Fine coal dust that works into everything
Dust penetrates seams and ports, and settled layers insulate heat. IP68 sealing is the design starting point; the surface temperature class on the certificate is the number the dust engineer checks.
China · Coal Mining
Explosion proof mobile phone for coal mining in China
China mines more coal than any other country, mostly across Shanxi, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and Shandong. This page explains where an explosion proof mobile phone in China can be used in the coal chain, which parts of it fall under mining rules instead, and what the IS-04Z1 is and is not designed for. The IS-04Z1 is designed around intrinsic safety rather than a flameproof enclosure.
Launching Q4 2026 · NEPSI certification programme in progress
Local approvalNEPSI · IECExIECEx · NEPSI in progress
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
The sector · Coal
Explosion proof mobile phone for coal mining in China: surface, plant and underground are different rules
The first distinction is the one a Chinese safety engineer makes immediately. Underground coal mines are Group I mining atmospheres, methane and coal dust together, and equipment for them carries a coal mine safety mark (the MA mark) issued through China's mining product certification system, with Ex marking such as Ex ib I Mb. Everything above ground, such as coal preparation plants, conveyor galleries, loading stations, power station fuel handling and coal chemical plants, is classified like other industry, Group II, with Zone 21 or 22 for dust and Zone 1 or 2 for gas. Surface mine gas drainage pump stations also sit in this second group. The IS-04Z1 design target is Zone 1 and Zone 21, Group II. It is not designed or certified for underground working faces, and we are not claiming it is. The pages on the large producers show how the sector divides in practice.
Operators and regions
- China Energy Investment Corporation
- The largest group, with Shendong and the Inner Mongolia open pits. See the explosion proof phone for China Energy page.
- China Coal Energy
- Large state coal group with mines in Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and elsewhere.
- Shaanxi Coal and Chemical Industry
- Mining and coal chemical operations around Yulin and Weinan.
- Shanxi Coking Coal Group
- Coking coal mines and washing plants in Shanxi.
- Yankuang Energy
- Shandong-based coal group with mines in several provinces.
- Contract mining and equipment firms
- Stripping, hauling and maintenance contractors on surface mines.
Where each regime applies
- Underground faces and roadways
- Group I mining rules, MA mark; outside the IS-04Z1 design target.
- Surface mine gas drainage stations
- Methane from degasification, Zone 1 or 2 depending on layout.
- Coal preparation plants
- Dry screening, crushing and conveying; dust in Zone 21 or 22.
- Loading stations and train loadout
- Dust generated as coal drops into wagons.
- Power station fuel handling
- Bunkers, mills and conveyors under general industrial rules.
- Coal chemical plants
- Gas groups up to IIC with separate dust areas.
- Mine offices and workshops
- Safe areas, where the phone is simply a phone.
Built for local conditions
What coal sites do to a handset
Dust, distance and winter. These apply on the surface as much as underground.
IP ratingIP68
Battery4,000 mAh
Camera50 MP
OSAndroid 16
Opencast scale
Large pits and haul roads mean long distances and few fixed landmarks. Four-constellation GNSS records positions, and the 50 MP camera records what a fault looks like.
Continental winters
Shanxi, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia see hard winters. Cold shortens battery life, and the certificate will state the temperature range once testing is complete.
Shifts that run continuously
Mines and preparation plants run around the clock, with maintenance packed into scheduled stoppages. The 4,000 mAh cell is specified to cover a shift.
Fleet management across a province
EMM and MDM enrolment lets an operator manage handsets across several mines and plants from an existing console, including switching the camera off where site rules require.
Rules and access
Mining safety rules and what suppliers are asked for
Coal mine safety in China is governed by dedicated regulation, and mining products used underground need the safety mark from the mining certification system, with testing by bodies such as the coal mine explosion-proof test centre at Fushun alongside NEPSI for general Ex equipment, as trade sources describe. Each large coal group runs its own procurement and may add internal approval lists. We have not verified a published handset-supplier registration programme at any group and do not name one. Ask the group's procurement and safety teams which area the handset will enter, which certificates that area requires, and whether a China-registered supplier is needed. NEPSI is among the certification routes in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
Surface01
Coal preparation plant rounds
An operator walks screening and crushing floors, photographs a worn chute or dust build-up and logs positions for the maintenance system. The area is classified for dust, and the handset is used under that classification.
Logistics02
Train loading and stockyards
A loadout supervisor records wagon sequences and spillage with photographs from the same device. Dust control and area classification are set by the site.
Power and chemical03
Fuel handling and chemical turnarounds
A station or coal chemical plant uses the same handset across fuel handling, mills and process units during outages, with the camera and applications managed centrally.
Questions · Coal mining
Frequently asked questions
Will the IS-04Z1 be certified for underground coal mines?
The current design target is Zone 1 and Zone 21, Group II. Underground mining is Group I with a separate safety mark, and any such certification would be a separate programme that we have not announced.
What is the MA mark?
It is the safety mark that China's mining product certification system applies to products used in coal mines. Underground equipment needs it in addition to the Ex marking.
Does coal dust need a different temperature class from gas?
Often it does. Dust layers and clouds are assessed against surface temperature, so the T-class on the certificate has to be checked against the site's dust classification.
Is the IS-04Z1 certified for any coal site yet?
No. It is pre-launch and certification is in progress ahead of Q4 2026. Do not take it into a classified area before the certificate exists.
Enquiry · Coal Mining
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Coal Mining, China
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 China. 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 · Coal 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.