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Introduction to JPEx Certification

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updated: Oct 30, 2024

Table of Contents

Introduction and Basics

Standards(JPEx current editions)

Product range on a single certificate

Example cases in which separate certificates are issued;

Table 1

Element (1): Type of equipment

Element (2)-1: Type of protection According to JNIOSH-TR-46(2015)

Element (2)-2 : Type of protection According to JNIOSH-TR-46(2018)

Element (2)-3 : Type of protection According to JNIOSH-TR-46(2020)

Element (3): Rated voltage

Element (4): Gas group

Element (5): Dust group

Element (6): Temperature class

Element (7): EPL for gas

Element (8): EPL for dust

Element (9): Type of entry method from main enclosure into terminal box

Simple apparatus

Introduction and Basics

According to Japanese laws and regulations, any electrical equipment intended for use or installation in hazardous areas in Japan must have a JPEx certificate issued by a JPEx certification body. This body is an Ex certification entity registered with the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW).

While ATEX/IECEx certificates are often issued based on standards equivalent to JPEx standards, these certificates do not hold legal status in Japan. However, this does not render ATEX/IECEx certificates entirely useless. The test data generated during those certification processes can be utilized to support the JPEx certification application.

NCS is happy to provide certification services and assistance to manufacturers entering the Japanese market. Feel free to contact us at support@ncs-ex.com in Japanese or English.

Here is the basic information about JPEx certification:

A JPEx certificate is valid for 3 years.
There are no audit requirements.
A certificate can be renewed for an extension of the validity period:
- Renewal can be accepted as long as there is no significant design change.
- The application package for certificate renewal must include the original certificate (paper form).
- After renewal, the certificate is valid for another 3 years.
Product design changes that require testing would necessitate a new certificate.
Certificate holder is required to affix a specific certification label to the product. See our website: Japanese Certification Label

Standards(JPEx current editions)

valid from Aug 18, 2021 to present

List of valid JPEx Standards

Product range on a single certificate

There is a rather unique rule that can be very complex in Japanese regulations regarding what could be covered on a single JPEx certificate, which is quite different from the approach adopted in IECEx or other certification schemes. Depending on the contents of your IECEx certification, you could end up with multiple JPEx certificates for a product range that may be covered on a single IECEx CoC.

Suppose you have a representative model for which you prepare a set of JPEx application documents. You might have other model included on the same IECEx CoC, which is a variational model with respect to the representative model. For example, models with different protection concepts(e.g. Ex d and Ex t), enclosure material, ambient temperature designation, or gas group and so on with respect to the representative model. In order for the variational models to be covered on a single JPEx certificate along with the representative model, certain conditions must be met as described below. If a variational model does not meet these conditions, a separate certificate needs to be issued.

The conditions are as follows:
A variational model may not be regarded as belonging to the same model type as the representative model IF any of the element described in Table 1 (in this document) is different from that of the representative model. On top of the constraints from Table 1, there are another set of elements described below to be taken into account.

Shape of major part of the equipment
Specifications of the equipment related to safety performance
Material of part(s) on which the type of protection depends
Conditions affecting cooling property

As a part of your application documents, you need to submit a list of variational models you wish to include in a JPEx application. Also, in order to support that those variational models may be regarded as belonging to the same model type as the representative model, documented exlanation describing why those models may be regarded as such need to be submitted.

Example cases in which separate certificates are issued;

Equipment with multiple types of protction in the sense of clause 29.7(Multiple types of protection) of IEC 60079-0:2017 will end up with two separate JPEx certificates.

For instance, an equipment having the Ex code,

Ex db IIC T4 Gb Ta=-20℃ to +60℃ Ex tb III C T135°C Db IP6X ,

will end up with, at least, two separate certificates ;

Certificate 1: Ex db IIC T4 Gb Ta=-20℃ to +60℃
Certificate 2: Ex tb III C T135°C Db IP6X .

Another example is illustrated in the table below;

Model Type 1	Model Type 2	Can they covered on a single JPEx certificate?
Ex db IIB T5 Gb thermometer	Ex db IIB T6 Gb thermometer	No
Ex db IIB T5 Gb thermometer	Ex db IIC T5 Gb thermometer	No
Ex db IIB T5 Gb thermometer	Ex eb IIB T5 Gb thermometer	No
Ex ib IIB T5 Gb thermometer	Ex ib IIIB T100℃ Db thermometer	No
Ex db IIB T5 Gb thermometer	Ex db IIB T5 Gb pressure gauge	No
Ex db IIB T5 Gb pressure gauge；enclosure material=stainless	Ex db IIB T5 Gb pressure gauge; enclosure material=aluminium	No

More examples will be added to the list for more useful guide.

The above does not apply to equipment having combined types (or levels) of protection in the sense of clause 29.6 of IEC 60079-0:2017. It will end up with a single JPEx certificate.

For an equipment having the Ex code,

Ex db eb [ia IIA Ga] IIB+H2 T5 Gb, Ta= $-$ 40℃ to $+$ 60℃

a single certificate is issued.