless steel or GRP (glass fiber reinforced plastic), with IP66 protection rating, and an operating temperature range from -40 to +60 °C.
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Solutions can also be based on customer-preferred IT hardware, such as industry-standard devices like the Cisco 2802i or 2802e, which are mounted and tested by R. STAHL in-house.
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Antenna connections: 2 x RP-SMA sockets
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Available in versions with 1 or 2 external omnidirectional antennas for 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz bands.
By using the HF Isolator accessory (type 9730), which limits radio signal power, it is possible to use standard coaxial connectors and industrial-grade antennas in hazardous areas. A wide range of ATEX-rated “simple apparatus” RF coaxial cables and antennas is also available, including options for offshore applications.
For wired network connections, R. STAHL’s catalog includes certified devices for ATEX Zone 2, such as Ethernet switches (managed and unmanaged) and media converters, with connectivity options for both fiber optic (single-mode and multi-mode, Ex op is) and copper.
Finally, the product portfolio is completed by:
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The 8186 splice box series for fiber optic cable termination, and
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The 8187 Ethernet terminal, certified for installation in Zone 1.
Since its founding in 2018, R. STAHL has been a core member of the APL Project, which is dedicated to defining, engineering, and promoting the adoption of Ethernet-APL—a new, advanced physical layer for two-wire Ethernet (single-pair) based on 10BASE-T1L.
Ethernet-APL enables reliable communication for process control applications, including those in hazardous (Ex) areas, over cable lengths of up to 1,000 meters, at a speed of 10 Mbit/s full-duplex—over 300 times faster than legacy technologies such as HART or Fieldbus. It supports standard application-layer protocols like EtherNet/IP, HART-IP, OPC-UA, and PROFINET. To ensure interoperability and replaceability between devices from different manufacturers, certification and testing specifications will be provided. Connection methods include well-known, field-proven solutions: spring or screw terminals, and M8 or M12 connectors. Additional features include support for up to 50 Ethernet-APL devices per network segment and options for high availability (via controller or physical media redundancy).
STAHL has also recently updated its Remote I/O CPUs for Zone 1 signal management.
The IS1+ Remote I/O system, designed for use in ATEX Zone 1 and Zone 2 hazardous areas, offers various options for interfacing field devices using standard networking technologies. This is achieved through a wide range of I/O modules for intrinsically safe and non-intrinsically safe signal acquisition and control—including analog, digital, and temperature signals (thermocouples/RTDs).
In addition to Modbus RTU and PROFIBUS DP, the system supports Ethernet-based communication protocols (Modbus TCP, EtherNet/IP, and PROFINET), ensuring easy future migration without the need to replace the communication module.
The new Zone 1 Ethernet CPU supports dual RJ45 copper ports, enabling star, daisy-chain, or ring topologies with CPU, power supply, and I/O module redundancy options. It also adopts the new Ethernet Ex i 4-wire standard, 100BASE-TX-IS.
A converter from 100BASE-TX-IS to 100BASE-FX fiber optic is also being released, extending the distance from the copper standard 100 meters to up to 30 km. An integrated web server simplifies commissioning and system status diagnostics. The CPU supports up to 16 I/O modules.
Key user benefits of the IS1+ system include:
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Multifunction DI/DO and AI/AO I/O modules, where each channel can be individually configured as input or output.
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Mixed input/output modules enable efficient solutions for low signal count applications, reducing the number of modules needed and minimizing spare parts inventory costs.
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Predictive maintenance alerts (“End of Service Life”) are available—triggered up to 12 months in advance, locally indicated by a blue LED and communicated to the upper-level control system (in compliance with Namur NE107).
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Operating temperature range from -40°C to +75°C, with a designed service life of 15 years.
STAHL also offers a wide range of fully customizable enclosures for Remote I/O—available in GRP or stainless steel, tailored to specific customer requirements.
Get in touch!
R. STAHL S.R.L socio unico
Centro Milanofiori, Strada 6, Palazzo N1 |20089 Rozzano (MI) | Italia
Tel. +39 02 55308024
sales.it@r-stahl.com
www.stahl.it
