• • • ENCLOSURES • • •


EMKA new handle collaboration with enclosure OEM demonstrates switchable lock mechanism


Roman Jung, design engineer at EMKA, unveils the company’s collaboration with Italian control cabinet manufacturer MPGAMMA


L


ong-term collaboration bears fruit in the enclosure world where EMKA has announced its newly designed handle with changeable


lock inserts for Italian control cabinet manufacturer MPGAMMA, which relies on a mixture of tradition and innovation. This world ranked manufacturer of stainless


steel enclosures decided that it was time to significantly modernise the design of its portfolio. The comprehensive project also included developing a new locking system for their control cabinets and housings. In addition, the compression latches used until now were replaced by specially designed lifthandles. To develop the new system, the engineers at MPGAMMA relied on EMKA’s expertise in a relationship developed over many years. The Italian company has been designing and


producing stainless steel cabinets and housings for electronic control systems for almost 25 years, over which period because of its expertise in stainless steel design, they have held a strong position in the industry since its foundation and now distributes its products internationally. In addition to its standard portfolio, the company


also responds to customer requests, to the point that 70% of its personalised products are developed in collaboration with its customers. MPGAMMA’s customers span food & beverages,


chemicals & petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, marine, as well as railways and telecommunications. In these areas a high standard of hygiene is an


essential requirement. That is why they use AISI 304L and AISI 316L stainless steel which is hygienic and corrosion-resistant. Furthermore, the products must comply with various specifications for international distribution - to meet these systems, the company works with a quality management system according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2015. Besides this certification by DNV-GL Italy, all products have also been tested and approved by TÜV Süd (German Technical Inspection Association) and UL. Furthermore, the IP66, IP67, and IP69K/IK10 degrees of protection are guaranteed. Future proofing was an important consideration


in terms of appearance and function, so a comprehensive project was launched to redesign the products. The locking system of these housings was a critical element since up to now, the Italians had used compression latches with multiple interlocking points. However, the designers at MPGAMMA really


wanted to replace this with a system of new generation lifthandles to open the cabinets faster and provide a better feel without sacrificing anything in terms of security.


20 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • OCTOBER 2022


As a long-term essential components partner,


EMKA has already been working successfully since the 2000s. Alessandro-Donelasci, managing director of


EMKA Italy, said: “At that time, MPGAMMA was looking for a supplier with high stock levels and exceptional quality standards. That was the start of our long-term cooperation.”


Within a year, EMKA and MPGAMMA developed


a new handle together for the design project. It seemed the requirements were broadly similar to EMKA’s 1390 standard lifthandle although some adjustments were required including adapting so that the handle could be mounted on MPGAMMA’s products. In the first step, EMKA modified the model to the


25x150 and 25x68/14/68 cut outs. This step presented a significant challenge to our team. First, all internal parts had to be identical to the


standard model. Second, the new fastening points had to be located within the new cut out. In order to comply with these specifications, the


gear wheel and the dish were changed to allow the handle to be installed using a new fastening plate and four screw-on domes. In redesigning its own product range however,


MPGAMMA also had a design-related adaptation of the handle solution in mind. This included shortening the handles at the top, extending the handles at the bottom and adapting the dish’s design. These changes were necessary to integrate a new slider cap into the handle. These slider caps are stamped at EMKA and subsequently clipped onto the dish, then secured by a clip. Paolo Corvi from MPGAMMA said: “The


cooperation with EMKA on this project was again successful and straightforward. “The experts from Germany responded to all our


requests and could perfectly adapt the handles to the cut outs of the control cabinets and housings.” After the project was completed, MPGAMMA


signed a supply contract with a term of at least five years.


electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44