Zone 21/22 dust rating for ore processing
Copper concentrator and crushing circuits generate combustible dust, and the IS-04Z1's Zone 21 / Zone 22 target addresses these processing stages across the major Chilean copper operations.
Chile · Mining
Explosion proof mobile phone for mining in Chile
An explosion proof mobile phone for mining in Chile has to cope with two very different operations at extreme altitude in the Atacama Desert: hard-rock copper extraction at sites such as Chuquicamata, Escondida and Collahuasi, and brine-based lithium evaporation on the salt flats. Dust is the shared hazard, but altitude, aridity and process differences shape how a device gets specified. The IS-04Z1 is designed around intrinsic safety rather than a flameproof enclosure.
Launching Q4 2026 · IECEx dust-rating programme in progress
Local approvalSEC · IECExIECEx · SEC in progress
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
Why it fits mining
Built for high-altitude desert mining, both hard-rock and brine
Chile's copper belt and lithium salt flats sit at some of the highest working altitudes in the global mining industry, in one of the driest environments on Earth.
High-altitude operating conditions
Escondida and Collahuasi sit above 3,000 metres, and Chuquicamata above 2,800, altitudes that affect battery performance and component behaviour differently from a sea-level or low-altitude industrial site, a factor built into the device's environmental testing.
Extreme aridity and UV exposure
The Atacama is among the driest deserts on Earth with intense solar UV exposure, conditions that accelerate wear on seals and displays differently from a humid or coastal industrial environment.
A distinct brine-evaporation process for lithium
Lithium extraction on the salt flats uses solar evaporation ponds rather than hard-rock crushing, introducing a different, hypersaline environmental exposure ahead of any dust hazard at the processing plant.
Fleet management across a dispersed high-desert footprint
EMM and MDM enrolment supports an operator managing devices across geographically separated, high-altitude mine sites from one console.
Who runs it
Mining operators in Chile
Chile's mining sector combines the world's largest state copper miner with major multinational and private operators.
- Codelco
- State copper miner operating Chuquicamata, El Teniente and other major divisions.
- BHP / Minera Escondida
- Operator of Escondida, the world's largest copper mine.
- SQM
- Lithium and potassium extraction on the Atacama salt flats.
- Certification target
- IECEx Certificate of Conformity covering the dust-hazard scope, with environmental testing addressing high-altitude and extreme-aridity conditions.
Operators and sites
Who needs an explosion proof mobile phone in Chilean mining
Chile's mining workforce is spread across a long desert belt and the central Andes. The mining regulator, Sernageomin, oversees safety, and each company runs its own equipment approval on top of it. The operators below are the ones whose sites an evaluator would visit.
Operators and sites
- Codelco
- State copper company with northern and central divisions.
- BHP at Escondida
- Operated with Rio Tinto and Japanese partners.
- Collahuasi
- Joint venture of Anglo American and Glencore.
- Antofagasta Minerals
- Los Pelambres, Centinela and others.
- Teck at Quebrada Blanca
- Northern copper operation.
- SQM and Albemarle
- Lithium and potassium brine on the Atacama salt flat.
Where classification arises
- Concentrator reagent rooms
- Flammable flotation reagents in storage and dosing.
- SX-EW plants
- Organic diluent, a liquid-vapour area.
- Smelters and refineries
- Fuel gas and process gas systems.
- Fuel bays
- Diesel for open-pit and underground fleets.
- Lithium and potassium dryers
- Combustible salt dust and fuel-gas supply.
- Ports such as Mejillones
- Concentrate loading and fuel storage on the coast.
How the work is organised
Remote shifts, long distances and contractor-heavy campaigns
Mine sites in Chile are remote from the coast, with camps, rotating shifts and long transfers. The handset has to survive that way of working as much as the classified area.
Concentrators01
Rounds in dust and noise
A concentrator operator moves between crushing, grinding and flotation areas. IP68 sealing is designed for fine dust that gets into every seam, while enrolment in an existing console keeps the fleet under control.
Maintenance02
Planned stoppages
Mills and crushers are relined during stoppages that bring large contractor crews. Photographs of wear and a logged position support the maintenance planner at the same time.
Brine03
Pond fields and drying plants
Brine operators drive long routes between ponds and plants. Four-constellation GNSS puts a coordinate on a pump or pond inspection where there are few landmarks. See the explosion proof phone for SQM for the lithium side.
Questions · Mining
Frequently asked questions
Is the IS-04Z1 certified for mining use in Chile yet?
No. The device is pre-launch and the IECEx dust-rating scope is still in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
Does high altitude affect the device's rating?
Altitude affects environmental and battery performance testing rather than the Ex classification itself; the certificate will state its exact scope and test conditions once issued.
Is lithium extraction the same hazard class as copper mining?
Both fall under combustible-dust classification at their respective processing plants, though the brine-evaporation stage of lithium extraction is a distinct process from hard-rock copper crushing.
Does one device work across Chile's major mining regions?
Yes, the Zone 21/22 dust rating is intended to cover the processing plants of both the northern copper belt and the Atacama lithium operations.
Which Chilean mining sites sit highest?
Escondida and Collahuasi are above 3,000 metres and Chuquicamata above 2,800. Altitude affects battery and environmental testing rather than the Ex classification itself.
Do we need different handsets for copper and lithium?
No. The Zone 1 and Zone 21 design target covers both, though the pond fields themselves are largely not classified and the plants are where the rating matters.
Where do we start with a specific operator?
Read the operator page first, such as the explosion proof phone for Codelco, then ask that operator's procurement and HSE teams for their equipment approval route.
Enquiry · Mining
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Mining, Chile
Tell us the site, the zone and gas group, and roughly how many handsets. The SAMS team replies by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule for Chile. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and certification is in progress, so there is no list price yet; indicative pricing is issued in writing against a stated quantity and site.
Enquiry · Mining
Launching Q4 2026
Evaluating the IS-04Z1 for this site?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule for your market.