Advantech Broadens Hazardous-Area HMI Lineup with Two New Certified Panel PCs

Advantech has expanded its SPC-600 Series of hazardous-area touch panel PCs with two new models, the 12-inch SPC-612E and 15-inch SPC-615E. Both extend the certification framework first established by the SPC-618WE RPL — IECEx/ATEX Zone 2/22 and Class I, Division 2 (C1D2) — into more compact, cost-effective hardware, giving integrators a wider range of display sizes and computing tiers to match specific HMI and monitoring requirements.

For engineers specifying equipment on or near process units, tank farms, or chemical production lines, certification scope is often the deciding factor long before CPU benchmarks come into play. The SPC-600 Series now spans 12-, 15- and 18.5-inch displays, all carrying the same Ex-rated tempered-glass PCAP touchscreens, IP66-rated front panels, and high-brightness (1,000+ nit) LCDs needed for outdoor or high-glare industrial settings. That consistency matters: a plant standardising on one certified platform family can mix smaller operator panels with larger process-control stations without re-qualifying a different safety case for each screen size.

Right-sizing compute to the application

The computing tiers are deliberately differentiated. The flagship SPC-618WE RPL runs a 13th Gen Intel Core i7-1365URE with up to 32 GB DDR5, suited to heavier HMI logic and on-device data processing. The new SPC-612E and SPC-615E use an Intel Core i3-N305 with 16 GB DDR5 — enough for standard visualisation and monitoring tasks, at a lower total cost of ownership. Temperature ratings also differ slightly (-20 to 60°C for the i7 model, -10 to 60°C for the new units), a detail that matters for unheated enclosures or outdoor skids in colder climates.

This tiered approach reflects a broader procurement reality: not every hazardous-area HMI needs flagship processing power, but every one of them needs airtight certification. Being able to select compute performance independently of safety rating simplifies budgeting and lifecycle planning for multi-site rollouts.

Nordic relevance

For Nordic oil & gas, maritime, and process industries — where Ex-zone equipment is routine and ATEX compliance is non-negotiable — a scalable, pre-certified panel PC family reduces engineering overhead on new installations and retrofits alike. It also simplifies spares strategy across facilities with mixed display and performance needs, a common scenario in refineries, pulp and paper, and offshore installations across Norway, Sweden and Finland.

Recab AB supports Nordic engineers and system integrators with access to Advantech's hazardous-area computing portfolio, including configuration guidance and local technical support for ATEX, IECEx and C1D2 projects.

Contact Recab to discuss which SPC-600 Series configuration fits your hazardous-area HMI requirements.