---
title: WEG Class I Division 2-certifiable Motors | Shaft Grounding
description: WEG Electric's W22 motors are the first motors to be third-party certified to use shaft grounding in Class I Division 2 areas.
image: https://blog.est-aegis.com/hubfs/aegis-cheat-reduced.png
---

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# WEG Class I Division 2-certifiable Motors with AEGIS

[Home](https://www.est-aegis.com/) » [Blog](https://blog.est-aegis.com/) » WEG Class I Division 2-certifiable Motors with AEGIS

[AEGIS](https://blog.est-aegis.com/author/estaegis)  Oct 15, 2024

Most motors controlled by variable frequency drives (VFDs) are subject to electrical bearing damage by shaft voltage discharge.  The risk of premature bearing failure can be mitigated by shaft grounding, but this is problematic in hazardous (classified) environments where potentially explosive gases may be present.

## Background

Installing motor shaft grounding in hazardous areas has always been tricky because shaft grounding devices are considered “sparking” devices.  In 2014, Underwriters Laboratory approved procedures for installing shaft grounding rings in explosion-proof (XP) motors for Class I, Division 1 areas.  There are similar procedures for Ex/ATEX motors.  The shaft grounding device is installed outside the motor flame path in both cases.

It was only in the early '20s that [changes in electrical codes and IEEE standards](https://info.est-aegis.com/technical-codes-and-ieee-841-standards?hsLang=en-us) opened the way to use shaft grounding on (non-XP) motors in Class I, Division 2 areas.   The catch is that first, so-called non-incendivity calculations must be performed to determine that the shaft grounding device spark energy will not ignite the gases in the classified area.  The measurements required for these calculations are beyond many motor users' means, and until mid-2024, no motor manufacturers had yet confirmed that their products could be certified for Class I, Division 2.

## WEG W22 Motors Can Now Be Certified

![aegis-cheat-reduced](https://blog.est-aegis.com/hs-fs/hubfs/aegis-cheat-reduced.png?width=300&height=388&name=aegis-cheat-reduced.png)

In July 2024, [WEG Electric Corp.](https://weg.net) announced that their entire [W22 line of cast iron motors](https://www.weg.net/catalog/weg/US/en/Electric-Motors/AC-Motors---NEMA/General-Purpose-/TEFC-Cast-Iron/W22/W22-/W22/p/MKT_WMO_TEXT_IMAGE_1PHASE_LV_TEFC_W22) has been evaluated by [CSA Group](https://csagroup.org) to satisfy both the IEEE-1349 discharge energy calculation and IEC 60079-0 standard.  That means these motors can be equipped with shaft grounding and used in Class I & Class II Division 2 areas.  They can be purchased with AEGIS® Shaft Grounding Rings factory installed and installed without the user needing to do any calculations.

In a word, it just got a whole lot easier to protect motors in hazardous areas from electrical bearing damage.  As a bonus, the W22 line also includes IEEE-841 Std motors.  841 motors are some of the most robust and reliable motors there are, and some motor users use 841 motors throughout their facilities just to be sure they're using the best available.  With AEGIS rings installed, these motors will be even more reliable.

AEGIS rings also come with a [2-year extended warranty](https://www.est-aegis.com/product/extended-warranty/) against bearing fluting damage.  No other form of shaft grounding comes with a warranty like this.

[![2-Year Extended Warranty](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/20974229/3b258d08-3058-4c7f-a866-2991b627f2e0.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/20974229/3b258d08-3058-4c7f-a866-2991b627f2e0)

To learn more about AEGIS shaft grounding and best practices for electrical bearing protection, [sign up for a training](https://www.est-aegis.com/resources/training/).  We offer monthly live training webinars, and we can also visit your facility to review your exact application.

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[Hazardous Locations](https://blog.est-aegis.com/tag/hazardous-locations), [Bearing Protection](https://blog.est-aegis.com/tag/bearing-protection), [IEEE-841](https://blog.est-aegis.com/tag/ieee-841)

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## Read On

<https://blog.est-aegis.com/discovering-and-preventing-bearing-current-damage?hsLang=en-us>

### [Discovering and Preventing Bearing Current Damage](https://blog.est-aegis.com/discovering-and-preventing-bearing-current-damage?hsLang=en-us)

Electric motors are prone to many sources of damage, some more common and some better known. An...

<https://blog.est-aegis.com/without-bearing-protection-motors-can-fail?hsLang=en-us>

### [Without Bearing Protection, Motors Can Fail](https://blog.est-aegis.com/without-bearing-protection-motors-can-fail?hsLang=en-us)

##### VFD-induced shaft voltage damages motor bearings and shortens motor life

If you’re using variable...

<https://blog.est-aegis.com/weg-explosion-proof-motors-now-offer-an-aegis-option?hsLang=en-us>

### [WEG Explosion Proof Motors Now Offer an AEGIS Option](https://blog.est-aegis.com/weg-explosion-proof-motors-now-offer-an-aegis-option?hsLang=en-us)

In less than sixty years, WEG Electric has grown from being a local Brazilian motor manufacturer to...

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